"Islamic Affairs" devoted the topic of the sermon to "the culture of praise and thanksgiving."
Worshipers abide by the rules of "First Friday" in state mosques
Worshipers perform Friday prayers.
Photography: Najeeb Mohammed
Yesterday, the worshipers performed the first Friday prayer in various mosques in the country, after a suspension that lasted for more than eight and a half months, in compliance with the instructions to prevent the Corona pandemic, amid full commitment to the procedures and controls set by the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, in coordination with the National Emergency and Crisis Authority And the concerned authorities, to ensure the protection of worshipers and their families from any risks of contracting the virus.
"Emirates Today" monitored the convergence of worshipers to the country's mosques and their commitment to preventive measures and precautionary measures, as each worshiper took his own rug, while wearing masks and applying social distancing in the mosques.
The state's mosques witnessed a large influx of worshipers to perform the Friday prayers, while the officials and supervisors of the places of worship were keen to organize the reception of worshipers and their entry into the mosque yards, and to regulate the physical spacing between the worshipers in the outer courtyards surrounding the mosques, and to make sure that each worshiper took his own rug for prayer, in addition to following up on leaving Worshipers, and not gathering in front of the mosques after the end of the prayer.
Some volunteers from among the citizens organized the ranks of the worshipers according to the signs that were placed on the ground inside the mosques and in the external squares, and they also organized the entry and exit of the worshipers from the mosques in order to maintain physical distancing, and the Friday sermons directed the prayers after the end of the prayer that was determined for a period not exceeding 10 minutes with praying.
Most mosques did not witness any noticeable presence of elderly or children worshipers, while mosques were keen to hang indicative signs in different languages to emphasize avoiding touching exposed surfaces or mosque door handles, and the worshipers ’commitment to physical distance of two meters, with an emphasis on the need to perform the Sunnah at home. And confining itself to performing the obligatory duty in the mosque, in addition to emphasizing on reading the Qur’an from the worshipers ’personal Qur’ans or their smart devices, and avoiding crowding in the mosque, especially at the entrances and exits.
The General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments has devoted the subject of the first Friday prayer sermon to “the culture of praise and thanksgiving,” as it affirmed that thanksgiving is a great act of worship that takes place in the heart and with the tongue, and with behavior and action, pursuant to the words of God Almighty: “Make the family of David thankful.”
30% absorption rate for mosques
On the 24th of last November, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Authority announced that Friday prayers would be allowed in mosques as of November 4, while adhering to preventive measures aimed at ensuring the health and safety of worshipers, provided that the capacity of mosques is determined at 30%.
The General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, in coordination with the National Emergency and Crisis Authority, and the concerned authorities, had set 11 conditions or binding procedures for those wishing to perform prayers in mosques, with the aim of protecting them and their families from any risks of contracting the virus, the most prominent of which is the keenness to perform ablution in homes, and go to the mosque before Friday sermon and prayer of 30 minutes.
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