Meet Sierra Leone’s Essential Workers: The Imam

I am the Deputy Chief Imam of Masjid Nurr in Murray Town. The pandemic has affected the Muslim community in Sierra Leone. We used to shake hands and stand together during prayers, but health authorities have said we are not allowed to do that.

We must abide by this because, as once told by the Prophet Muhammad SAW, prevention is better than cure in times of disease. As Muslims, washing hands is part of our daily routine. We wash our hands before prayers, and after using the restroom.

The hardest part is that many people were not able to make the pilgrimage. As one who teaches others to earn a living, the pandemic’s impact has been significant. We used to cook every day, but now we only prepare when we have cash. On days when there is nothing, we manage with lafidi (rice with pepper, benni, Maggi & palm oil). ⁠

Credits: Essential Stories/OSIWA

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