The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Affairs Ministry says while the ban on congregational and Jumu’ah salaah is concerning, the ban will only be lifted after ensuring there are sufficient measures in place to protect people from COVID-19.
Saudi Arabia suspended the five daily salaah including Jumu’ah salaah at all masaajid in the Kingdom last month except for the Haram in Makkah and Masjid-un-Nabawi in Medina to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The Senior Ulama Commission said masaajid would close their doors temporarily but continue to issue the ritual call to prayer (Athan), which will direct people to pray in their homes rather than come to the masjid.
Islamic Affairs Minister Dr Abdullatif Al-Sheikh says protecting people’s lives and their safety is an absolute priority.
“We are very keen to lift the temporary suspension of congregational and Friday prayers in the mosques and we hope that this will happen soon after the severity of the pandemic is over.”
Al-Sheikh says the decision will be made by senior Islamic scholars.
“The matter is completely subject to the Royal and Noble directives and to the opinion of the Council of Senior Scholars and to the evaluation of the specialized health authorities regarding the availability of full requirements and precautionary measures to ensure the safety of human beings.”
Al-Sheikh has urged people to seek clarity when sharing information from the Kingdom as some media sources and social media platforms have been published inaccurate and fake news relating to the COVID-19 and measures taken mitigate the spread of the virus in Saudi Arabia.
Faizel Patel
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