The President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubalor, has met with the Fatwah Committee of the NSCIA to deliberate on the challenges of the COVID19 in this year’s Ramadan.
The meeting, which was held via Zoom on Thursday April 16, 2020, was aimed at deliberating and advising the president general on the Shari’ah prescriptions on the congregational Tarawih worship and the Tafsir session during Ramadan within the circumstances of the Covid-19.
The committee once adopted the proposal made by the chairman of the Fatwah committee and unanimously decided that “Scholars of Islam throughout the world are unanimous that the Prophet of Islam warned against the spread of contagious diseases and urged Muslims to prevent the spread”.
The committee added that the closure of the two holy mosques in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for both congregational worship and social functions, which is applauded by Islamic scholars throughout the world, is a pointer to its compliance to the prophetic teachings on the subject matter.
“Juma’ah as an obligatory religious activity, which is temporarily suspended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, outweighs the performance of any meritorious religious act such as congregational Tarawih and the conduct of Tafsir,” said Dr Abubakar Imam Ali-Agan, Secretary, Fatwah Committee.
Consequently, the committee advised the Ummah that the congregational Tarawih in the mosque and the various Majalis Tasfir (session) during the month of Ramadan of 1441 A. H be suspended.
“The committee also agreed that individual scholars and organizations are encouraged to employ available means of disseminating information such as radio, television, print, social and traditional media for the conduct of the Tasfir and other Da’awah activities,” said Shaykh Sherif Ibrahim Salih Al-Hussainy, Chairman Fatwah Committee
