As part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has ordered the suspension of annual Tafsir sessions and congregational Tarawih prayers during the upcoming Ramadan in mosques.
The council stated this in a statement on Tuesday by the director of administration, Yusuf Nwoha.
The decision, he said, was reached at the end of stakeholders’ engagement of the general purpose committee meeting of the council in National Mosque, Abuja.
He said the committee of the NSCIA under the leadership of its President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, in view of the pandemic considered the reports of the Fatwa committee and the ad-hoc committee on COVID-19.
“Scholars of Islam throughout the world are unanimous that the Prophet of Islam warned against the spread of contagious diseases and urged Muslims to prevent the spread.
“The closure of the two Holy Mosques in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for both congregational worship and social functions, which is applauded by Islamic scholars throughout the world, is a pointer to its compliance to the prophetic teachings on the subject matter,” he said.
Nwoha noted that one of the obligatory religious activities such as the weekly Friday prayers was suspended as part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus among Muslims.
“Jum’ah, as an obligatory religious activity, which is temporarily suspended to prevent the spread of COVID 19 outweighs the performance of any meritorious religious act such as congregational Tarawih and the conduct of Tafsir.
“Consequently, the council directs that congregational Tarawih in the mosque and the various Majalis Tafsir (sessions) and I’tikaf during the month of Ramadan of 1441 A.H be suspended.
“Individual scholars and organisations are therefore encouraged to employ available means of disseminating information such as radio, television, other virtual facilities, print, social and traditional media for dissemination of tafsir and other da’awah activities,” he said.
