“Concerned Tehsildars seek assurances from Imams, Khateebs for not leading congregational paryers”
Srinagar : The Kashmir’s clergy has assured full support to the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the holy month of fasting for implementing lockdown in spirit to prevent further spread of Covid-19 pandemic in Valley.
A senior police officer revealed to the news agency KINS that meetings have been held with the religious heads of almost all shrines, imam baras and masjids and all have extended full support to the police in implementing the lockdown in spirit. “We are glad that all are on one page,” said the officer.
Karwan-e-Islami International patron Alama Ghulam Rasool Hami said that prevention is better than cure. “It is not that people will be offering prayers at their homes by choice but out of compulsion. Saving lives is of supreme importance in Islam. We are free to pray with moist eyes before Almighty in this fasting month at our homes,” he said.
He said that Almighty Allah will listen to “our prayers from homes as he sees the unseen feeds the inspects below the stones and deep inside the soil”.
Ashiq Hussain Salafi, an Ahlihadeeth scholar in South Kashmir said that Allah is everywhere. “We are fighting pandemic and for the sake of humanity we are being asked to pray at home. This is not against Islam and rather is saving humanity. If humanity is alive everything is safe,” he said and urged people to offer prayers at home.
In Srinagar, and elsewhere in Kashmir, respective Tehsildars had invited concerned Imams to their respective offices and sought their assurances that there would be no congregational prayers anywhere.
“I was asked by the Tehsildar, Pampore to come for a discussion. There were other Imams of various masjids too, and it was unanimously decided for the sake of humanity, no prayers will be offered in masjids in the holy month of Ramadan,” said Moulana Ghulam Nabi Rather, who leads prayers at Jamia Hanfiya Frestbal, Pampore.
Pertinently, this is for the first time in a decade that congregational prayers will be abandoned in Kashmir’s masjids, shrines and imam baras in the wake of fast spreading Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed four lives and affected a close to 450 people in J&K so far.(KINS)
