Qatar: Ugandan worker celebrated after giving Friday mosque sermon in perfect Arabic

A Ugandan petrol station worker in Qatar won the hearts of social media users after he stepped up to give the sermon during Friday prayers in perfect Arabic.

The man, wearing his work overalls, took the place of the imam who was late for a religious service in Doha, according to pan-Arab news website Arabi 21.

The man spoke to the congregation through a mosque microphone for at least two minutes and 20 seconds, as shown by a video circulating on social media.

"Mashallah [that's amazing]. He gives a beautiful sermon," tweeted one user.

في قطر تأخر الخطيب وطلب المؤذن أن يتقدم أحد للخطبة ولم يتقدم أحد وأخيراً قام عامل اوغندي يعمل في محطة وقود ليخطب في المصلين لصلاة الجمعة .. فكانت خطبة رائعة بدون ورقة . فلا تغتروا بأنفسكم ولا تحتقروا أحد فكم مشهور في الأرض مجهول في السماء. وكم مجهول ف الأرض مشهور ف السما pic.twitter.com/YOm4q0rf6y

— سالم المري (@s_helaby) September 25, 2022

"May Allah reward him. Islam does not differentiate between its members except in piety," another wrote in reference to a famous anti-racist saying of the Prophet Mohammed.

The Ajial Educational Center tweeted a video of the worker being honoured by participants in its "Wathiq" youth programme.

لأن برنامج "واثق" في موسمه هذا يهدف إلى معالجة ظاهرة التنمر، وإبراز قيمة جوهرية الإنسان، وأنه بما يحسن لا بمظهره.
وفي إطار تعزيز السلوك القويم والقيم الإسلامية السمحة، قامت المشاركات بالبرنامج بتكريم عامل محطة الوقود الأوغندي، يتبع 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/6duFOfvPiX

— مركز أجيال التربوي (@Ajialqtr) September 24, 2022

It said the programme "aims to address the phenomenon of bullying and highlight the intrinsic value of the human being".

"In the context of promoting righteous behaviour and tolerant Islamic values, the participants in the programme honoured the Ugandan gas worker" who gave the sermon, Ajial added.

Friday prayers take place once a week in congregation and are obligatory for Muslim men. Women can but are not required to attend.