Al-Azhar Mosque in Egypt Closed During Ramadan

Cairo, MINA – Al-Azhar Mosque in Egypt announced during the last 10 days of Ramadan, prayers at the mosque would be carried out without the presence of worshipers in general. It will only be performed by imams and mosque workers.

The last ten days of Ramadan are usually the moment awaited by Muslims to carry out iktikaf in the mosque. However, the evening and taraweeh prayers at the Al-Azhar mosque will be broadcast on the mosque’s official Youtube and Facebook pages.

Manager of Al-Azhar mosque stressed Muslims must perform prayers at home and comply with the coronavirus prevention guidelines from the Ministry of Health. Thus quoted from Egypt Independent on Monday, May 4.

Starting last Saturday, the Egyptian Ministry of Waqf has set out to broadcast evening prayers and taraweeh at Amr ibn Al-As Mosque in Cairo via radio. The broadcast was carried out in collaboration with the Al Quran Al Kareem Radio Channel and the Ministry of Telecommunications.

The prayer will be followed by the imam and two mosque workers. The ministry said Friday prayers and congregational prayers at the mosque will remain in place until the outbreak passes.

Wakaf Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa said the radio channel would choose a quran reciter to pray without using an external speaker, to prevent public gatherings near the mosque.

During Ramadan, the Egyptian government indeed suspends all religious activities, including prayers at the mosque and activities to break the fast together. It was determined as a step to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The Egyptian government stresses that mosques will remain closed as long as Egypt continues to record new cases of coronavirus and as long as a gathering ban is imposed.

On March 21, the ministry issued an order to suspend Friday prayer and congregation activities, and close all mosques. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)