Dubai residents have expressed relief and happiness as the Dubai authorities announced on Monday that Eid Al Fitr prayers will be held at the Eid prayer grounds (Eid musallas) across the emirate. The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) in Dubai announced that Eid Al Fitr prayers will be held in the emirate (on Wednesday or Thursday after the announcement by the moon sighting committee) with all Covid safety precautions in place.

Expressing his happiness, Imran Siddiqui, manager at a telecom firm, said: “ I was hoping for this announcement to come soon as I am a regular mosque goer and I noticed how disciplined and conscious people have become while praying at the mosque. Its amazing to see how mosque-goers keep their distance, wear masks at all times and give way to each other to ensure there is no crowding at the mosque during taraweeh and at other prayer times too. It has been a pleasure and a luxury I must say, for which I must thank the country’s government for, that even while we are going through the pandemic, they ensured our safety and allowed us to pray in congregation with all safety measures in place.”

I feel such sense of gratitude to God and the UAE authorities as I see how the pandemic is wreaking a havoc in my home country India, where my folks are just locked up in homes and it is difficult to even get basic necessities, let alone praying in congregation. On the contrary, Im so happy to see the Covid cases in the UAE have dropped to almost 1,500 and this is all due to the vigilant measures taken by the government and by the compliance to those steps by the public. This is a great Eid gift for us all,” said Siddiqui, who is also fully vaccinated.

Delighted at the news, another happy mosque-goer Syed Imran Ahmed, a senior sales officer at a firm, paid tributes to the frontline doctors of the country who he said are real heroes in these tough times.

“This good news of being able to pray our Eid prayer in congregation would not be possible without the support of the UAE government and our frontline doctors, who are risking their life to save ours. A big thank you to the authorities and to all the healthcare professionals, who are helping in bringing normalcy back to life. I pray for all those who lost this battle to Covid and want to tell everyone that take precautions to not only protect yourself but also for the larger good so we can get rid of this pandemic soon.”

Calling it a result of prayers and precautions by the people, HR professional Nadeem Ahmed said: “ In this blessed month of Ramadan, I feel our prayers have been answered. Ramadan has been so auspicious as we started from being allowed to perform taraweeh prayers, then in the last ten nights we prayed special Qiyam Al Layl prayers also in congregation and this news of being able to perform Eid prayers in congregation is like a perfect end to the holy month. I’l ensure Il take all precautions required and will make sure I reach nice and early for Eid prayers so I get place in the first row.”

Eid Musallas to open 30 min before prayer time

Eid musallas across Dubai will open 30 minutes before the Eid al-Fitr prayer time and will be closed immediately after the prayers are over. The women's prayer halls/ section will remain closed until further notice.

It further instructed that worshippers should not hold gatherings before and after the Eid prayer, stressing the need to adhere to all precautionary measures.

The authority said that Eid prayers will be performed with the same precautionary measures that are being followed during the Taraweeh prayers during the holy month of Ramadan — including keeping a safe social distance, wearing masks at all times, and carrying individual prayer mats.

Members of the public can find out the names of the Eid musallas on IACAD’s website (iacad.gov.in) or on its social media sites.

 

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