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| Source: Omani Ministry of Awqaf
and Religious Affairs website. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muscat. |
The Supreme Committee of Oman has decided to allow the opening of mosques which can accommodate at least 400 worshippers from 15 November 2020, the Oman News Agency has reported.
The conditions under which mosques may reopen include:
- Only allowing the five daily prayers to be performed, with the exemption of Friday prayers.
- Worshippers must feel well. They should also avoid going to the mosque if COVID-19 symptoms are experienced family members, or if they have been in contact with infected persons.
- Mosques will only be open for 25 minutes at a time, inclusive of adhan (الأذان, call for prayer), the prayer itself, and leaving the mosque.
- Physical copies of the Quran (مصحف) have to be kept away and will not be used by worshippers.
- Water coolers (fridges) have to be shut down.
- All toilets have to be closed.
- Worshippers must bring their own prayer mats.
- Worshippers have to sanitise their hands before entering the mosque and after leaving it.
- Worshippers have to keep face masks on the entire time that they are inside the mosque.
- Social distancing of at least 1.5 m must be observed.
Those responsible for mosque management have to see to all worshippers’ commitments to the measures mentioned above and other precautionary measures listed in the Instructional Guide and Procedures for Mosque Preparation and Equipment issued by the Omani Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.