Even before the lockdown many mosques in Kerala had amended the Adhan (the Muslim call for prayer) by adding the words that all should pray in their homes. But after the nationwide lockdown was implemented two mosques of Malappuram district have started announcing coronavirus awareness messages after every Adhan five times a day.
"We closed the mosque by mid March even before other mosques closed. It was after lockdown that we decided to announce the awareness messages. The messages last for two or three minutes. It will be played after every Adhan. Apart from that, based on revised regulations and rules of district administration we keep updating our message," says Shahjahan, the committee member of the Pulikkal Masjidu-Thaqwa mosque, where the announcements were made.
Pulikkal masjid is also one of the very few mosques in Kerala to include women in the Mosque administration committee.
The announcements mainly focus on measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the rules and regulations to be followed as announced by the government. The awareness messages also include details about the illness and what exactly the pandemic is. It also announces the helpline numbers that people can contact.
Another mosque in Aroor, Manarul Huda Masjid also carries the awareness messages five times after the Adhan. While in Kerala there is no centralized order from religious groups yet, The Karnataka state Wakf Board instructed mosques to start announcing coronavirus related information and awareness.
Some mosques in the state have already started the announcements. The board had directed mosques to announce precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus, in three languages in Karnataka, four times a day.
In Delhi, a few mosques had also started announcing precautionary measures from mid march onwards.