JAKARTA - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities decided to shorten Friday's prayer time to 10 minutes, to protect worshipers from hot summer weather.
This decision will be enforced in all mosques in the UAE from today until next October.
The priests were told by the Islamic Affairs Authority and Waqf on Thursday to deliver a sermon, which usually takes about 20 minutes, in a shorter time.
This week, temperatures in some areas of the desert reached 50 degrees Celsius, while in coastal cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi temperatures reached mid-fourties, with high humidity at certain times.
Friday prayers at several mosques in the UAE were crowded with worshipers until they spilled onto the streets and sidewalks, making them pray in the hot sun.
Yahia Mohammed, the 200-year-old imam of the Alshoyoukh Mosque in Sharjah over the past 14 years, said the safety of worshipers was very important.
"Many worshipers stand outside the door of the mosque or in the yard around the mosque, praying in the hot sun," he said, launching The National News June 27.
"The Prophet (Muhammad SAW) will shorten the prayer if he hears the child crying, does not extend the prayer for the child's parents," he said.
Meanwhile, an Ajman resident, Jordan's Yousif Saleem (50) said he was considering not bringing his 10-year-old son to Friday prayers due to hot air temperatures.
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"This decision makes it easier for us to attend and participate in prayers without worrying about hot air temperatures," he said.
It is known, the combination of high humidity and strong heat, makes outdoor activity difficult and sometimes dangerous.
Last week, Saudi Arabia cut the duration of the sermon to 15 minutes due to hot air temperatures.
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