PA Religious Affairs limits prayer to homes due to coronavirus

Text and image of a document posted on the official Fatah Facebook page

Posted text: “As a means to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus: The [PA Ministry of] Religious Affairs decides to limit prayer to homes and not to go to mosques and churches”

The image is an official document announcing the PA Ministry of Religious Affairs’ decision.

Text in document: “In response to the words of Allah: ‘O you who have believed, take your precaution’ [Quran, Sura 4:71, Sahih International translation], and in order to accommodate ourselves to the health considerations of decreasing contact with people and reducing gatherings as much as possible – we at the [PA] Ministry of Religious Affairs call on our people in Palestine, Muslims and Christians, to hold their prayers in their homes.

Our Messenger [Muhammad], may Allah bless him and grant him peace, says: ‘[All of] the land was a mosque and purity for me. Every man of my nation who arrived for the prayer time – let him pray despite the limitations of the mosques to [only] calling for prayer – this is according to the Messenger’s instructions, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when there is justification [for not coming to the mosque] that is expressed by rain, cold, or wind.’ All the more so in epidemics and illnesses, [Muhammad], blessing and peace be upon him, ordered the Muezzin (i.e., the person who sings the Muslim call to prayer) to say after the call to prayer: ‘Please pray in your homes,’ and also that the churches be limited to just the sounds of the bells.”