Hyderabad: Prayers to resume at Mecca Masjid today

Hyderabad: After almost six months historic Mecca Masjid will be opened for public starting from Saturday, only 50 devotees will allowed inside for saying five times payers. The Mecca Masjid has been closed for the public for nearly six months and only the caretakers and managing staff have been attending the prayers. For the first time, Eid prayers including Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha were not say in Mecca Masjid.

Speaking to The Hans India Mecca Masjid Qatib Hafiz Rizwan Qureshi said that staring from September 5, Saturday the general public will be allowed to say prayers. "The orders were passed by the Minority Welfare Department and beginning from Fajr prayer the namazis are allowed, and according to guidelines only 50 people are permitted inside the mosque, and later after two weeks the number of namazis will be increased after the further orders," he added.

He said that children below 10 years and the senior citizens above 60 years would not be allowed inside the mosque. The namazis should bring their own prayer mats and do ablution at their houses only.

"As the renovation works of ablution tank and toilets are going on, he appealed the namazis to do ablution at their houses."

During prayers, all necessary Covid-19 guidelines would be taken up including sanitising and social distancing. The entire mosque premises sanitising works and removing of prayer mats works were completed, said Qatib.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali recently, with Advisor to Government on Minority Affairs A K Khan, Telangana State Wakf Board CEO Mohammed Qasim and AIMIM MLAs Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri and Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and other officers.