Friday sermons focus on good deeds during Ramadan

RIYADH: Jummah sermons throughout the Kingdom welcomed the holy month of Ramadan on Friday, with mosque preachers urging their congregations to do good deeds and give to charity.
The imam at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al-Huthaifi said Ramadan is a time for worshipers to get closer to Allah and ask for His needs to be fulfilled.
Meanwhile, the Department of Mosques, which maintains more than 7,000 mosques in Riyadh, has directed imams and muezzins to keep mosques tidy and ensure adequate supply of power and water during the holy month to cater for the increased number of worshipers.
Private sector establishments contracted to maintain mosques have been asked to be on duty at night during Ramadan.
Improvised partitions for women are being built in mosques. Some are having their old carpets replaced with new ones, while others are being color-washed to give them a facelift.
Midnight prayers will be conducted from the 20th day of Ramadan until the end of the holy month. These prayers will begin at 1 a.m. for one hour.
Tents will be constructed next to some mosques to enable worshipers coming from Maghrib prayers to break their fast.
Imams are not permitted to undertake any activities related to religious propagation unless they are specifically licensed to do so. They should also ensure that no beggars take alms inside or outside mosques.
No mosque official will be granted leave during Ramadan except under unavoidable circumstances and with convincing reasons.