Jamiat urges Muslims to offer prayers from home amid coronavirus outbreak

Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Friday appealed to Muslims to offer prayers at home instead of congregating in mosques amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Jamiat President Maulana Arshad Madani said he himself is offering prayer at home.

For daily prayers, he said Muslims should pray at home, instead of congregating in mosques.

Muslims are supposed to pray five times in a day at designated hours of the day.

"All people must avoid gatherings at any place, and follow the Shariah guidelines for the protection of human life," he said.

Earlier in the day, he said in the light of government directives issued regarding coronavirus, he would advise that people must avoid gathering in mosques on Friday as well and offer prayers at home.

"Only Imam, muezzin and three persons should offer Jumah prayers at mosque so that obligation can be fulfilled. It is our religious and social responsibility to protect ourselves and others from this harm," Madani said in a statement.

Madani lauded the community for adhering to appeals of clerics and offering the Friday prayers at home. He said it was praiseworthy that only 3-4 people, including imam and muezzin, prayed at mosques while others prayed at home.

Combating Corona: UP clerics urge Muslims to not offer Friday prayers at mosques

The Ulemas (Muslim clerics) of the Uttar Pradesh have appealed to the Muslims to offer Jumma Namaz or Friday prayers at their homes instead of assembling at the mosques as a precautionary step to curb the risk of Covid-19.

"There will be only five people in the mosques - An Imam (one who leads the congregation), a Muezzin (who gives out Azaan or call to prayer)and three others - for the Namaz. We appeal to the people to follow this directive," said a cleric.

The Ulemas have requested the people to pray to God that the coronavirus pandemic is removed from the world.

Bengal Imams' body restricts entry of people into mosques

With the coronavirus outbreak triggering lockdown across the country, an organisation of Imams of West Bengal on Tuesday asked authorities of mosques to restrict entry of people to prevent large gatherings and conducting prayers with very few devotees.

While regular namaz and other religious practices should continue with 4-5 people, entry of others into mosques will have to be restricted, Chairman of Bengal Imams Association Mohammed Yahia said in a statement.