Relaxation in Covid 19 SOP for Mosques
After the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia noticed a visible decrement in the spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia, it decided to reopen the closed mosques in those areas where the COVDI-19 spread rate became zero now. Ministry announced relaxation in the previous Covid 19 SOPS to pray in mosques. Implementation of new sops are in place for reopening of mosques.
Restoration of Normal Interval between اذان and اقامت:
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, has directed all mosques to restore the previous gap between اذان AND اقامت. According to the local website, the ministry said that “special instructions are in place due to Corona.
Therefore, revoking the instruction to short the interval between اذان AND اقامت according to the circumstances.”
The ministry said that the management of all mosques needs to start following the new directives now.
- The ministry’s new guidelines state that “All mosques will continue to follow the Ministry of Health regulations.”
- All worshipers will wear masks, bring their places of worship with them, and not crowd the mosque’s doors except for social distance.
- A distance of one and a half meters between the two worshipers, but revoking the condition of an empty row between the two persons.”
- The interval between اذان AND اقامت is back to normal as before. For all prayers, the gap between اذان AND اقامت will be 20 minutes as before. However, 25 minutes for Fajr and 10 minutes for Maghrib.
- Mosques will open one hour before Friday prayers and close 30 minutes after prayers.
- The ministry said that they are also revoking the the order of limiting Friday prayers and sermons to 15 minutes. However, addresses and speeches are going to be short, following the Sunnah.
- Mushafs also returns to the Mosques. However, worshipers can bring their Mushafs with them.
Copies of Holy Quran is Back in Mosques
With the new Covid 19 Sop, The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Da’wah, and Guidance has restored copies of the Holy Quran in all significant and minor mosques in Saudi Arabia. At the same time, water refrigerators are also in place in mosques.
- According to the local website, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has placed copies of the Holy Quran prepared by the King Fahd Complex for the publication of the Qur’an in mosques. Still, the ministry is suggesting for those who want to recite the Holy Qur’an in the mosque at home. Bring a copy of the Holy Quran with you.
- The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has also allowed sermons and lectures in mosques but instructed participants in sermons or lectures to observe the social distance. Speeches and lectures will be available only when the mosque is open.Â
- The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has also begun rehabilitating water refrigerators removed from mosques due to the Corona epidemic. The order to keep cold water in mosques is also in place as it was before the epidemic.Â
The new guidelines issued by Saudi nationals and expatriates in mosques regarding Corona SOPs have been met with extraordinary applause.
Offering Funerals in the Mosques
The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Da’wah, and Guidance has allowed all mosques, large and small, to bring funerals and offer their prayers with the ban on Covid 19 SOP.
According to the official news agency SPA, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Da’wah, and Guidance Sheikh Abdul Latif Al-Sheikh has said that “funeral prayers in mosques will be following the prescribed conditions.”
- According to Al-Arabiya Net, Al-Sheikh said, “Funerals will be brought through several doors of the mosque. Not through a single door, but a single entry of the mosque will be unique for carrying a funeral. Relatives of the deceased will also bring the body to the mosque through a particular door.
- He said that there would be a particular system of receiving condolences in the mosque. A distance of two meters between the relatives of the deceased and those offering condolences.
- The statement added that more than one person would supervise the funeral procession and their prayers. It will be the responsibility of the worshipers to abide by the prescribed rules.
- Funeral prayers will not be offered during the obligatory prayers. Funerals will be brought to the mosques at different times or one hour before the obligatory prayers or one hour after the funerals.
It is also prohibited that no more than three funerals can be brought to the mosque when all arrangements have to be made to avoid COVID-19 during the funeral prayers.