Amid the rise in coronavirus cases in the country, the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) has issued its Muharram advisory which falls on August 20 and ends on September 18.
The 14-point advisory asked people to follow all COVID protocols of social distancing, wear masks and wherever possible, take part in Muharram rituals online or via TV channels broadcasting them.
According to the clerics the advisory is in accordance with the guidelines by ayatullahs from Iraq and Iran, including Grand Ayatullah Ali Al Sistani. The advisory issued by Maulana Syed Saim Mehdi and general secretary Maulana Yasoob Abbas stated:
- All mosques and Imambaras with carpets and floor covers should ensure disinfecting the space before and after every majlis (sermon session).
- Children, pregnant women and the elderly advised to stay at home and use online and other mediums to be part of the sermons.
- Water and food distributed among the poor as 'tabarruk', should be packed and sealed, and guidelines issued by the administration should be followed.
The first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram is a mourning period in remembrance of Imam Husain-Prophet Muhammad's grandson and his family and companions who were martyred by Yazid in Karbala (Iraq) in 680 AD.
