Muslims performed socially-distanced Taraweeh prayers in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina ahead of the holy month Ramadan, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported early on Tuesday.
Taraweeh prayers are the additional ritual prayers performed by Muslims at night after the nighttime Isha’a prayer during Ramadan. During the holy month (which began at dawn on Tuesday) Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset.
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque said it was enforcing preventative measures in all sites in the mosques and its facilities.
The number of people allowed in the mosque has also been limited and plans have been set up to organize the entry and exit of visitors, according to SPA.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz had ordered that Taraweeh, Qyam and Isha’a prayers should be combined and shortened during the holy month of Ramadan in all of Saudi Arabia’s mosques.
The nighttime prayers will not exceed 30 minutes in all of the mosques across the Kingdom, state TV Saudia reported.
Last Ramadan, prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina and the Grand Mosque in Mecca were limited to workers of the two holy mosques as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.
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