Protoday247 MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheik Abdulaziz Al-Sheik, the country’s highest religious authority, said Friday that prayers should be performed at home during Ramazan and for the subsequent Eidul Fitr, if the coronavirus outbreak continues.
“Taraveeh prayer may be offered at home if it cannot be offered in mosques because of the preventive steps taken to counter the spread of coronavirus,” he said in response to a questions, adding that the same applies to Eid prayers. As part of efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus, Saudi Arabia in mid-March stopped people performing their prayers and Friday prayer inside mosques.
The Prophet’s Mosque in Madina’s holy city on Thursday said it banned activities, which dispensed evening meals in the mosque to those in need during Ramazan to break their daily fast. The Kingdom has recorded 6,380 cases of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the latest coronavirus and 83 deaths to date
Meanwhile, Noorul Haq Qadri, federal minister for religious affairs, said he was hopeful that Ulema would cooperate and adopt a ‘middle path’ while organising events for Ramazan’s coming month.
Talking to the media, the federal minister said religious scholars are expected to show sheer seriousness on the matter during these challenging times of the pandemic. The minister also asserted that the incumbent government took all steps to ensure the people’s health and well-being and that if the number of cases for coronavirus rises due to negligence, the situation will be out of control.
“In this regard, we have contacted religious scholars from various schools of thought. We will also meet with Prime Minister Imran Khan after tomorrow’s slated meeting with the president, “informed the minister.