Bareilly (UP) Jun 10 (IANS): After temples in Mathura objected to alcohol-based sanitizers, it is now a revered Muslim shrine-the Dargah Aala Hazrat in Bareilly -- that has asked its followers and mosque heads to avoid using alcohol-based sanitizers.

Mufti Nashtar Farooqi of Sunni Markaz Darul Ifta, Dargah Aala Hazrat, said on Wednesday that, "Alcohol is prohibited in Islam. Muslims should not use alcohol-based sanitizers. A mosque will become impure if alcohol-based sanitizer is used for cleaning the premises. We cannot make God's home impure. Namaaz cannot be offered at an impure place. If the mosque is made impure knowingly, it will be a sin. I have appealed to Imams of mosques and mosques' committees to refrain from using alcohol-based sanitizer."

The Mufti also gave an alternative to alcohol-based sanitizers.

He said, "Instead of using alcohol-based sanitizer, Muslims should properly wash their hands and mosque campus with soap, detergent powder and shampoo."

This comes just a day after priests of some prominent temples in Mathura refused to use the sanitizer with alcohol content.

Some prominent temples, including Iskcon, Banke Bihari, Mukut Mukharvind and Shri Rang Nath Ji in Mathura and Vrindavan, had decided not to open their doors for public from Monday and one of the reasons behind their decision was the government's directions for mandatory use of alcohol-based sanitizers on premises.