The Kingdom's foremost fatwa body is expected to issue a fatwa soon in response to a controversial statement from a local scholar that it is a “heresy” to close shops during prayer times. The fatwa, or religious ruling, will be issued by the Standing Committee for Scholarly Research and Issuing Fatwas. The statement was made by Abdullah Al-Owailit, a legal researcher and member of the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution. Al-Owailit said earlier this month that “closing shops at prayer times is a heresy with no religious basis, and the Islamic Shariah does not call for such an enforcement”. He also stated that he has evidence to support his argument. The statement has been slammed by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti of the Kingdom and Chairman of the Board of Senior Ulema and Religious Research and Ifta Administration, in his Friday sermon. “Those who call for shops to be open during prayer are deceivers who have gone astray with false tendentious propaganda.” He also described them as “people with weak faith” and “not righteous”. Although people agree that shops should remain closed during prayer times, some argue that places such as gas stations and pharmacies should be open for emergencies. Abdullah Al-Jefn, an Islamic studies scholar, said that there should only be certain businesses open during prayer times. “For example, gas stations on highways when traveling from one city to another, could be open with workers praying in shifts so travelers won't have to wait,” he explained. Al-Jefn said all Muslims must promote virtue and piety. “There are emergency cases where people need pharmacies for instance. There are solutions such as having one pharmacy open in every neighborhood or street and having the pharmacists work in shifts during prayer,” he added. However, Al-Jefn said closing other shops during prayer times is not something to argue about. “We don't want to affect the spirituality of prayers. Saudi Arabia is envied everywhere because here the shops close for prayers. We make time to connect with God,” he added. He thinks the issue should be looked at carefully. “Whether the fatwa is issued supporting the closure of shops during prayers or the opposite, we should not release such a fatwa before studying the whole issue thoroughly,” he said. Bandar Rawas, a businessman, said only certain shops should be open during prayer times. “Some shops don't have to be open during prayer such as clothing stores but I think gas stations and some pharmacies should be open at least for emergencies,” he added. Rawas believes there is no financial gain from shops staying open or closed during prayer. “I see it from a humanitarian point of view, when someone is having an asthma attack and needs to buy medicine from a pharmacy during prayer, they should find pharmacies open,” Rawas said. He also called for shop owners, who claim financial losses during prayer times, to monitor their employees. “Prayers usually don't take more than 30 minutes but some workers stay away from work longer under the pretext of praying,” he added. He believes everyone will accept the idea of pharmacies and gas stations remaining open during prayers. __
