Vijayawada: Mosque panels to follow Covid guidelines strictly during Ramzan

Vijayawada: Representatives of some mosques committees in Vijayawada said they will follow the Covid guidelines very strictly in the mosques in the holy month of Ramzan which will begin on April 14.

The representatives of various mosques committees met in the office of the Muslim Joint Action Committee in Labbipet on Monday and discussed the guidelines to be followed in the mosques during the month of Ramzan as a large number of devotees visit the mosques for the prayers five times a day. Fasting ends in the evening and a large number of devotees visit the mosques to end Iftar (fasting).

Due to the second wave of coronavirus, the mosques committees have cancelled Iftar in the mosques and decided to appeal to the devotees to complete the fasting at their homes with the family members.

The mosques committees made it clear that no outside food is allowed into the mosques in the month of Ramzan. They said only drinking water and dates will be arranged for the convenience of devotees.

Special prayers "Taravi' to be held in the nights will be completed as early as possible to check the spread of the coronavirus. Besides, physical distance will be maintained in the mosques and sanitisers will be arranged. Muslim JAC convenor Muneer Ahmed, representatives of the mosques committees, Mohammed Usman, Shukri, Moulana Naseer Umari, Imam Mufti Yousuf, Akbar, Khaleelulla and advocate Abdul Mateen were present in the meeting.

The representatives have appealed to the Muslims to donate money, food and clothes to the poor generously in the month of Ramzan and extend help to the widows, orphans and other hapless poor people. Last year also, the mosque committees followed the Covid guidelines very strictly and avoided Iftar in the mosques.