Muslim Community Worships at Home Amid SOE

Naveed Mangla

Across the country, thousands of devout religious supporters have been forced to worship at home and the Muslim community in Belize has also had to adapt to the rules of the state of emergency.  While Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which all Muslims are required to fast, is set to commence in the days ahead, they too have to comply with the existing regulations.  Naveed Mangla is the local president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and he tells us how his brothers and sisters have been carrying out their religious duties, notwithstanding the strict lockdown.

President Naveed Mangla, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Belize

“As you know, the word Muslim means a person who fully submits to the will of God and in the Holy Quran we learn that God says that it is important for Muslims to obey those who are in authority.  So if the government of the time is telling is to stay in quarantine, stay home, don’t get out.  So we are following the  instructions we have received from those in authority and all the Muslims in the country are worshipping at their houses. It is recommended by the Prophet that you go to the mosque and pray so much so that you get twenty-five times more reward when you go to the mosque.  But at a time like this, we have to obey and stay at home because at another occasion the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, has said that the whole earth has been made as a mosque for Muslims.  So we should not complain and say that if you don’t go to mosque God will not accept our prayers or whatever.  The whole earth has been made a mosque so regardless of where we are, we can pray to God and receive the same reward as we would by going to the mosque.  Right now we will get more reward because we are obeying somebody that has instructed us to obey.”