LUCKNOW: In response to UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s recent remarks that Namaz should be offered at designated places and not on roads or public places causing inconvenience of general public, several Muslim clerics have said that the prayers on upcoming Eid-ul-Azha would be offered inside the mosques and Eidgahs like in previous years.
They said that if the number of Namazis exceed the capacity of mosques or Eidgahs, arrangements could be made for multiple prayer shifts.
Addressing an event in Lucknow recently, CM Yogi had said that namaz should be offered inside mosques and other designated places instead of public spaces like roads. He had also suggested that if there was a large gathering, prayers could be offered in shifts as when Namaz was offered on roads, it leads to traffic snarls and inconvenience to people.
According to prominent Muslim cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali who is also a senior executive member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and chairman of Indian Islamic Centre, said that like every year, this year also, extensive preparations are on in mosques and Eidgahs for Eid-ul-Adha on May 28.
Maulana Firangi Mahali said that arrangements for offering namaz in multiple shifts could be made if needed, provided each congregation had a separate Imam.
The cleric claimed that Muslims had been offering prayers inside mosques and Eidgahs for years and had always followed law and order because namaz was not only an act of worship, but it also taught discipline.
By avoiding prayers on roads for years, Muslims had demonstrated that they were a disciplined and civilised community, added the cleric.
Referring to CM Yogi’s remarks, Maulana Firangi Mahali said: “We expect the government to apply the same rules to all communities. Ideally, no community should organise processions or gatherings on roads.”
