Al-Aqsa Mosque Prayer Banned During Ramadan Due to Coronavirus Fears

Islamic prayer at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City will be banned during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan in order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, Muslim clerics said on Thursday.

The Jordanian-appointed Waqf religious council that oversees Jerusalem’s Islamic sites called the decision “painful,” though said it was “in line with legal fatwas [Islamic religious rulings] and medical advice,” according to Reuters.

The decision extends an already existing suspension of prayer at the site that has been in effect since March 23.

Muslims should “perform prayers in their homes during the month of Ramadan, to preserve their safety,” the Waqf religious council said.

Thousands of Muslims typically visit the mosque each day during the month of Ramadan.

The Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City hosted the traditional Passover "Birkat HaKohanim" blessing delivered by Jewish descendants of the Temple priests earlier this month.

However, unlike previous years when the Western Wall plaza was packed with worshipers, the service was kept to an absolute minimum this year due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.