Saudi Arabia shortens Friday sermons until end of summer
A scorching week is forecast for several parts of the kingdom
Cairo: The sermon preceding the Friday noon prayers at Islam's two holiest mosques in Saudi Arabia will be shortened to a few minutes until the end of summer to ease the burden on worshippers amid the extreme heat in the kingdom.
Under a royal directive, the duration of the Friday sermon and prayers in the two Holy Mosques will be reduced to 15 minutes, starting yesterday and continuing until the end of summer, a senior Saudi official has said.
Head of the Religious Affairs Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques Abdulrahman Al Sudais said the gesture reflects Saudi leaders' keenness to protect worshippers' health and safety.
The directive also delays the first call for prayer, thus reducing the duration between the first adhan and the second for the weekly congregation prayers to 10 minutes.
"What is happening these days regarding the shortening of the sermon and prayers heeds crowdedness, high temperatures and makes it easy for worshippers," Sheikh Ebrahim Al Dosari, a preacher in the Grand Mosque, Islam's most sacred site in Mecca, said in a Friday sermon.
Previously the sermon usually lasted 30-to-45 minutes.
The procedure comes as around 1.8 million Muslims, including 1.6 million from abroad, last week completed the annual Hajj pilgrimage that coincided this year with searing heat with temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius in Mecca.
The Saudi National Centre for Meteorology (NCM) has forecast a rise in temperatures in most parts of the kingdom starting Saturday until Friday, with temperatures hovering between 48-50 degrees Celsius.
Hot to extremely scorching weather will continue this week in Mecca, Medina, the Eastern Province and Riyadh.
Traditionally, after finishing the Hajj rites in and around Mecca, many pilgrims would flock to the holy city of Medina to perform prayers in the Prophet's Mosque, Islam's second holiest. The mosque houses Al Rawda Al Sharifa, where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is located.
Saudi authorities have repeatedly advised pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid heat strokes.
For their well-being and safety, the worshippers are recommended to drink sufficient amount of fluids, shun direct exposure to the sun, use umbrellas and offer prayers in shaded places.