PakistanPresidentArifAlvihasurgedreligiousscholarstostopallcongregationalprayerstostemthespreadofthenovelcoronavirus,whichhasinfectedover1,100peopleinthecountry.
Themovecamefollowinga'fatwa'(edict)issuedonWednesdaybytheGrandImamShaikhofJamiaAlAzharandtheSupremeCouncilinEgypt,sayingthatheadofthestateisempoweredtostopcollectiveprayersinthecurrentsituation.
Soonafterthe'fatwa'wasissued,PresidentAlvionWednesdayapproachedreligiousleadersforguidanceandsaidtheyshouldactaspertheprinciplesofIslamfromQuranandSunnah,TheNewsreported.
Urgingthescholarstohaltallcongregationalprayers,hecitedtheexamplesoftheotherIslamicnations,whichhavealreadytakenthestep.
"CountriesthathavestoppedcongregationalprayersareUAE,Saudi,Iran,Algeria,Tunisia,Jordan,Kuwait,Palestine,Turkey,Syria,LebanonandEgypt,"Alvisaid.
The"governmentofacountrycanimposeabanoncongregationalprayers,includingregularandFridayprayers,andhaltgatheringsacrossthecountry,"readthefatwa.
Iturgedelderlypeopletostayindoorsandnotpartakeinprayersas"thesegatheringsareareasonforthespreadofthevirus".
Thefatwaalsoquotedthe'hadith'(sayingsoftheProphet),whereitstatedthatduringnaturalcalamities,Muslimsshouldprayinsidetheirhomes.
"Thecoronavirusismoredangerousthanrain,therefore,abancanbeplacedoncongregationalprayers,"the'fatwa'read.
Pakistanhasbeenfacingarapidriseinthecoronaviruscases,withthetallyshootingpast1,100onThursday.
InseveralArabcountries,the'azaan'(callforprayer)hasbeenamendedandnowiturgespeopletoprayintheirhomes.
MuftiMuneeburRehman,prominentPakistaniMuslimscholarandthechairmanofRuet-e-HilalCommittee,hashowever,rejectedthefatwa,sayingthatmosqueswillremainopenandprayersincongregationwillbecontinued.
Hewasjoinedbyseveralotherclericswhohavebeenresistingeffortstobancongregations,sayingitposesathreattothecommunity.
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