Ayatollah al-Sistani’s ruling on congregational prayers during the Coronavirus pandemic

The Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America has translated Ayatollah al-Sistani’s ruling on congregational prayers ‎during the Coronavirus pandemic.‎

News ID: 450222

Date: 30 May 2020 - 18:52

RNA – The Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America has translated Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani’s ruling on congregational prayers ‎during the Coronavirus pandemic.‎

In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Dear believers in North America, peace be upon you.‎

As different states within the U.S. begin to reopen, I.M.A.M. has received many questions ‎from Islamic centres and mosques about the rulings on practicing the congregational ‎‎(jama’ah) prayers in the age of novel Coronavirus. It is important to reemphasize the ‎importance of following the instructions of health officials and CDC guidelines.‎

Recently, the Office of His Eminence, Ayatollah Sayyid al-Sistani (may God prolong his life), ‎was asked about his religious opinion on the distance between people participating in ‎congregational prayers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The question and ‎answer may be seen below.‎

Question:‎

In order to [safely] hold congregational prayers in mosques and other places of worship, ‎government officials in our country require congregants to keep a distance of two meters ‎‎(approximately 6 feet) between adjacent individuals in any given row, and that a vacant row ‎should be included between one row and another. Therefore, can congregational prayer take ‎place under such conditions (i.e., is it valid) according to the rulings of His Eminence al-‎Sayyid al-Sistani?‎

Answer:‎

May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.‎

A [maximum] distance of 120 cm (approximately 4 feet) is permissible between a prayer ‎congregant and the person standing next to them in the same row and between the place of ‎prostration of a given row and where congregants stand in the row ahead of them. A ‎distance of two meters [between congregants], as described in the question, is problematic ‎for the establishment of a valid congregational prayer.‎

Source: https://www.sistani.org/arabic/qa/02756/‎

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