Mecca Masjid was thrown open to the public and Friday prayers were performed for the first time after lockdown, albeit with a limited number of congregants.
Gates were closed when around 50 people entered the mosque that led the khateeb to declare that congregants perform zohar (afternoon) prayers as well.
Both Friday prayers and zohar prayers are offered in the afternoon. But, unlike the zohar prayers, the Friday prayer, as per Sharia, is preceded by a khutba or sermon, and also witnesses a larger congregation.
Speaking to the media, khateeb of the mosque Maulana Rizwan Quraishi said that there was a consensus among scholars from the Hanafi School of Islamic Jurisprudence that one of the conditions for acceptability of Friday prayers is izn-e-aam (general permission) of congregants, meaning the free movement of people in and out of a mosque.
Maulana Quraishi said that he noticed that all the gates of the Masjid were closed once there were around ‘50 or 52’ persons inside the mosque. With gates being closed, izn-e-aam condition for acceptance of Friday prayers is not fulfilled, he said.
“Whenever there are restrictions, when people are stopped for Friday (prayers), and doors of mosques are closed, and congregants are stopped from entering, then as per Sharia, Friday prayers are said to be not offered,” he said.
Maulana Rizwan Quraishi added on Friday, “I appeal to the police that they soften their stand and let congregants go to the mosque. I saw that gates were locked and signs were put up, so out of compulsion, I had to announce that as per the Sharia, those who have come here also offer zohar prayers. In case Friday prayers are not valid, they would have prayed zohar.”
