Perform Taraweeh, other Ramadan prayers at home: Saudi scholars

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Perform Taraweeh, other Ramadan prayers at home: Saudi scholars

Muslims must avoid gatherings, given that the gathering is considered the main cause of the spread of infection, they said

Monday April 20, 2020 10:42 AM, ummid.com with inputs from IANS

[Ramadan Iftar - breaking fast in congregation, is another special feature of the holy month. However, it will not be visible this year due to the coronavirus outbreak.]

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's top Islamic authority has called on all Muslims around the world to perform prayers at home during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in accordance with the health guidelines to fend off the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The lunar fasting month, set to begin next week, is marked by intense worshipping, but most Muslim countries have closed mosques and suspended mass prayers to contain the respiratory illness, reports Efe news.

"Muslims must avoid gatherings, given that the gathering is considered the main cause of the spread of infection, according to relevant medical reports," said the Saudi Senior Scholars' Council, according to state-run Saudi news agency SPA.

Similar advisories have also been issues by scholars in other Arab countries and the world.

Among the significant features of Ramadan is a special nightly prayer called "taraweeh" usually performed in congregation at mosques.

The council added that Muslims should perform communal prayers, including taraweeh, at home if authorities in their respective countries advise it.

The council continued to advise against group meals during Ramadan and stressed the importance of preserving life in Islam.

During Ramadan, observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.

Saudi Arabia has suspended congregational prayers in mosques and temporarily halted pilgrimage to holy Islamic sites as part of restrictive measures against the outbreak of the pandemic.

However, prayers at the two holy mosques - the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Masjid e Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, are underway though with reduced attendance.

The kingdom has so far reported 8,274 COVID-19 confirmed cases, the highest among the Arab countries, with a death toll standing at 92.

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