LUCKNOW: Setting a new precedence in consonance with Ganga-Jamni tehzeeb, quintessential to Lucknow, the Muslim clerics and religious leaders of the city have decided to change the timings of Friday prayers (namaz) on Holi.
The leaders and clerics of both the Islamic sects -- Shia and Sunni -- have deferred the Friday prayers' timings by an hour so that Hindus could play with colours freely without coming across large groups of Muslims going for Friday namaz.
The imams of different mosques across UP were urged by Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad and Sunni cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangimahali, also a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), on Tuesday, to adjust the Friday prayer timings to facilitate Holi revelries.
Consequently, the imams of a number of mosques in Lucknow altered the timings by postponing the noon prayers by an hour. He gesture has also contributed to the exercise of maintaining law, order and communal harmony during the festival on the aprt of district administration.
Meanwhile, the step taken by the imams has drawn widespread appreciation from all sections of society cutting across the politico-religious lines.
“This will come as a great help in keeping the communal harmony intact as many a times, the holi revellers throw colours on namazis while passing throw a mosque leading to tension,” said a senior district administration official. He added that situation would have been very sensitive as the festival was falling on Friday when Muslims join the special namaz.
However, UP CM had already directed the district administrations across the state to ban use of DJ and loudspeakers on the occasion of Holi and keep a vigilant eye on rumour mongers and frivolous elements who could try to vitiate the communal atmosphere.