Sultan warns against congregational prayers, mosque gatherings during Ramadan, urges Muslims to pray for end of COVID-19

The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged Muslims in the country to avoid congregational prayers during the coming Ramadan.

He also asked the faithful to pray at home and shun gatherings at mosques during the period.

The Sultan, who spoke through the Secretary General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu, in Kaduna on Monday, also advised the Ummah against going for this year’s lesser Hajj because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It should be made known that all Salawatun-nawafil (optional and non-obligatory prayers), including Taraweeh, are originally preferred to be observed at home, though it is Mustahabb (desirable) to observe it in congregation.

“To sum it up, there will not be the annual Tafsir sessions and no congregational Taraweeh in mosques until when situation permits. We should therefore pray with our families at home and stay safe.

“This is a Ramadan with a difference, as most people will be under lockdown. Hence, they will certainly be in dire need of assistance because of the economic realities and the attendant suffocating inflationary trends.”

He enjoined Muslims to imbibe the spirit of giving during the holy month.

“Our spirit of generosity should be fully activated in higher proportion to ameliorate the sufferings of the poor in our midst by providing them with food and other necessities.

“Despite the challenges of physical and social distancing, Tafsir and other religious teachings could continue using various information technology platforms, such as Facebook, Skype, YouTube, Zoom, etc., to live-stream preaching sessions. Reliable information and communication technology professionals could be consulted for proper guidance,” he added.

The Sultan also called on Muslims to pray for the end of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the world.

He called on the Federal Government to be more committed to getting rid of the pandemic in the country and “ignore the intricacies of eye-service heroism, sloganeering and the show of false religiosity.”