TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued its latest fatwa overseeing the procedures on conducting Friday mass prayers and general mass prayers that would still comply with COVID-19 health protocol limitations.

MUI fatwa commission secretary, Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, said that the physical distancing rules will also apply to how mosque congregations participate in mass-prayers and explained that the spiritual fullness of a prayer will not be rendered invalid because of the empty spaces between prayer congregates.

“In order to prevent infecting the COVID-19, prayer congregants are subjected to physical distancing measures and the empty spaces between people will not annul the virtue of prayer,” said Sholeh.

Despite religious rules dictating that a mosque in a single area is only allowed to hold one Friday prayer, however, if a mosque cannot accommodate the number of people present in prayer, it is allowed to be dispersed in nearby locations outside of the mosques.

However, the MUI’s fatwa commission deliberation saw two contrasting opinions on how to practice the Friday prayers. The first one argues that congregants are allowed to practice prayers in shifts while the alternative argument counters the separation of prayers into several shifts and deems it religiously invalid.

But the Muslims across the nation are allowed to choose one of the two options that the MUI has studied under Islamic scrutiny, and adapt them according to the situation in each region.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI