Daily Times

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Thursday declared mosques as community centres providing help to the deserving people in support with prayer leaders of the respective mosques.

Briefing media about CII meeting, Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz said the council has also urged people to take precautionary measures to save themselves from coronavirus. He said the CII has asked the media to avoid using the word ‘halaak’ for a person who died from coronavirus, instead it should use the word ‘shaheed’ or ‘jaan bahaq’ for the deceased. The funeral prayers of the persons killed by coronavirus will be offered by close relatives, however precautionary measures must be taken. The deceased should be buried as per Islamic traditions, he added.

The CII contended that the amount allocated for performing religious obligations including Umrah, Ziarat, should be donated to the people who are facing financial problems due to coronavirus outbreak. Deserving persons belonging to minority community must be taken care of as well, he added.

Ayaz said the government, philanthropists and civil society should join hands to help the deserving persons who have become jobless due to lockdown in wake of coronavirus.

He said the CII has endorsed government’s initiative to limit the Friday and five times congregations in the mosques to contain the spread of deadly virus. The CII contended that the sanctity of the life of human being is the most important in Sharia. He hoped that people will follow the government’s orders and prefer offering prayers at home by maintaining social distancing.

The council contended that the mosques must not be locked down. However, the number of people offering joint prayers must be maintained at a minimum level, he added.

Dr Ayaz observed that coronavirus has no link with any sect, religion and pilgrims. Members of Tableeghi Jamaat have no role in spread of coronavirus and steps must be taken to negate the impression in this regard, he added.

The council lauded the efforts being made to prepare vaccine to eradicate the deadly disease and termed such effort as great service to humanity. It urged the government to take measures to bring back stranded people in country and vice versa.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government on Thursday decided to cancel the annual urs of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, scheduled for April 12. Officials in the Auqaf Department said the decision has been made due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

As per the Islamic calendar, the three days of festivities at the shrine of Sufi saint Usman Marwandi – popularly known as Lal Shahbaz Qalander – start from Shaban 18. Thousands from all over Pakistan flock to the shrine to attend the urs.