Saudi govt partially reopens "Mataf" for "Tawaf" around Khana Ka’aba

RIYADH (92 News) – The Saudi government has partially reopened "Mataf" for "Tawaf" around Khana Ka’aba, the House of Allah, on Tuesday. After the opening of "Mataf", dozens of people performed "Tawaf" in the courtyard of Khana Ka’aba. Special prayers were offered for the elimination of coronavirus on the occasion. On March 5, the Saudi government had closed Masjid al-Haram due to fear of the spread of coronavirus. The courtyard adjacent to Khana Ka’aba was got vacated from pilgrims and closed. As a result, ‘Tawaf’ stopped in the ‘Mataf’. Ulema had strongly criticized the move to close Khana Ka’aba. Mufti Farooqul Qadri said that precautionary measures about health should be taken instead of closing Masjid al-Haram. Justice (retd) Nazir Ghazi said that Muslims should not be kept away from the House of Allah. He urged the Muslims to offer collective prayers and ‘Nawwafil’. Saudi Arabia had already banned pilgrimages to Makkah and Madinah by foreigners as well as Saudi citizens and residents due to concerns about the new coronavirus. Saudi Arabia had laso halted Umrah visas for foreigners and banned Gulf citizens from visiting the two holy cities because of the virus. It had also barred tourists from at least 25 countries where the virus has been found, and it limited arrivals of travelers from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.