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- So far in July, at least 705 Muslims succumbed to Covid-19. According to the MJC's statistics, 41 died on Tuesday.
- Eid-ul-Adha, observed on Wednesday, marks the end of the haj or pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam.
- The MJC has urged Muslims to celebrate within their households.
Muslims celebrating Eid-ul-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, have been urged to limit gatherings to only their households to try and curb the spread of Covid-19.
On Wednesday, Sheikh Riad Fataar, second deputy president of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), said while the Islamic community was saddened about not being able to attend masjid on this holy day, he encouraged all to "keep the takbir up in your houses".
"Let's keep this Eid a safe one, a healthy one, one where we practice safe distancing and keep our masks on," Fataar said.
"Please do not come together as families because the disaster is real and it is great. Those who are doing qurbaan, the sacrificing, keep it within your families. This is the best way for our community to go forward in [the situation] we find ourselves," he added.
President @CyrilRamaphosa wishes the Muslim community a blessed Eid-ul-Adha https://t.co/aPCPDTKgDu
— Presidency | South Africa ???? (@PresidencyZA) July 20, 2021
Eid-ul-Adha, observed on Wednesday, marks the end of the haj or pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims traditionally sacrifice an animal that is divided into three, to be shared equally among family, friends and the needy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said those celebrating Eid this year did so under difficult conditions amid the pandemic, but that the Muslim community "continued to perform admirable acts of charity towards their co-religionists and non-Muslims alike".
"As our Muslim brothers and sisters distribute food to the needy during Eid, we remain grateful for the community's charitable acts since the onset of the pandemic, and in the aftermath of the unrest in parts our country in recent weeks."
READ HERE | Covid-19: SA is still battling the third wave - how you can celebrate Eid-ul-Adha responsibly
He urged Muslims to continue to comply with Covid-19 regulations and avoid gatherings.
Fataar said so far in July, at least 705 Muslims had succumbed to Covid-19. According to the MJC's statistics, 41 died on Tuesday.
He previously told News24 in his capacity as chairperson of the MJC's burial administration that there "most certainly" had been a marked increase in the number of Covid-19 fatalities among the Islamic community in recent weeks.
While 50 people may be allowed at janazahs, the MJC has encouraged mosques to preferably only allow 20 people to attend while ensuring that all safety protocols are observed.
According to the most recent numbers released by the national health department, 8 929 new laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded on Tuesday, bringing the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases identified since the outbreak of the pandemic to 2 311 232.
An additional 596 deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of official deaths to 67 676.
