Masks and no ablution: Saudis flock to reopened mosques
Mask-clad worshippers flocked to
Saudi mosques that reopened nationwide Sunday — except in the holy city of
Mecca –- over two months after congregational prayers were halted under a
coronavirus-triggered lockdown.
Saudi mosques |
Complying with stringent social
distancing rules, worshippers kept a minimum of two metres apart.
They had been instructed to bring
their own prayer mats and to perform the cleansing ritual, or ablution, at
home, instead of in mosque grounds.
“Worshippers rushed to the home of
God to perform their obligatory duty (prayers) after the reopening of mosques,”
the ministry of Islamic affairs said on Twitter.
The ministry posted a video showing
a mosque with many worshippers wearing face masks and reaching out for a large
bottle of hand sanitiser after prayers.
Authorities have instructed mosques
to avoid crowding and the distribution of food, drinks, incense and miswak
twigs used to clean teeth, according to the ministry.
But some complained that worshippers
were not strictly complying with the rules.
“I prayed, praise be to God, in the
neighbourhood mosque… and it was a beautiful feeling,” said one Twitter user.
“But I swear to God that some people
do not care about anything. No face mask. No rug.”
– Easing curbs –
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, had shut down mosques nationwide for more than two months to limit the spread of the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, had shut down mosques nationwide for more than two months to limit the spread of the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
The kingdom, which has reported the
highest number of coronavirus cases in the Gulf, is emerging from a full
nationwide curfew imposed during Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that marks the
end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Domestic air traffic also resumed on
Sunday, with state media saying around 100 flights were scheduled.
The interior ministry intends to
ease restrictions in a phased manner, with the curfew lifted nationwide –-
except in Mecca — between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm (0300 GMT and 1700 GMT) until
June 20.
The kingdom will lift the lockdown
entirely from June 21, Mecca aside.
In Mecca, a virus hotspot, the
curfew will be lifted between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm until June 20, and thereafter
the curfew will be shortened by a further five hours.
Saudi Arabia has reported more than
85,000 coronavirus infections and 503 deaths from COVID-19.
In March, it suspended the
year-round “umrah” pilgrimage over fears of the disease spreading in the holy
cities of Mecca and Medina.
That suspension will remain in place
until further notice, the interior ministry said.
Authorities are yet to announce
whether they will proceed with this year’s hajj — scheduled for late July — but
they have urged Muslims to temporarily defer preparations for the annual
pilgrimage.
Last year, some 2.5 million faithful
travelled to Saudi Arabia from around the world to participate in the hajj,
which Muslims are obliged to perform at least once during their lifetime.
Mecca’s Grand Mosque has been almost
devoid of worshippers since March, with an eerie emptiness surrounding the
sacred Kaaba — the large cube-shaped structure towards which Muslims around the
world pray.
But mosque employees and security
personnel have been allowed to attend prayers.
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