The coronavirus outbreak disrupted Islamic worship in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday finally prohibited its citizens and other residents of the kingdom from performing the pilgrimage in Mecca. Meanwhile, Iran finally canceled Friday prayers in major cities.
Both Sunni and Shiite Muslims had affected the decisions in Riyadh and Tehran.
Mecca and Medina as the home to the holiest sites in Islam, the Saudi move expands a ban last week on foreigners for the coronavirus outbreak. That decision alone disrupted travel for thousands of Muslims.
It was about to Go Back to the Origin Country
Thousand of Muslims already headed to the kingdom should be back to the origin country. It potentially affects plans later this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan and the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Even after that Feb. 27 announcement, people already in Saudi Arabia could still travel to Mecca’s Grand Mosque, where pilgrims circle the black, cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims around the world pray toward five times a day.
The crowds were far smaller than usual before Wednesday’s statement from an unidentified Interior Ministry official that was carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
How the Saudi Government Face the COVID-19
For late July into early August this year, there are millions who attend the annual hajj. Furthermore, there is a lot of more visitors to the kingdom’s holy sites year-round. Other pilgrimages are signed as the umrah. There are 7.5 million to foreigners in 2019.
The government stated that the suspension as “temporary”, but gave no hint at when it will be lifted. The ban also appeared to encompass the Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque in nearby Medina.
The Saudi government said, “the purpose of the decision is to limit the spread of the coronavirus epidemic and prevent its access to the Two Holy Mosques. The intensity and human crowds will affect them due to the coronavirus outbreak.”