Egypt’s Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa has decided to cancel all mass and festive aspects of the Israa and Miraj anniversary. A ministry statement on Saturday explained that this comes as part of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Islam’s Israa and Miraj refers to two parts of a miraculous journey that Prophet Muhammad took in one night from Makka to Jerusalem, followed by an ascension to the heavens. The ministry said it is keen to seriously contribute to preventive measures against the coronavirus. These measures come in light of the Religious Endowments Ministry’s instructions to limit mosque operations in prayer and Friday sermons to a maximum of 15 minutes, in order to uphold the interests of everyone in the nation.

Source: Egypt Independent March 14, 2020 15:22 UTC