Noted religious scholar and rector of Dara-ul-Uloom Rahemiya in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, Maulana Rahmatullah Mir Qasmi, urged people and masjid committees to follow covid SOPs, ensure social distancing and wearing of masks during prayers. The Maulana in a video statement while citing a Hadith said that whenever required people must take precautions, so people must follow all the guidelines laid by the medical health experts to contain the COVID-19.
He said: “It is a moral obligation on the masjid committees to ensure that people maintain proper social distance and wear facemasks (during prayers).”
“The masjid committees,” he said, “are required to ensure observance of covid guidelines in the masjids in the same way as they ensure any other essential facilities in the masjids like water, furnishing, lighting, etc.”
He said the masjid committees should keep handy facemasks and hand sanitizers for the devotees. “If the masjids are not spacious enough, then the masjid committee concerned should make it mandatory for people to pray congregational prayers in shifts, which could be more than twice, but social distancing should be maintained at all times,” he said.
The rector of Kashmir’s largest Dara-ul-Uloom said that people like old, sick, and weak, who could not go to the masjids, should offer congregational prayers with family members at home. “They will get an equal reward (like those who say congregational prayers at masjid) as they aren’t doing it due to lethargy but due to a valid reason.”
While urging strict adherence to COVID-19 SOPs, he said whenever anyone moves out of the house, they should follow the guidelines strictly as recommended by medical experts world over.