The largest gathering of Muslims in Southern Africa kicks off on Friday at Zinniaville sports ground in Rustenberg, Johannesburg. Thousands of people are expected to attend the annual ijtima which takes place every Easter weekend and will conclude on Monday.

The three day event is hosted by the Aalami shura Tablighi Jamaat. The Tablighi Jamaat was revived in 1926 by Moulana Muhammad Ilyas Khandh-lawi in the rural villages surrounding New Delhi in India after he became distressed by the lack of Islamic knowledge and practises among people.
Expected to draw more than 30 000 people for jumuah salah alone, the core focus of the ijtima is to bring

Muslims together for the purpose of promoting the importance of learning and practice of Islam.
One objective of the Ijtima is to revive the Islamic spirit and conscientise Muslims of their responsibility.

During the ijtima, senior Islamic scholars from across the country as well as an international contingent will address the masses towards self-reformation and adherence to an Islamic way of life as espoused by the Nabi Muhammad (pbuh).

Traffic into the venue throughout the weekend is expected to be congested given the masses of people. [Source: Radio Islam]