UAE authorities have shortened Friday prayers to 10 minutes to protect worshippers from the sweltering summer heat.
The decision affects mosques nationwide and will run from June 28 until October.
Imams were told by the Islamic Affairs and Endowments authority on Thursday to deliver the sermon, which typically takes about 20 minutes, in the shorter time.
This week, temperatures in some desert areas hit 50ºC, while in the coastal cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi the mercury was in the mid-forties, with high humidity at times.
Friday prayers in some mosques are so well attended that worshippers spill out on to the streets and pavements, praying in the glare of the sun.
Yahia Mohammed, imam of the 200-year-old Alshoyoukh Mosque in Sharjah for the past 14 years, said the safety of worshippers was crucial.
“Many worshippers stand outside mosques’ doors or in their surrounding courtyards, praying under the sun's hot rays,” he said.
“The Prophet would shorten the prayer if he heard a child crying, so as not to prolong the prayer for the child's parents,” he said.
Rising heat
Ajman resident Yousif Saleem, 50, from Jordan, said he was considering not taking his 10-year-old son to Friday prayers due to the temperature.
“I like to take my 10-year-old son to the mosque every Friday to make it a habit,” he said.
“But recently, I have been hesitant because of the heat and the lengthy Friday sermon.
“This decision makes it easier for us to attend and participate in the prayers without worrying about the intense heat.”
The combination of high humidity and scorching heat makes outdoor activities challenging and sometimes dangerous.
Last week, Saudi Arabia cut sermons to 15 minutes due to the heat.
