After Yogi's namaz remarks, clerics say Eid prayers at mosques, Eidgahs; shifts under consideration

Muslim clerics in Uttar Pradesh have decided to offer Eid-ul-Azha prayers inside mosques and Eidgahs, with possible multiple shifts if needed, following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's public remarks.

Amid a debate triggered by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's recent remarks on offering namaz in public places, several Muslim clerics have said that Eid-ul-Azha prayers would be offered inside mosques and Eidgahs as in previous years, and, if required, arrangements could be made for multiple prayer shifts.

Addressing an event in Lucknow recently, Adityanath said that if namaz was necessary, it should be offered inside mosques and that prayers would not be allowed in open public spaces.

He also suggested that if there was a large gathering, prayers could be offered in shifts.

''If offering namaz is essential to you, do so in shifts. We will not stop you from praying. However, it will not be permitted on the streets,'' Adityanath had said.

Senior executive member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, said extensive preparations were being made in mosques and Eidgahs as every year for Eid-ul-Azha on May 28.

Speaking to PTI, he said arrangements for offering namaz in multiple shifts could be made if needed, provided each congregation had a separate imam.

Mahali said Muslims had been offering prayers inside mosques and Eidgahs for years and have 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, he added.

On the chief minister's remarks, Mahali said, ''We expect the government to apply the same rules to all communities. Ideally, no community should organise processions or gatherings on roads.''.

The Aligarh unit of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), however, urged the local administration to allow Muslims to offer Eid prayers on the road outside the main Eidgah complex, citing overcrowding during congregational prayers.

In a memorandum submitted to the district magistrate, the AIMIM said a large number of worshippers spill over onto the adjoining road during Eid prayers due to a lack of space inside the Eidgah premises.

The general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, Maulana Yasoob Abbas, said arrangements for Eid prayers at Shia mosques this year were being made in the same manner as every year.

However, he clarified that there was no provision for multiple shifts in Shia congregational prayers.

Congregational prayers are not conducted in shifts, he said, referring to the Shia practice.

On Adityanath's remarks, Abbas said, ''This is about worship, and only one form of worship should not be targeted. Rules should apply equally to all. Any procession or religious activity that disrupts traffic should be stopped.''.

The leading clerics of the Barelvi sect backed Adityanath and said that prayers should be offered only at clean and peaceful places where there is no disturbance.

The national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, said Islam strictly instructs that there should be no obstruction between a worshipper and Allah while offering namaz.

''Such peace and concentration cannot be achieved on roads or intersections, but only at mosques or homes,'' he said.

Razvi added that Islamic law provided for multiple congregations with different imams in the same mosque during Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Azha if crowds became too large, adding that such arrangements could be made in Bareilly if required.

The imam of the Jama Masjid in Bareilly, Maulana Khursheed, said the chief minister did not say anything wrong by opposing prayers on roads.

The directive had been followed earlier as well and would continue to be followed in future, he said.

The principal of the Madrasa Islamia Arabia Jama Masjid in Amroha, Mufti Syed Mohammad Affan Mansoorpuri, said that according to Islamic principles, offering namaz on roads or similar public places was not considered appropriate.

''Prayers should not be offered anywhere without obtaining the necessary permission, and Muslims were aware of this and largely followed the norm,'' he said.

However, Mansoorpuri also said that while Muslims follow government directives on offering prayers, Adityanath's remarks on namaz were ''baseless'' and a political move aimed at ''appeasing'' the majority community.

Moradabad's city imam, Hakim Maulana Masoom Ali Azad, also backed the chief minister and said that Muslims had been offering Eid prayers in mosques and Eidgahs for a long time.

''Since Islam regards cleanliness as half of faith, no sensible Muslim would prefer to offer prayers on an unclean road,'' he said.

In Aligarh, AIMIM district president Yameen Khan Abbasi told reporters that the prayer congregation lasts only about half an hour, and it would not disrupt normal traffic as the Eidgah is located in a minority-dominated locality and not on a major thoroughfare.

''India is a secular country, and the same yardstick should apply to all religions,'' Abbasi said, noting that other communities were often granted special permissions for religious processions and celebrations.

The AIMIM memorandum also sought special sanitation arrangements for the prompt disposal of animal remains after sacrifices and uninterrupted electricity supply during the festival amid the ongoing heatwave.

Abbasi said the party would cooperate fully with the authorities to ensure peaceful Eid celebrations.

Eid-ul-Azha, also known as Bakrid, will be celebrated on May 28 this year.