Today is the First of FIVE Fridays in Ramadan 2020.
During the Pandemic Lockdown, Masjids are closed and regular Friday Prayer locations are empty.
There are no congregational Friday Jumah Prayers.
More established masjids and organizations with audio/video setup, have been webcasting since mid-March 2020.
Smaller Masjids, Musallahs, or Islamic Centres have stopped services altogether with no online effort made.
When time for Friday Prayers comes around, I have seen three things so far :
- Cancel Friday Prayers altogether ~ No online programming
- Masjids have been livestreaming a Friday Sermon / Jumah Qhutbah, with absolute minimum number of people inside the building ~ People watch Qhutbah online, then complete regular Dhuhr prayer in their home
- Virtual Friday Talks which are not a Jumah Qhutbah, yet are lectures livestreamed in the same timeslot
For my First Friday of Ramadan 2020, I watched Shaikh Musleh Khan’s Live Friday Talk streamed on Islamic Institute of Toronto‘s Youtube Channel.
Afterwards, my brother and I prayed the four rakats of the afternoon Dhuhr Prayers in the living room.
Incidentally,
Last year on First Friday of Ramadan 2019,
I prayed Jumah at IIT, and photoblogged the visit.
What a difference !
