DUSHANBE (TadjikTA) — The Council of Ulemas (clergy) of Tajikistan has given recommendations on how and where to say prayers (namaz, نماز).

“Namaz is a sacred act and a great call to God, and in this regard, Islam, especially the interpretation of religion by the Hanafis, prohibits namaz in dirty and non-hygenic places”, the statement said on the official website of the Council of Ulemas.

According to the Tajik clergy, one of the conditions for proper prayer is to perform it in a clean place. According to the Hanafid current of Islam (interpretation), [namaz should not be faced with a fire or a functioning chimney, in impure places, such as a hammam, near a latrine, on sidewalks and paths, or in a cemetery.

“To save time, a sincere Muslim may perform namaz at home or elsewhere such at work,. However, namaz should be done in a mosque, in clean places, but neither on sidewalks nor public places”, said the Council of Ulema.