Saudi Arabia’s top religious body has urged Muslims around the world not to congregate for prayer during the holy month of Ramadan in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The Council of Senior Scholars said Muslims should “avoid gatherings, because they are the main cause of the spread of infection”, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reports.
Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia has closed its mosques, including the world’s holiest – the Grand Mosque in Mecca – as part of measures to try to stop people catching the virus.
Meanwhile the Supreme Leader of Shia-ruled Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, has said Muslims are not required to fast during Ramadan – one of its obligations – if doing so poses a threat to their health.
Source: Fiilafmonline/BBC
