The Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) Scientific Council and the Union of Levant Scholars issue a fatwa suspending Friday prayers, sermons, and all prayers in mosques until April 4

On March 14, the Minister of Religious Trust and Endowments Dr. Mohamed Abdel Sattar El-Sayed stressed that the series of precautionary measures taken by the government with a view to countering the spread of Coronavirus in the country requires moral and social discipline by all sectors without exception and adherence to all instructions issued by the Ministry of Health in this regard.

Minister Al-Sayyed said in an interview with the Syrian channel that the Ministry of Religious Trust and Endowments, the Federation of Levant Scholars and the Fiqh Scientific Council studied the reality based on the reports of the Ministry of Health and issued a fatwa to suspend Friday prayers, sermons, and prayers in Syrian mosques temporarily.

It noteworthy, the Fiqh Scientific Council of the Ministry of Awqaf and Endowments and the Union of Levant Scholars issued on March 14 a fatwa suspending the Friday prayers, sermons, and prayers in Syrian mosques temporarily from Sunday, the 15th of March until the 4th of April, 2020. The call to prayer will suffice.

The Minister stressed that the Ministry is concerned, like other ministries, with taking measures to prevent this “epidemic”.

The Minister pointed out that Syria is still free from the spread of the Coronavirus and that no infection has been recorded yet does not mean that the virus does not exist, especially since its incubation period extends to 15 days.

The Minister indicated that there is a difference between spreading panic and societal awareness, especially on social media.

“We must be frank in informing people about the facts, but there must be moral discipline because the issue relates to the health of people and their lives and we are facing a strange and dangerous reality and the great countries haven’t managed to control this epidemic yet,” the Minister said.

O. al-Mohammad