The Holy Month of Ramadan began on Friday with Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem largely empty of worshippers as the coronavirus crisis forced authorities to impose unprecedented restrictions.
During Ramadan, Muslims the world over join their families to break the fast at sunset and go to mosques to pray. But the pandemic has changed priorities, with curbs on large gatherings for prayers and public Iftars, or meals to break the fast.
In a rare occurrence in Islam’s 1,400-year history, Makkah’s Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medinah — the religion’s two holiest locations — will be closed to the public during the fasting period.
Prayers from inside the mosque at Makkah on the first evening of Ramadan on Thursday were restricted to clerics, security staff and cleaners, in a ceremony broadcast live on television.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Health and Prevention conducted over 32,000 additional COVID-19 tests among citizens and residents, resulting in the detection of 525 new cases among various nationalities. The total number of cases in the UAE has now reached 9,281 on Friday.
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