Mufti of Dagestan urged believers to pray at home

Believers should not attend mosques due to the aggravated situation with the coronavirus spread; it's better to administer namaz (prayer) at home. This was stated by Shamil Alikhanov, the chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM, or Muftiate) of Dagestan. Instagram users have supported the recommendation.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that last Friday, on April 3, Dagestani Muslims held their Friday prayer at home, following the Muftiate's advice. Same was done by believers of Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea, Ingushetia and Chechnya because of the ban on visiting mosques. Therefore, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan may be held without collective prayers in mosque, but fasting should not be cancelled, Imams and Muftiates of Northern Caucasus believe. They also advised not to visit relatives during the Uraza Bayram.

"In order to avoid coronavirus infection, with has spread all over the world, we ask you to perform all prayers at home. Also, please, don't come to mosque on Friday," Shamil Alikhanov has addressed the parishioners. "We urge Imams to restrict the performance of the Juma-namaz to a small number of believers – no more than forty people in one mosque," he said in his video message posted in the Instagram page of the Dagestani Muftiate.