A video has gone viral where devotees are led in prayers by two prayer leaders at the same time.
The video is from a small mosque, Masjid Bilal, located in the Regi Model Town, located on the outskirts of Peshawar.
Locals said that they tried to change the prayer leader at the mosque, Maulvi Adaf Saleem. However, the prayer leader resisted this.
Hence when Asr prayers began behind the new prayer leader a few days ago, the old prayer leader also started leading prayers simultaneously.
Some devotees who had arrived at the mosque for prayers recorded a video of the incident and uploaded it to the internet, and it soon went viral. The video shows two sets of congregants offering prayers behind the two prayer leaders while some devotees stand by.
اناللہ وانا الیہ راجعون
— صحرانورد (@Aadiiroy2) August 9, 2023
قبضے کی زمین پر مسجد بنائی اور اب امامت پر تنازعہ،ایک ھی نماز دو دو امام پڑھارھے ھیں pic.twitter.com/GmgpTKGfWs
Local police said that locals have arrived at a temporary solution to the issue and that Mufti Niaz Muhammad has been appointed the temporary prayer leader, and that a permanent prayer leader will be appointed later.
He told Geo News that he was an Islamic scholar with a doctorate and that locals had requested him to lead prayers.
Police added that conflict arose after Maulvi Saleem desired control over the administrative affairs of the mosque.
At the other two mosques in the area, prayer leaders are appointed by the Peshawar Development Authority, while Maulvi Saleem desired a more permanent deputation at this mosque.
Maulvi Saleem later said that he had given up the post at the request of area residents.