MADINAH: The Madinah branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance has requested imams and preachers in mosques to take responsibility for banning begging inside mosques, urging them to inform security authorities to stop those who have seemingly turned to begging as their profession and continue to disturb worshipers after prayers with their pleadings for money and assistance.

Mohammad Al-Ameen Khatri, the director of the ministry’s branch in Madinah, described the issue as an important phenomenon which has spread inside mosques with the number of beggears of different nationalities on the rise, all screaming loudly asking for money, making the worshipers lose their focus on their prayers.

He confirmed that all imams have now been directed to do their jobs inside the mosques by following up on this phenomenon and preventing its spread so that mosques are not transformed from worship houses into places for begging and pleading for the sympathy of people.