Coronavirus: Handbook to help Muslims cope with unprecedented Ramadan
Muis urges community to observe holy month meaningfully at home and support the needy
To help the Singapore Muslim community cope with an unprecedented Ramadan amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a handbook was launched to guide the community in practising their faith while observing social responsibility.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said the guidebook, Contemporary Irsyad Series Vol 2, was issued in response to the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
It is now available online in Malay, and an English version will be available in a few days, added Muis.
Muis said the guide will include several religious advisories issued during this outbreak and other religious- related queries asked by members of the public.
It advised the community to remain resilient and to observe the holy month meaningfully at home.
The Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan begins on April 24 and ends on May 24.
With the disruption to traditionally observed communal activities and congregational tarawih prayers at mosques, the community is advised to focus on the core duties of fasting and helping the needy with zakat, or alms, and retaining the spirit of the community through alternative means by learning with asatizahs, or religious teachers, online.
Muis said it is also working with Kuliahsg (kuliah.sg), a ground-up initiative to provide Islamic online content produced by mosques.
The council added as the holy month is about charity, the community is encouraged to support the vulnerable and the community through online contributions, and practise responsibility, one of the most important virtues in Islam.
It has also partnered with MuslimSG to launch a centralised donation portal, OurMasjid.sg, to rally the community to provide funding support for the mosques to maintain operations.
Members of the community can make their contributions online at ourmasjid.sg through credit and debit cards, eNETs, PayNow and Giro.
Recurring payments can also be made through credit/debit card or Giro to help support the mosques long term.
Donations from the community will support the salaries of mosque officers as well as mosque programmes, and ensure that the officers can continue with the necessary preparations for the reopening of mosques, said Muis.
Meanwhile, the People's Association announced the postponement of the annual Hari Raya Light-Up along Geylang Road and Sims Avenue to align to the nationwide effort to get everyone to stay home and be safe.
It added: "We will monitor the Covid-19 situation closely and announce the new Light-Up date in due time."
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