Madinah: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has directed the opening of the Quba Mosque round the clock to enable worshipers and visitors to pray in the mosque throughout the day, local media reported.
The ministry on June 20 stressed the need to implement all health controls adopted in mosques to maintain the safety of worshipers by reducing overcrowding, especially at the entrances and courtyards of the mosque.
The ministry called on worshipers and visitors to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to cooperate with the concerned authorities in the fight against the pandemic.
The Quba Mosque is located on the Hijrah road linking between Makkah and Madinah and is approximately 3.5 km south of the Prophet’s Mosque.
The Quba Mosque in Madinah is the first mosque founded by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he arrived in Madinah after migrating from Mecca and participated in laying its first stones.
The Quba Mosque, is the second largest mosque in the city after the Prophet’s Mosque, but it ranks first due to its importance in Islamic history after it was built in the first year of the Islamic calendar.
The Prophet (PBUH) used to go to the mosque from time to time, often on Saturdays, to pray in the mosque, which is considered the first mosque in the history of Islam. He also urged his companions to visit the mosque.
The Prophet (PBUH) said: The reward for praying in the Quba Mosque is equal to the reward for Umrah.
“Whoever purifies himself at his house and comes to the Quba Mosque and performs prayer therein, he will have the reward of performing Umrah,” he was quoted as saying in a Hadith.
The mosque includes four minarets and 56 domes and is adjacent to the residence of the imams and muezzins, a library and housing for the guards of an area of 112 square meters, and a commercial center that includes 12 shops on an area of 450 square meters. The mosque has 7 main entrances and 12 subsidiary entrances.
The mosque has 64 toilets for men, 32 toilets for women, and 42 ablution units
Saudi Ministry updates health protocols in mosques across the Kingdom
On June 20, the Saudi minister of Islamic affairs, Abdullatif Al-Sheikh, issued an immediate circular to update all health protocols in mosques in the Kingdom.
The circular included canceling the reduction in the waiting period between the call to prayer and the Iqamah, and adhering to the previously approved time, which stipulates that it be 25 minutes for the dawn prayer, 10 minutes for Maghrib prayer, and 20 minutes for the rest of the prayers.
The circular allowed lectures and lessons to be held in mosques, while adhering to social distancing measures according to the permitted times.
The new circular also canceled previous decisions related to removing water coolers and refrigerators from mosques.
The circular recommended the necessity of working with all the protocols for preventing COVID-19 in mosques, approved by the public health authority, following up on its updates, and adhering to all preventive measures, including wearing a mask, bringing a special carpet, and not crowding when entering and leaving the mosque.