Eid: No big congregations at mosques, residents offer prayers at home

With no big congregations, coronavirus pandemic put a dampener on Eid ul-Fitr celebrations in the city on Monday.

“Thousands of Muslims coming from different parts of the state used to offer prayers in and outside Jama Masjid, situated in Field Ganj here. It is for the first time in the past four decades that prayers were offered by just two dozen people in the mosque, but it is for the betterment of the mankind,” said Shahi Imaam Maulana Habib-ur Rehman Sani Ludhianvi. Most residents offered prayers at their homes with their loved ones, he added.

Shahi Imaam said, “Celebrations were held by maintaining social distancing and exchanging bouquets in place of customary embrace. There are 72 mosques in the city, but big congregations were not organised at any place and residents offered prayers keeping social distancing in mind. The residents were urged to take care of the needy rather than purchasing spending money on new clothes for Eid.”

A resident of the Subhani building area in the old city, Mohammad Shamim, said, “It was an unusual celebration on Monday as no big congregation was witnessed in any mosque in the city, especially at Jama Masjid. Only a limited number of residents were allowed to enter the mosques, but it was necessary keeping in view the Covid-19 threat. Earlier, a large number of residents used to offer prayers even on Field Ganj and Shahpur roads due to shortage of space inside Jama Masjid.”

“Most people avoided shopping for new clothes and preferred to help the needy by arranging food for them,” said Shamim.