KSA: Haia chief for shorter prayer break

10 years ago | Posted in: Laws | 716 Views

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) is considering shortening the time shops close for prayer, the Haia chief has said.
The period would be limited to just enough time for ablution and the actual time needed to complete a prayer, said Sheikh Abdullateef Al-Asheikh in the interview broadcast on an Arabic channel on Monday. “We would need the legislature to pass the proposed policy,” he said.
The Haia staff would do random inspections in malls to make sure people follow the new policy. He said Haia members would not chase people to pray.
“It is acceptable to perform prayers in a mall or shop in a group if the mosque is far away,” he said.
Shops across Saudi Arabia are required to close from the time of the call to prayer until the prayer is finished, which could take up to 30 minutes.
During the 35-minute TV program, Al-Asheikh toured a Riyadh shopping mall and interacted with shoppers and shopkeepers to get first-hand experience from people on the performance of his organization.
The chief said he would like his organization to do its job as envisaged by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah “with moderate and tolerant views, and avoiding hurting the feelings of the public.”
Al-Asheikh took office two years ago with a mission to improve the image of the Haia and clear away decades of public distrust and contempt… see more

source: arabnews

Tags: , ,

Share it.

Leave a Reply

Related Posts