As the number of positive cases of the deadly coronavirus continues to witness a huge surge in Jammu and Kashmir, no Friday congregational prayers were offered in masjids and shrines across the Union territory for the first friday of holy month of RamdhanReports said all the major masjids and shrines across Jammu and Kashmir, including Dargah Hazratbal and historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar remained closed for the prayers for the sixth consecutive friday.The people have been advised to offer prayers at the home to prevent the spread of deadly virus which has claimed four lives in the UT so-far while nearly 700 persons testing positive.
Prayer is one of the “five pillars” of Islam, performed five times a day by the devout, but enjoined as a congregational activity only at noon on Fridays. But as the pandemic spread, authorities ordered suspension of congregational prayers, leaving Muslims to pray at home.
Several religious authorities across the world have urged Muslim to pray at home as, “Islam promotes life, not death.” “People can pray at home when our religion allows it, there is no need to go to mosques till the situation gets normal,” they said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the ongoing lockdown to prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic has been intensified. He said the lockdown was not a “law and order one” but an effort to ensure that people stay back home to fight the spread of Covid-19. “We urge people not to move out of their homes as we get to see people coming outdoors during the evenings,” he said.
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