'One of the best things' in Qatar: Brazilian sports influencer moved by Muslim call to prayer

The Gulf state is the first ever Muslim country to host the global tournament.

A popular Brazilian sports influencer in Qatar found himself captivated by the call to prayer, or adhan, during a visit to one of the mosques in Doha this week.

Visiting Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Carter Batista, shared a clip of the call to prayer on his social media accounts, describing it as “one of the best things” he came across in Doha.

“I was standing in front of a mosque when I heard the adhan, an old tradition that calls Muslims to perform their daily prayers and it is repeated several times during the day. It was one of the best things I’ve seen here in Qatar and I was moved by it,” said Carter in Portuguese, in a translation by Al Jazeera.

According to the Qatar-based news network, Carter recently arrived in the Gulf state for the major tournament and has since shared his adventures online.

Hoje eu estava em frente a uma mesquita quando ouvi o azan, que é o chamado para a oração, uma antiga tradição que convoca os muçulmanos a fazerem suas preces e é feita algumas vezes no dia.

Foi uma das coisas mais bonitas e emocionantes que vi aqui no Qatar. pic.twitter.com/U3D5guszbD
— Carter (@essediafoilouco) November 13, 2022

Carter’s video and Instagram post of the adhan was shared by local and regional outlets on social media as well as users of the platforms.

“Welcome to Qatar my brother and we are happy that you are with us. I hope you enjoy in Qatar and have a good time with us and good luck to Brazil,” tweeted one Qatari citizen.

Another social media user said:”This is the most beautiful thing people will see in this World Cup, God willing. A Brazilian fan describes that one of the most beautiful things that affected him while he was in Qatar was the sound of the call to prayer and the call of Muslims to prayer.”

First World Cup in a Muslim country

Qatar made history in 2010 when it won the bid to host the major tournament, the first to ever take place in an Arab and Muslim country.

The World Cup is serving as a door to introduce the rich culture of the Arabs as well as Islam.

At least 1.5 million fans will flock to the Gulf state for the tournament, some of whom may be visiting the region or Qatar for the very first time.

As the first country to host the event, Qatar has launched various initiatives for fans heading to the country for the World Cup in an effort to introduce them to the culture.

Among such initiatives is “Host-A-Fan”, which enables households all over Qatar to host fans as part of a cross-culture experience. This further reflects the value of hospitality, a vital part in the Qatari culture and traditions.