DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 30 July) – Fifty per cent of venue capacity and only for 30 minutes.
In the time of COVID-19, adjustments have to be made to allow Muslims to attend the congregational prayer on Eid’l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) and to keep safe.
The Darul Ifta of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) late Thursday issued a nine-point advisory on health protocols to be observed during the congregational prayers on Eid’l Adha on Friday.
Issued by Abuhuraira Udasan, the Mufti of the Bangsamoro and Executive Director of the Regional Darul Ifta, the advisory states that:
- Salat al-Eid’l Adha shall be performed at 6:05 a.m. on July 31
- No more than 50% of the mosque’s or venue’s capacity is allowed;
- Time allocated for prayer shall not exceed 30 minutes;
- Wearing of face mask shall be maintained;
- Physical distancing of at least one meter apart shall be complied with;
- Everyone shall bring his/her own “sajadah” (or prayer mat);
- Sanitation and hand washing at the entrance of the mosque or venue shall be required;
- The mosque or venue shall be vacated immediately after the prayer for disinfection, and
- Anyone who does not feel well has to perform prayer at home.
In his Proclamation 985 declaring Friday, July 31, a regular holiday nationwide in observance of Eid’l Adha, President Rodrigo Duterte said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s observance of Eid’l Adha “shall be subject to existing community quarantine and social distancing measures.”
The proclamation, signed July 29, is based on Republic Act No. 9849 which was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on December 11, 2009, declaring Eid’l Adha a national holiday but with a “movable date.”
Eid’l Adha is one of Islam’s two major festivals celebrated by 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. It is celebrated yearly to mark the end of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca and to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham among Christians) act of sacrificing his eldest son, Ishmael. God spared the boy’s life and instead gave Abraham a lamb to sacrifice.
Worldwide, Eid’l Adha is observed through a gathering of the Islamic community in prayer, and sacrificing a lamb or goat and distributing its meat to family, friends and relatives, particularly the poor. (MindaNews)