The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has urged Muslims to stay at home as they observe the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan with fasting and supplications.

He said, unlike previous years in which the month is marked with lots of congregational prayers, community bonding as well as sharing of food and love in the Muslim communities, the Covid-19 pandemic has altered all that this year.

The President said it is regrettable Muslims, who started fasting on Thursday will have to do all their prayers at home explaining it has become necessary so as to protect each other from the dangers of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"Fellow Ghanaians, just as the Christian Celebration of Easter was severely affected by the virus, resulting in the cancellation of the usual activities associated with Easter, the Holy Month of Ramadan has not been spared either.

"It is my understanding that in the time of the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Allayhi Wa’Salam, anytime there was heavy rain, he admonished the faithful, through the Azan, to stay in their houses and pray, rather than going to the mosques.

"In Bukhari’s collection of the Hadith, Book 13, Hadith No. 24, Ibn Sirin reports that Ibn Abbas said to his muezzin, and I quote, “after saying ‘I testify that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger’, do not say, ‘come for the prayer’, but say, ‘pray in your houses’…It was done by one much better than I…” (that is the Prophet).

"Through analogical deduction, Muslim scholars agree that ‘rain’ represented danger, and, therefore, the prescription for Muslims to stay at home and pray in times of heavy rain is applicable to all life-threatening situations," the President said.

He, therefore, called on all Muslims to heed the prophetic admonishment to pray at home.

President Akufo-Addo said he arrived at the decision in consultation with the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu.

He further stressed on the need to observe social distancing, while adhering to the other measures to curb the spread of the virus as he said it was the only way to fight the "common enemy."