Offering namaz at home safest option against COVID: Dr Ilias Ali

GUWAHATI: Noted surgeon and social activist Padmashri Dr Ilias Ali has said it is still not safe to offer namaz at mosques even as the religious institutions are reopening for devotees after a three-month-long COVID-19 driven lockdown.

"Imams of mosques could play a pivotal role. They should tell Muslim devotees to offer namaz at their homes instead of coming to mosques. There is a tradition which recounts how a change in the call of prayer was made during heavy rains. A companion of the Prophet, Abdullah ibn Abbas, said to the caller of the prayer (muezzin) to announce the following, "Perform prayer in your houses" instead of announcing "Perform prayer at the mosque." (Sahih Muslim, 699). The prophet also told his companions and followers that if you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place," Dr Ali told The Sentinel.

He said similarly, under the current circumstances when the world is experiencing the COVID-19 crisis, it is very important for us to observe the requisite precautions outlined by the government and to avoid congregations of all kinds.

Dr Ali, a former professor of surgery at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital who have earned acclaim for his mission to create scientific temperament among uneducated and dogmatic Muslims, said an advisory on the entry into all mosques has been put in place. Devotees must be requested to avoid large gatherings and ensure social distancing. People above the age of 65 and below 15 have been asked to take extra precautions. Stickers have to put on the floor and verandas to ensure people maintain a one-arm distance between themselves during namaz.

"Everyone will be required to wear masks, carry sanitizers and avoid standing shoulder to shoulder. Devotees should bring their own carpets to offer namaz on the floor," Dr Ali said.

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