Muslims Worldwide Told to Pray at Home during Ramadan due to Coronavirus

MUSLIMS have been told to pray at home during Ramadan in order to keep to social distancing rules.

Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, has asked Muslims around the world not to visit mosques during the holy fasting month, if isolation laws are in place in their country in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Ramadan starts later this week, and followers of the Muslim faith usually break their fast with families and friends and perform an evening prayer, known as Taraweeh, in large gatherings at mosques.

“Muslims shall avoid gatherings, because they are the main cause of the spread of infection…and shall remember that preserving the lives of people is a great act that brings them closer to God,” the Council of Senior Scholars said in a statement this Sunday(April 19).

The Saudi Arabia government in mid-March stopped people performing their five daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayer inside mosques as part of efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Last week, the Prophet’s Mosque in the holy city of Medina said it was banning events that dispense evening meals in the mosque to those in need during Ramadan to break their daily fast.