Ayatollah al-Ya’qoubi:‎

Mourners must observe health and hygiene protocols during Muharram

A senior Iraqi source of emulation said, “Keeping Husayni rituals alive is one of the ‎greatest religious practices and therefore, mourning must be done even at home in ‎accordance with health issues.”‎

News ID: 450618

Date: 13 August 2020 - 15:54

RNA – In a message on the occasion of Muharram in the conditions of COVID-19 ‎‎(Coronavirus), Ayatollah Muhammad al-Ya’qoubi, a senior Iraqi source of emulation, ‎said, “There is no doubt that keeping alive the Husayni rituals is one of the greatest ‎religious practices in establishing the true religion and establishing it in the hearts of ‎believers and inviting humanity to God Almighty. Therefore, standing up and striving to ‎mourn is one of the clearest examples of God's word in the Quran. In verse 32 of Surah ‎al-Hajj, which says: ‘And whoever venerates the sacraments of God — indeed that ‎arises from the Godwariness of hearts.’” ‎

He added, “But the outbreak of the Coronavirus, which is present in most countries and ‎has affected millions of people, has been declared a deadly epidemic by the World ‎Health Organization (WHO), so it is incumbent upon us, religiously and intellectually, to ‎avoid possible harm to ourselves and take care of others and follow the health ‎instructions that prevent the spread of this disease.”‎

Ayatollah al-Ya’qoubi noted, “Believers must observe social distancing, wear a mask, ‎sterilize the place and hands when touching and avoid crowds when participating in the ‎Husayni mourning rituals and other religious gatherings and if believers aren’t ‎guaranteed to control and comply with these matters, it’s better to stay home with ‎family members and listen to sermons through the internet and social media.”‎

His Eminence emphasized, “Continuing to recite Ziyarat Ashura [The Pilgrimage of ‎Ashura] daily is very experienced in obtaining needs and repelling disasters and solving ‎problems, and it also brings the reward and intercession of the Infallible Imams in the ‎Hereafter.”‎

He said, “Reviving the memory of Imam al-Husayn must not be neglected and must ‎include rituals such as donating blood, donating convalescent plasma from Coronavirus ‎victims, visiting people in home quarantine, delivering oxygen tanks, providing ‎medicines and making orphans happy and sympathizing with the deprived. Helping the ‎needy in a way that preserves their dignity must be done in the name and memory of ‎Imam al-Husayn.”‎

Ayatollah al-Ya’qoubi added, “Also, distributing brochures and installing billboards of ‎Imam al-Husayn's words to the people or creating positive images that show the ‎purpose of Imam al-Husayn's uprising and enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, ‎must be on the agenda as a way to guide the people.”‎

He said, “The Iraqis have experienced, when they pay attention to the religious affairs ‎and observe the health affairs, as we first saw the decrease of the Coronavirus in the ‎month of Rajab last month. We can regain control of this disease. We ask God Almighty ‎to remove the evils and losses from us and grant us comfort and health.”‎

Rasa News Agency

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