Abstract

Many countries have been forced to implement measures aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19. These measures have also affected worshipping, especially with reference to those practices whose execution is linked to the community dimension (collective prayers, pilgrimage, feast for the end of fasting and that of sacrifice, funeral rites, etc.). In order to identify possible solutions to the problems deriving from the limits that the spread of Covid-19 has imposed on worshipping, Muslims have turned to their jurists (fuqahā᾿), who issued dozens of responses (fatāwā) to respond to the many and different requests. This contribution intends to analyse those that have been issued by the European Council for Fatwa and Research. Indeed, it held an extra session, in March and April 2020, and produced two collections of fatāwā and recommendations entitled, respectively, Juridical Developments Related to the Virus Corona Covid-19 and The Rules of Fasting and their Developments in Light of the Corona Covid-19. In addition to the presentation of the content of such responses, particularly those concerning collective prayers, the contribution is also aimed at discussing whether the solutions issued by the Council are compatible with the provisions adopted by the European governments to cope with the pandemic.