بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu dear brothers and sisters.

Alhamdulillaah it pleases us to announce that ICPB will implement structured re-opening starting today, Monday September 14th, 2020. ICPB will be re-opening its doors for the five daily prayers with limited capacity and accommodations. During this first phase of re-opening, the following conditions apply:

• No Jumuah (Friday) Prayer at this time.

• No Weekly Classes and No Children’s Weekend School

• ICPB will only be permitting entrance for men between the ages of 15 and 65

• If you are sick or displaying flu-like or cold-like symptoms (e.g. a fever, cough, runny-nose, sneezing, sore throat, etc.) or have a pre-existing medical condition, do not come to the Masjid.

• We will only be opening for the 5 daily prayers, 10 minutes before Iqamah times, and closing 10 minutes after the completion of Salaah.

• All attendees must wear a face mask and bring a personal prayer mat in order to be permitted inside the Masjid. Medical scrubs are NOT permitted in the Masjid.

• Prayer will be conducted observing 6-feet social distancing between attendees.

• Masjid bathroom/restrooms facilities will be closed. Please make wudu at home before coming to the Masjid.

• Mushafs will be removed to avoid potential Covid contamination. We suggest downloading a Qur'an app on your phone as an alternative.

• ICPB is unable to accommodate women and children during this first phase. Subsequent announcements about increasing our capacity for women and children will follow as soon as we enter new phases inshaa-Allaah.

We ask the community to adhere to these rules and regulations to protect the health and safety of all. May Allaah bless our efforts, grant us ease, and accept our sincere worship.

ICPB

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

One of the primary objectives of Islamic law is the preservation of life. Allaah said in the Noble Qur’an:

وَلَا تُلْقُوا۟ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى ٱلتَّهْلُكَةِ

Do not throw yourselves into destruction. [Al-Baqarah 2:195]

Florida has shattered the U.S. record for the most new daily cases of coronavirus in any state throughout the duration of this pandemic, reaching more than 15,000 new cases in one day alone.

In light of the recent increased spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and in accordance with the established Islamic principle: Warding off a harm takes precedence over bringing about a benefit (دفع الضرر أولى من جلب المصلحة), we have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily close ICPB for all Prayers, including the Jumu’ah (Friday) Prayer, effective immediately (July 13th, 2020).

After placing one’s trust and reliance in Allaah Almighty, we advise all Muslims to take heed of the instructions and guidelines issued by the proper authorities as it pertains to this pandemic. These instructions include: Washing hands often with soap and water. Avoiding close contact with people who are sick. Keeping distance of six feet from others in public. Covering your mouth and nose with a mask/face covering in public.

This is a time for Muslims to turn to Allah, place their reliance in Him, seek His forgiveness and call upon Him sincerely to remove this calamity.

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’ [Ghaafir 40:60]

To contact the Masjid for assistance please call: 561-623-7647

May Allaah grant us all patience and wellbeing during these times.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Given the rapidly changing situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, ICPB has been communicating with the City of North Palm Beach for the latest developments surrounding our community. Ensuring the health, protection and wellbeing of all our ICPB congregants, guests and neighbors are of utmost importance to our administration, and we are taking the current health risks from this pandemic very seriously. We are closely monitoring for updates and recommendations from local, state and national agencies, including the CDC and WHO. Please kindly consider, that as the current situation changes and evolves daily, our plans and strategy to maintain a safe environment and sustain ICPB operations also evolves daily. After reviewing the recommendations of our Islamic Scholars, as well as the important advice from our community and public health leaders, we have determined the urgent need to completely close down the ICPB Masjid. This means all Masjid activities including the five daily congregational prayers, Friday Jumuah prayers, weekly classes and weekend Islamic school, will all be canceled until further notice.

Please keep in mind that the religious and moral obligation which takes precedence over all other objectives is the protection and preservation of human life. This is why acts of worship in the Masjid can be temporarily suspended in order to avoid life-threatening dangers such as this Coronavirus pandemic.  It is also important to understand the context behind the shutdowns of schools, restaurants and the thousands of stores across the country. It is to slow the spread of the virus to a rate that the healthcare system can manage. There are only so many hospital beds and ICU’s in every community hospital, and this pandemic has the potential to overwhelm their capacity. Thus, it is our duty to cooperate and adhere to guidelines pertaining to density control, social distancing and recommendations by the CDC for the cleaning of hands and disinfecting of surfaces.

I would like to thank the ICPB administration, who along with the support of our brothers and sisters, have done a tremendous job planning and responding to this pandemic for ICPB. Let us be reminded to use the time during this trial to increase in the worship of Allah. As an alternative to weekly classes in the masjid, ICPB will broadcast weekly classes live via www.palmbeachmuslims.com  every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday soon after Maghrib prayer. In place of Friday Jumuah Prayer, you will now pray four rak’ats of Dhuhr prayer at home.

We thank everyone for their cooperation. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and update the community.

JazakAllahkhayr,

Sharif El-hosseiny

President of the Islamic Center of Palm Beach