| Hakim Hayat |
HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam yesterday graced a Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration at the Istana Nurul Iman.
The event, attended by over 6,000 guests, was hosted by Their Majesties and members of the royal family to commemorate the feast of sacrifice for the year 1439 Hijrah.
The royal family members attending the event were His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel; His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah; and His Royal Highness Prince Haji Jefri Bolkiah.
Also in attendance were Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah; Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah; Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah; Her Royal Highness Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah; Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Amal Umi Kalthum Al-Islam; and Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Noor Ehsani binti Al-Marhum Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Akazul Khairi Waddien.
Prior to the event, the sound of the Hari Raya Takbir, performed by representatives from government departments, religious school teachers, undergraduates from tertiary education institutions, uniformed personnel, youth associations and members of various associations resonated throughout the Istana Nurul Iman.
This was followed by recitation of Al-Quran verses 197-199 of Surah Al-Baqarah by Mohd Marzuqi bin Haji Anuar, a first-year undergraduate of ‘Aliyah Qiraat Diploma who represented the country in the Mohammed VI International Prize for the Al-Quran Reading Competition held in Morocco in 2015.
The interpretation of Al-Quran verses was read by Mohd Najib bin Haji Aliakbar, a lecturer at Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
At the ceremony, Their Majesties consented to hand out sacrificial meat to 100 selected recipients, comprising underprivileged individuals from all four districts.
A Doa Selamat was recited by State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned to bless the ceremony.
This year, a total of 158 cows and 14 goats were contributed by Their Majesties and members of the royal family and the sacrificial meat was distributed to 7,567 poor and underprivileged people selected from across the country.
Over 6,000 guests attended the event yesterday including civil servants and uniformed personnel as well as new Muslim converts, mosque youth groups, Muslimah groups, undergraduates from tertiary education institutions and religious school students.
Yesterday afternoon also saw sacrificial meat being distributed to selected recipients in different venues across all districts.