Vijayawada: Muslim worshippers advised to follow safety norms

Vijayawada: With the permission given by the Union government to allow devotees into places of worship for prayers from June 8 in the country, some organisations are giving suggestions to Muslims to follow safety norms to stay safe and avoid spread of coronavirus infection.

All public places in the country must maintain certain norms and follow physical distance to check the spread of virus. After the gap of more than two months, Muslims will be allowed to pray in mosques. But they should wear masks and maintain physical distance to stay safe.

Muslims must wash their face and hands with water (Wudu) at home and perform namaz at mosque. Worshippers are advised to avoid using mosque toilets and Wudu Khana, keep soap/hand wash in Wudu area (emergency only). Suggested to practice physical distance/social distance and wear mask (compulsory), and not to use caps and quran kept in the mosque. Bring their own Musallah/Jaa-e-namaaz (used for prayers), offer only Fardh Namaaz (mandatory) in mosque.

Do Sunnats, Nawafils, Quran recitation at home. Devotees above 65 years of age and children below 10 years should pray at home. If anyone is suffering from fever, cough and weakness, he should not visit mosque for prayers. Keeping footwear in proper order is also important and one should not touch or step on other's footwear. Better bring carry bag to keep footwear so that others should not wear it. Crowding at the gates should be avoided at the mosques. Let people enter and exit the mosques slowly with physical distance.

Mosques should be kept clean and devotees avoid touching walls, doors, surface, switch board and door handle. If the crowd is more on Friday, two Jummah namaz are suggested to maintain physical distance. As thousands of mosques in the state remained closed for more than two months, now, the mosque committees should take care of worshippers and devotees by adopting safety methods. Five times Namaz is performed in the mosques every day.