Hawzah News Agency (London, UK) - The Muslim Council of Britain and the British Board of Scholars and Imams have called for Muslim communities across the UK to suspend all congregational activities, including Friday prayers.

The unprecedented step comes after public health advice was issued to stop “non-essential contact” with others, as well as the Chief Scientific Adviser telling the public to avoid gatherings “big or small.”

The MCB said it had not taken the decision lightly and had taken into account views from all key sources, such as:

The UK’s Chief Scientific Advisers.

The British Islamic Medical Association which has said it is “unsafe and harmful to continue business as usual, or even with significant adjustments.”

And the British Board of Scholars and Imams which believes that the individual obligation to perform Friday prayers in mosque congregations should be temporarily lifted.

Harun Khan, MCB Secretary General, said: “Muslim communities up and down the country, like others, have been carefully considering how best to continue with our regular social and religious activities, whilst trying to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. With the increasing rate of transmission and the number of deaths, medical and scholarly advice all points towards the limitation of social contact as the key towards reducing the spread.

“We all have a public duty to protect one another from harm, and it is evident the most effective way to do this now is to avoid social contact as much as possible. This includes all walks of life, whether social, work or the mosque.

“This leaves members of our society who are vulnerable and socially isolated at risk. Now is the time for British communities to come together to support one another, and work with friends, family and neighbors to ensure no one is left behind.