Eid al-Fitr to be held online in Tatarstan and Bashkiria
“Health is an amanat from from the Almighty”
Coronavirus has not allowed Muslims to hold Eid al-Fitr en masse in the mosques. The believers of Tatarstan will meet the holiday at home. On the morning of May 24, Mufti of Tatarstan Kamil Samigullin will deliver a festive sermon (vagaz) at the Galeyev Mosque in Kazan. TNV TV сhannel is going to be broadcasting it live.
On Thursday, May 21, the muftiate's leadership will hold a video conference with imam-muhtasibs. According to the results of the virtual meeting, more detailed information will be given, the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Republic of Tatarstan told Realnoe Vremya.
The breaking of the fast will also be celebrated in Bashkiria in online mode. This decision was made at an operational meeting of the head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, with Muslim figures of the republic. During the virtual meeting, Radiy Khabirov pointed to the experience of online celebrations of Orthodox believers who celebrated Easter in a similar format. As explained in the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the leadership of the republic and religious leaders want to avoid mass congestion of people and not allow COVID-19 to spread.
“Human health is an amanat from the Almighty, that is, entrusted to us for safekeeping. That is why compliance with safety standards and recommended regulations obliges us to abandon the traditional celebration of Eid al-Fitr in favour of conducting online broadcasts of the festive namaz," said Mufti of Bashkiria Aynur Birgalin.
A similar decision was made in the Central Muslim Spiritual Board in Russia. As the Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia told Realnoe Vremya, Grand Mufti Talgat Tadzhuddin will traditionally perform at the Lyalya-Tulpan mosque in Ufa and perform a festive namaz (gayet) with the servants of the Muslim temple. The broadcasting will be on Сhannel One and BST.
After Putin's address
The same decision was reached in the Council of Muftis of Russia (SMR). Mosques in Moscow and other regions will be closed to parishioners, the believers should be patient and meet the holiday at home, said Ravil Gaynutdin, the chairman of the SMR and Muslim Spiritual Board of the Russian Federation.
Let us remind, the day before, during a meeting with the leadership of Dagestan, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Muslims to celebrate Eid al-Fitr at home, refusing collective prayers. Now the leaders of centralized Muslim organizations in Russia, having listened to the words of the country's leader, are calling for such measure to be taken with understanding.
Eid al-Fitr is one of the two Muslim holidays (along with Eid al-Adha), which will be held on May 24. It marks the end of the month of Ramadan, during which believers had to observe the fast. The Holy month of Ramadan began on the evening of April 23, and April 24 was the first day of fasting. The last day of fasting is May 23. Before Eid al-Fitr, Muslims must pay a certain donation — sadaqah al-fitr.
Earlier, Realnoe Vremya already reported that the minimum size of sadaqah al-fitr for residents of Tatarstan this year has been set at 100 rubles. For those who pay zakat, the recommended amount is 600 rubles. The Muslim Spiritual Board of the Republic of Tatarstan also indicated where payments can be transferred. Their own amounts were determined in Bashkiria.
In connection with the coronavirus pandemic in Russia, mass prayers in mosques during Ramadan (including tarawih namaz) have been cancelled. In Tatarstan, the 8th Republican 'iftar of the century' has been switched to the “home delivery” format — instead of the usual meeting at the football stadium. By the end of the Holy month, it is planned to distribute 30,000 sets of food. Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov has already praised the work of the organizers of the mass breaking the fast.