RIYADH — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance announce the readiness of 20,700 mosques and outdoor prayer areas around Saudi Arabia for Eid Al-Fitr prayer, after the completion of preparing and equipping them with safety means. More than 6,000 men and women observers have been assigned by the ministry to monitor the mosques and prayer areas and follow up on the operations of the maintenance and operating companies. The Ministry has called on people to contact them in case anyone monitors or notices something that needs to be fixed in the provided services for the mosques. It has also called on the mosques staff to abide by the Fatwa pronounced by the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, which stipulated that if Eid is on Friday, then the person who attended the Eid prayer is permissible to not attend the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah congregational prayer), and only perform the Dhuhr prayer. But the best and better is to perform them both, the Eid prayer and the Jumu'ah prayer. The person who did not attend the Eid prayer is not entitled to use this concession, and he is obligated to perform the Jumu'ah prayer. And there will be concession only if there is not sufficient number of the faithful to hold the Friday prayer. In such a case, he must pray the Dhuhr prayer. Based on what the Fatwa stipulated, the Ministry has obligated the Imams to perform the Jumu'ah prayer if it has coincided with Eid, so that those who did not witness the Eid prayer, can perform the Jumu'ah prayer. But if there were not sufficient number of worshipers present for the Friday prayer, then Dhuhr prayer shall be offered. Those who attended the Eid prayer and are permissible not to attend the Jumu'ah prayer, must perform the Dhuhr prayer at its time. The Ministry said that the call to prayer (adhan) is not prescribed except in the mosques where the Friday prayer is held. The call to prayer is not prescribed for the Dhuhr prayer that day. The Ifta ruled that that the saying that the Jumu'ah prayer and the Dhuhr prayer are not required to perform for those who offer the Eid prayer is incorrect and wrong, saying emphatically that it is contrary to the Tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and is in fact dropping one of the obligatory rituals ordained by God without any substantial evidence. It is obligatory for those who attended the Eid prayer to offer Dhuhr prayer if not the Jumu'ah prayer, the Ministry's circular said while citing the fatwa of the committee.
