Eager to listen to Friday Sermons

Muscat: The announcement of decision from the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs on Sunday has been received with great enthusiasm.

For many months now there has been requests for the opening up of the mosques for Friday prayers, but the authorities have been cautious and slowly and steadily opening up different services. This development to reopen mosques for Friday has come with cautious steps. One of them being filling an online permit to perform the Friday prayer.

“The opening of Friday prayers is a step forward that every Muslim has been looking forward and that obviously include myself. Although it has been opened but with cautions to protect us from Covid-19. We are all looking to the day when the mosque for Friday prayers return to complete and normal situation as opposed to the so-called new normal,” said Ali al Mandheri, Chairman of PDO Retirees Committee.

He added, “I must congratulate Oman - the Ministry of Heath and the Super Committee of Covid-19 to manage the Corona cases and to have reduced significantly to the extend that we have reached to the level of opening up of the mosques for the Friday prayers.”

“So first and foremost I am grateful to Allah that the Friday prayers have been allowed,” said Ali.

While explaining the importance of the Friday Sermons Hatim Al Abdulsalam said that he was so happy that finally the houses of God are opened fully, “As prayers in mosques elevates our spirituality to another level and the Friday sermon is a weekly reminder after a long busy week. It's an opportunity to ask Almighty Allah to uplift this pandemic from all of us.”

On the significance of Friday gathering Hatim explained, “It is the only congregation that's gets everybody together under one roof. Normally the sermon is united and issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

It penetrates the heart immediately as the Imam speaks to everyone directly.

It covers modern issues that we go through, for example, ‘How should we as Muslims accept the reality of Corona and accept what Allah has decreed?”

According to Khafan al Toqi, the announcement is indeed good news as it is a sign of recovery to normal life, “It also proves that we have done a good job and that we are on the right track.”

“At the same time we should be careful in the coming days and individually implement all the measures that are from the Supreme Committee and we have to work on it,” he said.

Meanwhile Sulayem al Jabri said the almost two years period of not being able to attend Friday prayers had been trying because, “The gap created of staying away from the mosque for the Friday sermon made people feel they are lost. Muslims believe that everything is in Allah’s hands and with prayers this pandemic will be lifted. Most people have been in the opinion that holding prayers in the mosques are less harmful than crowding in restaurants.”

From Ibri, Hilal Jissassi said everyone has been in joy and happiness with the decision.

“We are happy that we will be able to perform prayers in the masjid and return to a semi - normal life, but with the adoption of precautionary measures and social distancing,” said Hilal.