IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

The regulations published under the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 on 27 June 2021 in terms of Government Notice R564 represent a flagrant violation of the right to religious freedom and practice as enshrined in the Constitution. The discrimination between controlled faith-based gatherings and other gatherings permitted in terms of the regulations, as well as the closure of places of worship, purely  on the basis that gatherings that are prohibited   (such as congregational salaah) may take place there, is in our  view irrational , arbitrary and unlawful.

We express our strenuous objection to, and register our vociferous protest, against the closure by the State of our masaajid, which are places wherein the Mercy of Allah descends.

As for those who close the masaajid, Allah the Sovereign and the only Legislator says:

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَىٰ فِي خَرَابِهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلَّا خَائِفِينَ ۚ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

“And who are more unjust than those who forbid that Allah's Name be mentioned (i.e. prayers and invocations) in Allah's Masjids and strive for their ruin. It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them (Allah's Masjids) except in fear. For them there is disgrace in this world, and they will have a great torment in the Hereafter.” (surah 2, verse 114).
 
The severity of the impact of the current regulations and their erosion of our right to practice our deen cannot be adequately emphasized.

We accordingly demand that the lockdown regulations that forcibly closed our masaajid be repealed with immediate effect and that our right to pray in our massajid in accordance with the injunctions of our Deen be restored!!!



Electronically issued by AMPSA SHURA COUNCIL