Moroccan Muslims have returned to mosques to perform Friday prayers for the first time since March when all places of worship, including churches and synagogues were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, Riyad mosque in Rabat, that can hold more than 3,000 worshippers on a normal day, was restricted to a total of 200 people, both men and women.

This week, the Ministry opened another 5,000 mosques but insisted that all preventive measures against COVID-19 should be taken into account to preserve the safety of worshippers.

In July, the Endowments and Religious Affairs Ministry reopened 5,000 out of the 50,000 mosques in Morocco but for the five daily prayers only.

Worshippers were not allowed to attend the sermon and perform the Friday prayer because this service attracts large crowds. 

The decision to reopen more mosques and allow Friday prayers and sermons was welcomed by worshippers frustrated by the effects of the pandemic on their spiritual lives.