Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 9: As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, for the second consecutive year no large congregational prayers were held tonight on the occasion of Shab-e-Qadr across Kashmir. However, the local masjids witnessed a thin presence of people.
In Srinagar, on the occasion, big congregational prayers used to be held at Jamia Masjid and Dargah Hazratbal, but this year too, due to the pandemic, the congregations have already been cancelled.
People were seen making arrangements for the night-long prayers at a small Masjid situated within muhallas where a small number of people attended the prayers. The arrangements included making the availability of masks, sanitizers and other related things.
At Jinab sahib Soura, though, the night-long prayers were held but with a thin presence of people from the adjoining areas.
The daily prayers at Jamia Masjid and Dargah Hazratbal have already been scuttled with the Jamia Auqaf already impressing upon the people to stay indoors and not to throng the Masjid during the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadhan.
At Dargah Hazratbal as well, the daily prayers have been scuttled and no hustle and bustle was witnessed during the night at the shrine which otherwise used to remain abuzz with people who would reach there from all the corners of the Valley.
Earlier as well, there were no large congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid and Dargah Hazratbal on the occasion of Jumma-tul-Vida-the event which otherwise used to attract thousands of people to the major mosques and shrines across Kashmir valley.
“People are requested to spend these holy occasions especially the last 10-days of Ramadhan at their homes by holding special prayers, dhikr-o-adhkar and manaajat besides pray to Almighty Allah to grant us complete refuge from the deadly Coronavirus”, Anjuman Auqaf Jamia had stated in a statement issued earlier.
As the COVID positive cases swell across J&K with every passing day, the religious leaders have been urging upon the people to adhere to SOPs issued by the Health Department to prevent further spread of the infection.
Notably, last year as well, there were no congregational prayers held on the occasion of Shab-e-Qadar across Kashmir due to the COVID-19 pandemic and people were advised to stay home and avoid congregational prayers.
“We need to stay home for the larger interest of the people and pray to Almighty and seek His blessing and ask for an end to the pandemic which has ravaged lives and disrupted everything; Islam teaches us to protect lives and by staying home we’d be doing that,” a religious scholar said.
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