ISLAMABAD: Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz on Wednesday advised the people to offer Taraweeh prayers at home during the holy month of Ramzan to avoid coronavirus infection.
Religious decrees had already been issued by leading scholars of all schools of thought that the obligatory Friday prayers should not be offered at mosques amid the coronavirus pandemic while the Taraweeh prayers were not obligatory, and could be offered at home, he said while talking to APP.
He said that when Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has prohibited people from offering prayers at the mosque after eating onion and garlic until the odor vanishes from their mouth, as it might disturb other worshippers, then how could one who is infected with coronavirus or is at the risk of contracting the virus offer his prayers at the mosque.
Offering prayers at home in the current circumstances had become all the more important as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of pandemic, he said, adding that it would not be a sin as the unanimous decrees have been issued by the scholars of all schools of thought in this regard.
He said that the CII meeting on April 2 had unanimously declared that only mosque staff should offer congregational prayers with strict precautionary measures.
He rejected the arguments of some religious scholars justifying congregational prayers at mosques on the pretext of shopping activities being carried out at departmental stores. He added that such arguments do not carry weight as protecting human life is more important.
The CII chief said that the religious scholars and prayer leaders should first pledge that social distancing would be maintained at their mosques, besides other precautionary measures, before offering congregational prayers there. The mosques were not being targeted as all the educational institutions across the country had also been closed, he added.
He said that disinfectant walk-through gates do not guarantee protection from coronavirus. It might be one of the precautionary measures to slow the spread of the virus, he added.
Responding to a question, he said that a patient, who died due to the coronavirus, should be buried as per Islamic traditions.
To another question, he said that scientific investigations did not prove that eating prohibited species of animals was the main cause of coronavirus.
