Fajr Prayers to be Allowed

Bahrain’s Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry has announced Fajr or dawn prayers will be allowed in mosques across the country. They will be allowed from today and follow an announcement by the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs on the gradual reopening of mosques and resumption of collective worship and religious gatherings. However, during these prayers, the relevant anti-Coronavirus measures will have to be complied with. Mosques will only be open to men and they will be able to perform Fajr prayers. They will be supervised by the relevant endowments directorate. Those who fail to meet the organisational and health requirements will be closed.

Other Friday prayers will still not be allowed. Ahmed Al-Fateh Mosque will be exempt from this ban but the prayers will only be allowed to be performed with limited numbers of attendees. Gatherings and crowds at mosque gates during entrance and exit will have to be avoided. Social distancing rules will also have to be complied with.

Mosques will have to open 10 minutes before the prayers and closed 10 minutes after they finish. Worshipers will have to leave mosques after they finish the prayers gradually and in an orderly way without any delays or crowds. Worshippers will be banned from staying in mosques after prayers and they are advised to perform Sunnahs at home. People should also perform prayers in the mosques closest to their homes. Those who are sick, women and under-15s will not be allowed into mosques. The elderly are being advised to perform prayers at home. People whose attendance may cause harm to them or others who are banned from entering mosques will be penalised. People will have to perform ablution or Wudu before going to the mosque. This is because ablution places, bathrooms, toilets, refrigerators and water taps will be closed.

Worshippers will have to bring personal prayer rugs with them and not leave them at mosques after prayers. They will also have to wear face masks and sanitise themselves properly. Their temperatures will have to be taken before they enter to ensure they have no Coronavirus symptoms.

The doors of mosques will have to be kept open before and after prayer to allow worshippers to enter and leave. This is so no one touches them. Door handles will have to be disinfected after each prayer continuously. All Holy Quran books will have to be removed and people will be asked to read the Quran from their own Quran books or mobile phones. Chairs at mosques will have to be sterilised and only the number required should be used. Hand-shaking will not be allowed. Full story

About the author

Add comment

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.