The Ulama Forum on COVID-19 has urged the authorities to provide effective but realistic guidelines and protocols that would be met before reopening of mosques in states that have not yet relaxed the restrictions.
This was contained in a communique of online discussions on Shari’ah on COVID-19 organised by the forum via zoom and WhatApp between Ramadan 21 to Shawwal 5 made available to newsmen on Monday and signed by the Convener and Secretary, Aminu Inuwa Muhammad and Ustaz Bashir Adamu Aliyu respectively.
They said the guidelines should then be presented to organisations and mosque committees to implement, based on which timelines for their reopening after implementation should be clearly defined.
According to the statement, “Authorities should always contact and seek advice from Ulamas to understand the provisions of Shari’ah on issues, whenever regulations and guidelines/ protocols that affect religious practices are going to be introduced, just like they always contact public health and other experts in their fields.
“They should take measures that will make it easy for people to comply with the guidelines/ protocols and regulations on preventing the spread of COVID-19 as well as properly train security agents on how to assist people in understanding the guidelines and regulations, while encouraging them to comply without undue intimidation and harassment.
“They should give opportunities for scholars, religious and community leaders to utilize traditional media and other outlets to mobilize people on the dangers of COVID-19, important safety measures and the need for compliance with expert guidelines and cooperate with authorities to overcome the pandemic. The influence of Ulama and community leaders in this regard by far outweighs any other group utilized for this purpose.”
They further urged the authorities to engage Muslim organisations and leaders in observing and monitoring the distribution of palliatives so that they can have first-hand information about its success and help resolve challenges that may arise while improving accountability and fair distribution.
They also advised the general public to strictly observe and follow the guidelines laid out by trustworthy and reliable experts saying, “They should also be patient and cooperate with authorities concerning new regulations on mosques, market places and other places where crowds may form, so that the spread of the virus can be mitigated with the permission of Allah.”
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