Mosques get ready for Ramadan

Mosques throughout the Kingdom are being readied to receive a large numbers of worshippers ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance has instructed the department of mosques in the ministry to make arrangements to accommodate the additional rush of worshippers during the holy month.
Some of the Jumma (Friday) mosques in the capital are being renovated and refurbished with new prayer carpets.
The department of mosques has directed imams (prayer leaders) and muezzins (those who call the faithful to prayer) of all the mosques in the Kingdom to keep them tidy and ensure an adequate supply of power and water during the holy month to cater to the increased numbers of Muslims, who would visit the mosques for Taraweeh which follows the regular Isha (evening) prayer.
Private establishments, contracted for the maintenance of mosques, have been asked to be on duty at night during the holy month to guarantee a continuous water and power supply in all the places of worship and to illuminate the mosques.
The department of mosques maintains more than 7,000 mosques in Riyadh alone while the other mosques in the city and suburbs have been built and are maintained by members of the royal families and philanthropists.
Improvised partitions for women will be built in mosques that do not have separate prayer halls for women.
Imam Ubaidullah Abdul Aziz, in the Naseeriyah District said: “People like to come to the mosques for prayers especially during the holy month and so large congregations for Taraweeh prayers are the norm.” He added that Ramadan not only affords Muslims an excellent opportunity to meet other Muslims but also helps them perform good deeds that will be richly rewarded by Allah.
“We are making every effort to provide worshippers a peaceful environment to offer their prayers with serenity and sanctity at the mosque,” the imam said, adding that loudspeakers outside the mosque’s premises will not be used during Taraweeh prayers according to the instructions of the department of mosques.