While addressing the residents of Itikaf City here at Jamy al-Minhaj, MQI founding leader Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the spiritual influence of ten special nights of Itikaf should keep us overwhelmed for the rest of the year. He picked up the subject of martyrdom of Hazrat Ali Murtaza (RA) for his keynote address and said that love for Sayyiduna Ali Murtaza (RA) is part of our faith He said that remembering the Caliph of Islam is an act of worship. He quoted Hazrat Ali Murtaza (RA) as saying that 'Allah Almighty grants high station to those who have excellent morality despite their less worship.

Thousands of the faithful are attending Itikaf including women in large number for whom separate arrangements have been made in the Minhaj College for Women. This is the largest spiritual gathering of Itikaf after the one held at Two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia. The chief highlight of the ten-day Itikaf is the keynote addresses of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri on various subjects. The Itikaf is a wonderful opportunity for purgation and spiritual training and a source of spreading the message of peace and tranquility.