Scholars: prayers will be held with precautionary steps

Ameeting of ulema and religious scholars from across the country have said that congregational prayers for the five daily prayers and the Friday prayers would be held in mosques from now, adding however that precautionary measures advised by the government will be implemented.

The statement from the ulema comes as the government announced that it would continue the lockdown imposed in light of the coronavirus outbreak, though restrictions would be eased for some industries that are deemed were “low-risk”.

The authorities in all provinces had officially restricted congregations in mosques, including for Friday prayers, to five people or less for the past two weeks.

However, there have been reports of instances of violation of the government orders, as well as confrontations with police officers trying to enforce these orders.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting between representatives from the Jamiate-Ulema Islam, Jamiat-e-Ulema Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami and Tanzeem-e-Islami, among other religious parties at the Karachi Press Club, mufti Taqi Usmani, a renowned religious scholar and former judge of the Federal Shariat Court, said that it was decided that prayers would be held while observing precautionary measures.

Detailing the precautionary measures, he said that there would be proper distance between rows and individuals during congregations.

He urged the elderly to pray at their homes and other people to return to their homes as soon as prayers were over.

“In the present conditions, five daily prayers along with precautionary measures are essential,” he added.

Religious scholar and Ruet-eHilal Committee chairman mufti Muneebur Rehman said that the lockdown was not “applicable to mosques”, adding that arrangements would be made for Friday congregational prayers and tarawih in Ramadan.

Calling the congregational prayers a “necessity”, a statement released after the meeting said that it is important to continue the prayers while observing precautionary measures.

The meeting called for the resumption of all congregational prayers including the five daily prayers and the Friday prayers, terming the government’s orders of allowing between three to five people for congregations as “impractical”.

Detailing preventive measures that would be taken, the statement added that carpets would be removed and the floor washed with disinfectant liquid after the prayers, and sanitisers would be installed at the gates of the mosque.

The statement further advised people to perform ablutions at their homes, wear masks and to leave for homes immediately after prayers ended.

It also advised that the Urdu part of the Friday sermon be removed and substituted with five minutes of information about preventive measures for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The decision to reopen mosques by prominent ulema comes a day after senior clerics of Wafaqul Madaris al Arabia warned the government not to extend restrictions on congregations in mosques, which have been imposed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.