Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and President of Council of Senior Scholars and General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, affirmed that the suspension of Umrah and visit temporarily emanates from the Islamic Sharia rules. He added that the decisions the Kingdom has taken in combating the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) are for the wellbeing of the people and reducing its harmful effects, stressing that the safety of human lives and physical health are among the teachings of Islam. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Sheikh Abdulaziz asserted that the precautionary and preventive measures taken by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud aim to prevent the spread of this epidemic, asking all citizens and residents to cooperate with the competent security and health authorities and other authorities which exerted great efforts in applying precautionary measures for the safety of all. The Grand Mufti pointed to the Kingdom's efforts to combat the epidemic of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) through harnessing all its health and security energies in confronting this epidemic to protect the people and country.
