Muslims in Rail (MIR) hosted our first ever Discover Ramadan event in Wales, held in Cardiff at the Rabbaniah Islamic Cultural Centre. The evening was delivered in collaboration with Cardiff Muslim Professionals (CMP), the Association of Muslim Engineers (AME), the Muslim Council of Wales (MCW) and Consortium of Muslim Professional Networks.
We welcomed 20 guests from a range of professional backgrounds – many of whom had never visited a mosque before, let alone experienced breaking the fast during Ramadan.
The evening began with a guided tour of the mosque, offering insight into the prayer spaces and how mosques function not only as places of worship but also as centres for community life.
Guests then joined an engaging discussion on the meaning and significance of Ramadan, led by Imam Adnaan of Rabbaniah Islamic Cultural Centre. The session created a welcoming space for open conversation, reflection and questions about the purpose of fasting and the wider values of the month.
One attendee, Nick Millington MBE FREng (Wales Route Director, Network Rail) shared that he had never considered that a mosque would be open to him had he not been invited. After the experience, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity and a desire to continue supporting and helping grow initiatives like Discover Ramadan.
At sunset, guests broke their fasts together with dates and water before observing the congregational Maghrib prayer. For many, it was a powerful moment – witnessing people from different backgrounds coming together through faith, hospitality and community.
Several attendees also reflected that, given how mosques and Muslim communities are sometimes portrayed in the media, they valued the opportunity to experience the space first hand and see the openness, warmth and strong sense of community that exists within a mosque.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, with special mention to Zakariya Haroon and all the supporting event team at Rabbaniah Islamic Cultural Centre that helped make MIR’s first Discover Ramadan event in Wales such a meaningful evening.
