Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
This past weekend, in consideration of the public safety and containment of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the greater Memphis Area Masjids and religious leadership met with a panel of Infectious and Respiratory Disease experts.
The expert physician panel presented up-to-date information on the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation and the summary recommendations of global healthcare experts and the CDC. The expert panel strongly recommended aggressive and immediate proactive measures to be taken in order to limit the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community.
These measures included a suspension of the five daily and Friday congregational prayers, as well as cancellations of all teaching and social programs and activities of the Masjids until further notice.
Our Imams and religious scholars reviewed and discussed all currently available information both nationally and locally within the greater Memphis area. Based on guidance and evidence from The Qur’an and Sunnah and in order to preserve the life and the wellbeing of the community, our religious leadership unanimously agreed on the permissibility of suspending daily congregational and Friday prayers during a pandemic.
Therefore, effective TOMORROW Tuesday, March 17th (starting with Fajr prayer), all local Memphis area Masjids will be suspending the five daily and Friday congregational prayers. In other words, Isha prayer on Monday, March 16th, will be the last prayer offered at all Masjids until further notice.
The suspension also covers all regularly scheduled khatiras, classes, and other daily/weekly programs as previously announced. Our imams and Masjid staff are working on scheduling live (remote) broadcasting of nightly/weekly halaqas and are also available for consultation and religious advice via telephone.
All community members are being asked to practice extreme social distancing in day-to-day activities, especially non-essential ones, in order to stop the growing trajectory of COVID-19.
We ask Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to protect each and every one of us and to protect and preserve our community and the nation.
All Islamic Centers in the Memphis Area have supported this position:
Masjid Al-Mu'minun
Masjid Al-Muslimeen
Masjid Al-Noor
Masjid Ar-Rahman
Masjid As-Salam
Masjid At-Taqwa
Memphis Islamic Center
Midtown Mosque
