Friday prayer sermon broadcast live as Male' City is placed in lockdown

The Friday prayer sermon has been broadcast live on TV after the capital city of Maldives, Male’ was placed under lockdown.

The sermon was broadcast live on national TV TVM, which is the first time the Friday prayer was not broadcast live. Collective prayers in the capital were halted on March 18 as a measure against the Covid-19 virus. However, TVM had broadcast the prayers live from other islands in the country.

The TVM crew were unable to travel to another island today after the government imposed a lockdown following on the capital for 14-days. Seven cases of the virus have been confirmed in the Male’ City.

The sermon today was read out by religious scholar Dr. Mohamed Iyaz and was focused on good deeds and the month Sha'ban in the Islamic calendar. The sermon read that the holy month was a month for selfless deeds, freedom from the evil forces of Shaitan (Devil).