Masajid SOPs Violation and its Solution
At the moment COVID-19 is at its peak all over the world. Most of the places are under complete lockdown as this is considered to be the only way to contain the disease. In Pakistan, more than 40 people have lost their lives due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours. This might be the highest number of deaths in a single day since its outbreak in Pakistan. Leaders around the globe are saying that we should adapt ourselves to live with this disease because it doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon.
According to recent research conducted, the SOPs developed by the government for the Masjids in Pakistan are not being followed in its true spirit. We all have also been a witness to this all and it is true that those SOPs set by the government are not given primary focus. This is an alarming and dangerous situation. Recently, we have seen a spike in death tally, and carelessness regarding this can even increase this number (Allah Forbid).
Minumum Level SOPs:
The SOPs set by the officials are the best but we have even set out the minimum level for following these SOPs. Let’s not forget that COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease and it can transmit easily from one person to another and the most dangerous situation is if a person is infected then it can take up to 14 days for its symptoms to start appearing and till that time the virus can transmit from that person to other people unnoticed. Keeping these in mind, we will set out some Minimum Level precautionary measures.
- Wear a mask properly and completely covering your face while coming to the Masjid.
- Bring your prayer rug with you (e.g. pocket praying rug).
- Keep a reasonable distance from each other in the Masjid.
- Make ablution before going to the Masjid and after returning from the Masjid.
- Avoid handshakes, hugs, and do not touch your face with your hands.
- Keep the windows of the Masjid open and ensure proper cross ventilation.
- Recite duas regularly.
If we did not follow these precautionary measures then the one who gets infected might not have taken these measures and then he becomes a source of spreading the disease unknowingly. It is wise to act upon these instructions for our own safety and for the safety of others.
The people living near the Masjid are requested to make donations for the Masjid to buy masks and prayer rugs. This would be considered as a Sadqah-e-Jariya. One shall be rewarded for this by Allah Almighty Himself.
We have also printed these instructions on standees and brochures and distributed them in nearby Masjids. We request everyone to kindly follow these instructions and if someone is not following them, one should guide and tell about the aftereffects of not taking precautions.
Another request to Imams is that when they finish prayer and turn around to recite duas, they should look briefly on the people and notice the people who are not following safety procedures and remind them to follow for larger public good.
The SOPs put forth by the government are best and we must follow them but, if we cannot follow them completely due to any reason then we should at least follow the minimum level. These procedures and duas should be shared as much as possible and we should gauge the seriousness of this situation and the Masjids may not be closed altogether due to our mistakes and not following safety procedures.
RESOURCES:
Masajid SOPs Violation and its Solution (English).pdf