On Saturday, the Supreme Court requested Muslims in the Kingdom to look for the Ramadan crescent on Tuesday evening. “Whoever sees the crescent of the blessed month of Ramadan with the naked eye or through a telescope should report to the nearest court and register his testimony, or in the absence of a judge, report to the respective governorate,” said the statement.
Most mosques will stay open all day and night throughout the month to enable worshippers to recite the Qur’an and perform optional prayers. Imams and muezzins of all mosques in the Kingdom have also been instructed to keep mosques tidy and ensure adequate supplies of power and water to cater for the increased number of people who attend regular prayers and the special Taraweeh and Qiyam Al-Layl prayers.
The Department of Mosques maintains over 5,000 mosques in Riyadh alone. This is in addition to mosques built and maintained by philanthropists in several parts of the province.
Improvised partitions for ladies are being built in mosques that do not have separate prayer halls for women. Some of the mosques are busy replacing their old carpets with new ones and others are being color washed to give them a facelift.
A large mosque opened last week opposite the Malaz Stadium in Riyadh. The mosque’s imam said the mosque can accommodate some 1,000 worshippers.
“Everyone likes to come to mosques for prayers during the holy month. Therefore, we expect a larger congregation for Taraweeh prayers,” said Abdul Aziz, who leads prayers at a mosque in the city’s Nasseriyah district. He added that the holy month is not only a good opportunity for Muslims to greet one another but also to engage themselves in good deeds that will be rewarded by Allah Almighty.
“We are making every effort to give worshippers a conducive environment to offer their prayers in the mosque with serenity and sanctity,” he said.
He added that Taraweeh prayers will be held at around 9 p.m. after Isha prayers, which will commence about two hours after the Maghreb prayers. During other months the Isha prayers start 90 minutes after the Maghreb.
Tents are being constructed adjacent to the mosques to enable worshippers to break their fasts after sunset.
The official of a maintenance company, which looks after 900 mosques in Riyadh, told Arab News that his company will have its workers in mosques until late night during Ramadan.
“These men are expected to keep these mosques neat and tidy, ensure a smooth supply of water and power, and ensure they are illuminated,” he said.
