Places of worship cutting across faiths began to put in place measures to tackle the coronavirus scare. With a large number of congregations expected at mosques on Friday, masjid managing committees and religious organisations issued instructions for shortened prayer time. They also announced the cancellation of the Shab-e-Meraj, popularly known as jaagne ki raat, gatherings.
In an advisory issued over its WhatsApp group, the Mahmood Habib Masjid and Islamic Centre removed the lecture before Friday prayers, barred handshake and close physical contact, permanently closed toilets, the ablution area, and restricted the participants of a congregation to 15.
The masjid advisory also included instructions to all to stay at home for at least a fortnight if either they, or somebody from the household had a history of international travel.
Speaking to The Hindu , the khateeb of the mosque Mirza Yawar Baig said, “It is not only about saving yourself but also about acting responsibly so that others are not harmed. This pandemic, if we do the right thing and act with compassion, should bring us close as neighbours, and fellow citizens.”
The Jamiat-e-Ulama Telangana Andhra Pradesh, an organisation of clerics, directed mosques, which are under its control, to ensure cleanliness of toilets and a thorough cleaning of prayer mats and carpets. Noted cleric Hafiz Peer Shabbir, who is the president of the body, said, “We have directed masjids to ensure that skull caps are not available. Instructions have been issued to reduce the prayer times. Non-obligatory prayers should be offered at home. We are encouraging ablutions to be done at home.”
The Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana and Odhisha zone has appealed to masjid managing committees to limit the the total prayer time, including the sermon, to 15 minutes for the next three consecutive Fridays. The organisation also urged the mosque administration to comply with advisories and instructions issued by the Health department. “Those who have symptoms of the virus are instructed not to come to the masjids,” an excerpt from the advisory reads.
All Shab-e-Meraj public meetings, scheduled for Sunday, across the State stand cancelled.
