After a long-standing debate on the end of businesses during the five-time prayers in Saudi Arabia, the Queen recently announced a new series of promised business boosts and services for all to work for 24 hours.
While the change resolves many problems, such as congestion and potential income loss, many Saudis are still debating whether or not shops ‘ custom will close five times a day during their prayer, according to Arab News.
This custom has been debated and contested in society for a long time now, and it has described Saudi Arabia among all Muslim countries that traditionally need shops just for weekly Friday prayer.
The debate about keeping shops and businesses open was an issue that Saudi society members debated at a late time in many environments.
From Shoura Council members, to businessmen and women and everyday ordinary citizens, with many wondering if the law would stand for all hours of the day.
“There is no legal base for closing shops for prayer after amending the bylaws of the authority, noting that forcing shops to close their doors and people to pray right at the beginning of prayer time, and to do this in a mosque, stands no ground neither in Shariah nor in law,” said Dr Al Ghaith, a judge, Islamic scholar, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council and the King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue.
“It is rather a breach of both of them, and an infringement on people’s religious rights [right of Ijtihad and freedom to follow a reference] and worldly rights [freedom of movement, shopping, benefitting of services round the clock without being forced to abide by judicial matters subject to conflict and differences],” he added.
