Islamic Ministry says communal Tarawih Prayers would be held in the Greater Male' Area this Ramadan amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry said that while congregational Tarawih prayers would be allowed in the Greater Male' Area of Male', Hulhumale', and Villimale', social distancing must be maintained when performing communal prayers.
Religious scholars had said that performing communal prayers while practicing social distancing is permissible in Islam as the situation calls for such restrictive measures.
The announcement from Islamic Ministry is expected to be welcomed by the residents of the capital city as authorities had closed down the mosques in the area during last Ramadan amid the mounting number of COVID-19 cases.
Earlier this month, the Ministry had announced that mosques in the Greater Male' Area must practice social distancing while performing congregational prayers.
It had said then that with the COVID-19 situation worsening in the country especially in the Greater Male' Area according to relevant authorities, the Ministry upon the recommendation from the council of Islamic Scholars has decided that congregations for prayers in mosques must be made according to social distancing protocols.
The Ministry said that this order should be practiced until relevant authorities deem that the pandemic situation has died down.
It had also said that the council of religious scholars had also noted that closing down the mosques in the area even amid the rampant pandemic would have negative effects on the general population.
