The Senior Scholars Council at the Islamic Affairs and Charitable activities Department in Dubai issued three fatwas affirming that it is obligatory to fast Ramadan for every Muslim who does not have an excuse that permits him to break the fast during the day in Ramadan.
The three fatwas came with the headings "Questioning on the ruling on going to mosques for Friday and congregational prayers during the epidemics spread," "Questioning on the provisions of fasting with the Corona virus," and "Questioning of how to perform Tarawih and Tahajid prayers with the Corona virus."
It says in the fatwa "Friday and congregational prayers", that the requirement of the quarantine to which Islam is delegated is that these prayers are not held in mosques, because the meeting of people will lead to the transmission of infection and the spread of the virus among people.
The fatwa of “Fasting Ramadan” confirmed that fasting the holy month is one of the pillars of Islam and that it is not permissible to break the fast except for the excuse of travel, sickness or menstruation, and postpartum, with the necessity of making it up when the excuse is gone. Except for someone who is old and unable, so his ransom is to feed a poor person for each day.
The fatwa added that there is a clear reliable medical reports stated that fasting strengthens the immunity one needs to resist viruses and germs, and that there is no scientific research or one fact that linked intermittent fasting (Muslim fasting) with an increased rate of virus infection.
The fatwa pointed out that fasting comes and people stay in their homes because of the quarantine, so they do not have to bother or overwork, so fasting will be easy for them.
The “Tarawih prayer” fatwa stated that Tarawih prayer is a confirmed Sunnah in the month of Ramadan. Its Sunnah of Omar bin Al Khattab who prayed it as congregational in the mosques, agreed upon by the Ummah. According to this year, people cannot perform it in the mosques for fear of spreading the virus due to mixing, but this does not prevent to be performed by Muslims in their homes individually or with their families.