COVID-19: Friday prayers offered under special preventive measures

KARACHI (92 News) – As the coronavirus outbreak worsens across Pakistan, the Friday prayers were offered under the special preventive measures in the various cities of country. Strict arrangements were made at the gatherings of Friday prayers to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The government and the Ulema appealed to the people to take precautionary measures during the prayers. It directed to the citizens for performing perform ablution or Wudu from their homes, adding that they should offer Sunnah rakats in their homes. Earlier, in extraordinary preventing measures of coronavirus outbreak, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has issued joint fatwa and postponed all the religious gatherings. The CII has prepared recommendations regarding the holding of religious congregations in the wake of coronavirus threat. The development came after number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan rose to 193.

Seeks keeping Friday congregations short

The council has called for keeping the Friday prayers short by reciting a brief Khutba and urged the elderly and children not to visit mosques. Currently, the situation is not such that the Friday prayers are not offered or mosques closed, said CII Chairman Qibla Ayaz.  He noted that the final decision of holding Friday prayers congregations rests with the government. “If the situation worsens and the government imposes restrictions on holding Friday prayers congregations, people will have to follow the directions,” he said. Ayaz called for postponing the continuation of religious gatherings in the wake of the virus threat. Meanwhile, the CII recommendations will be forwarded to the federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday (today). The National Security Committee had tasked the CII to consult with the ulema regarding the holding of religious congregations especially the Friday prayers. The religious affairs minister then held talks with the scholars belonging to different schools of thought.