SHAFAQNA- Iqna: A Fatwa (religious edict) was issued by the Fatwa Council in the United Arab Emirates concerning the fasting for patients who suffer Coronavirus.
Members of the council held a meeting via video-conference.
They said fasting is obligatory for all Muslims who are physically able to fast.
Those who have the symptoms of COVID-19 are allowed to skip fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, the council said in the Fatwa.
Ramadan, the lunar Hijri months in which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, will begin later this week.
If a doctor’s advice for a person is avoid fasting, he or she can break their fast, the council said.
It also said Taraweeh and Eid al-Fitr prayers that are usually held congregationally should be said individually at home this year given the coronavirus outbreak.
The scholars further urged Muslims to pay their Zakat and Fitra (the obligatory charity that Muslims have to give after the sighting of the Eid al-Fitr moon) ahead of time to help those in need in these difficult conditions.
More than 2.4 million people worldwide have tested positive for the coronavirus and the death toll has exceeded 165,000.
To stem the spread of the virus, mosques and religious sites have been closed and gatherings, including mass prayers, have been banned in many Muslim countries.
Read more from Shafaqna:
Ayatollah Khamenei’s Fatwa on Fasting in Ramadan amid pandemic
Abolition of Iftar dinner during Ramadan in Masjid Al-Nabi (PBUH)
Canadian Muslims in Fredericton preparing for Ramadan during COVID-19