Muslim Organizations Issue Guidelines for Ramadan
Washington: Muslim organizations in the United States issued guidelines for Ramazan on Sunday advising the community against congregational prayers and iftars, hours after President Donald Trump asked local authorities not to relax coronavirus restrictions during the month.
President Trump said he hoped US Muslims will be held to the same social distancing standards during Ramazan as Christians at Easter, when a number of faithful chafed against coronavirus-related restrictions on large gatherings.
The US president made the comments after being asked to defend a retweet of a conservative commentator who seemed to question whether Muslims would be treated with the same severity as Christians who broke social distancing rules.
“I would say that there could be a difference,” Trump said during his daily coronavirus press conference. “And we’ll have to see what will happen. Because I’ve seen a great disparity in this country. They go after Christian churches but they don’t tend to go after mosques.”
“The Christian faith is treated much differently than it was,” Trump added. “And I think it’s treated very unfairly. ”
Asked whether he thought imams would refuse to follow social distancing orders, Trump responded: “No, I don’t think that at all.”
“I am somebody that believes in faith. And it matters not what your faith is. But our politicians seem to treat different faiths very differently.”
A few hours after Mr Trump’s press conference, the Fiqh Council of North America said in a statement: “If the current circumstances remain the same, the Fiqh Council encourages people to pray Taraweeh with their family in their homes.”
Ramazan is expected to begin in North America on April 24. Most Muslims here prefer community iftars at mosques, which are filled to capacity during Taraweeh as well. But this year, most Muslim organizations have been urging people to pray at home, maintain social distancing and follow government restrictions.
The Council, which includes Muslim scholars from across the world, including Pakistan, also published instructions on how Muslims can protect themselves from the coronavirus while observing fast and performing other religious obligations during Ramazan.
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) recalled that Muslim scholars were already supporting the suspension of congregational prayers.
The edict by the Fiqh Council addressed some of the issues being raised by groups which fear that Muslims may not follow the restrictions aimed at curbing the pandemic.
It explained that while Muslims will observe Ramazan, there will be no community iftars at mosques or other places. Encouraging people to pray Taraweeh at home, the Council said: “Those who do not know the Qur’an by heart, are allowed to hold it in hand and read from the Mushaf in Taraweeh prayer.”
For Eid, the Council advised mosque imams to give a Khutbah that can be streamed live, but urged people to pray the two Raka’at in their homes.
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