The Hassan Tower is the minaret of an incomplete mosque in Rabat. Commissioned by a the Caliph Yacoub al-Mansour in 1195, the tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world along with the mosque, also intended to be the world's largest. When al-Mansour died in 1199, construction on the mosque stopped. The tower reached 140 feet, about half of its intended 260 feet height. The rest of the mosque was also left incomplete, with only the beginnings of several walls and 348 columns being constructed.
Today we watched 2 sessions of last week's General Conference with fellow Church members and friends here in Rabat. As Sister Franco was speaking, I heard the call to prayer coming from the nearby Hassan Tower. Sister Franco then said, "We can all pray for desire to help with this vital part of the work of salvation." It was wonderful to hear the beautiful call to prayer.
In Morocco, religion is a matter of daily practice, just like it is in my life. "The Five Pillars of Islam that Muslims strive to accomplish are to profess there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet, pray five times daily, give alms to help the poor, fast each day during the mount of Ramadan, and make a t least one pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia." (CultureGrams, BYU, 2019)
Between sessions of Conference we went for a walk around the Hassan Tower and the the Yacoub al-Mansour esplanade and visited the Mausoleum of Mohammed V (1909-1961). He was a central figure in the independence movement in Morocco in the 1950’s.
The Mausoleum contains the tombs of the Moroccan king and his two sons, late King Hassan II (1929-1999) and Prince Abdallah. The building is considered a masterpiece of modern Alaouite dynasty architecture, with its white silhouette, topped by a typical green tiled roof, green being the color of Islam. A reader of the Koran was present.
While listening to Elder Johnson speak in the Sunday afternoon session, we again heard the call to prayer coming through an open window. Just then, Elder Johnson said, "Pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus Christ every day, every day, every day. It is through prayer that we can feel the love of God and show our love for Him. Through prayer we express gratitude and ask for the strength and the courage to submit our will to God’s and be guided and directed in all things."
How grateful I am for the blessing of prayer in my life and for the calls to prayer that serve as a reminder for me and for the people of Rabat.
