The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments announced on Tuesday that the Friday sermon will now be available to listen to in English and Urdu.

Non-Arabic speaking Muslims in the UAE will soon have the chance to understand the messages and meanings of the Friday sermon through a new translation feature on the authority's app.

Users will be able to read and hear the service in their chosen language.

The initiative is the result of a fruitful collaboration between, among other organisations, the Department of Community Development, the Statistics Centre — Abu Dhabi, Etisalat and Du.

Etisalat and Du will offer free data packages for the Friday sermon translation service users via the Awqaf’ mobile application during the prayer.

According to a survey conducted by the Statistics Centre — Abu Dhabi, 55 per cent of the respondents preferred the translation of the Friday Sermon into Urdu.

“The initiative of translating the sermon into both English and Urdu began to ensure that all worshippers get the chance to be involved in the sermon,” said Mugheer Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development.

The move will help to foster Islamic values and raise awareness about the most critical social issues, disseminating positive messages that contribute to building a co-operative, tolerant community.

Abu Dhabi Media company also mobilised its resources and expertise to create media materials for the initiative.

The Department of Community Development is currently working on developing a future plan to expand the scope of the initiative to include a broader range of languages for non-Arabic speakers.

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