Bangladesh mosques continue steadily to hold prayers despite virus threats
Azan, congregations, and Jumma prayers will still be held as usual at all mosques in Bangladesh, said Islamic Foundation on Monday.
However, the authorities concerned have already been requested to completely clean the mosques thoroughly with disinfectants before holding prayers five times a day.
It had been also urged to removing carpets from all of the mosques and making the congregations brief.
The Islamic Foundation said your choice was taken holding a meeting with the noted clerics of the united states.
Previously March 24 last, the Islamic Foundation held a gathering with the country's noted clerics for ensuring safety of devotees at mosques in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in Bangladesh. At the meeting, the clerics also decided to limiting the quantity of devotees at congregations and Jumma prayers at the mosques.
However, it had been told that mosques couldn't be closed in any way and devotees wouldn't go to the mosques without having to be confirmed about the measures taken for his or her protection from coronavirus infection.
In that situation, the Islamic Foundation again held a meeting with the clerics on Sunday.
Discussing a fatwa issued by the Grand Imam of Egypt's Al Azhar University recently permitting the suspension of Friday prayers to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus and restrictions imposed by several Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia on the citizens suspending collective prayers, the Islamic Foundation sought the judgment of clerics at the meeting.
Besides, the opinions of several leading clerics living outside Dhaka were also heard over cell phones.
However, the clerics declined to pay any heed to the fatwa of Al Azhar University's Grand Imam and the restrictions imposed by several Muslim countries' on the citizens to provide collective prayers at mosques.
The clerics attending the meeting asserted that all the mosques in Bangladesh should be kept open at any cost, if possible, in a restricted scale. Mosques can't be closed in anyway, regardless if the situation worsens further, they said.
The Sunday's meeting was adjourned.
Subsequently, the Islamic Foundation another ending up in clerics on Monday in which a decision was taken. In line with the decision, the Islamic Foundation advised eight types of devotees never to go to mosques.
These are:
1. Those people who are infected with coronavirus.
2. Anyone who has fever, sneezing and coughing, throat pain, and shortness of breath.
3. Those who have arrived from the infected countries and regions.
4. Those who have come in touch with the infected people.
5. Those who are suffering from various diseases.
6. Elderly, weak, women and children.
7. Those who are nursing the sick people.
8. Those who fear that they will be infected visiting the mosques.
The Islamic Foundation also said those who will join Jumma prayer and five congregations a day, they need to take necessary protective measures. They are requested to provide sunnat and nafal prayers at homes and head to mosques through the congregations. Finishing the faraz namaj, they should keep coming back home quickly. They need to wash hands with soap, wear masks, clean the floors of their houses with disinfectants.
The Islamic Foundation also urged the khatibs, imams, muezzins, and mosque committees to check out the following eight suggestions.
1. Cleaning the complete mosque with disinfectants before holding prayers five times a day and removing the carpets.
2. Making the congregations brief.
3. Making the Jumma prayers, khutba and doa brief.
4. Suspending Darse Hadith, Tafsir and Talim through the present crisis situation.
5. Keeping sufficient soaps and tissues where devotees make ablution.
6. Standing at the congregations keeping distances.
7. Making Ishraq, Tilwat, Zikr and other prayers at homes.
8. Taking necessary measures quickly if there are any foreign national at any mosque in Dhaka or other parts of the country.
