PUTRAJAYA, 14 May 2020:
Friday prayers and other congregational prayers are allowed to resume in the Covid-19 Green Zones in the Federal Territories, at selected mosques and surau, and limited to between three to 30 people, from tomorrow.
Apart from the Federal Territories, this permission has been granted in Penang, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak where the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the Head of the Religion of Islam.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said the congregational prayers included tarawih and Aidilfitri prayers.
He said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had consented to the proposal, which had been reviewed by the Special Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia.
“This decision is in line with the decision made during the National Security Council (MKN) meeting and my meeting with the Prime Minister on May 12,” he told a special press conference here today.
However, as for other states, Zulkifli said the decision to adopt the proposal would depend on the respective religious authorities as stipulated in the Federal Constitution, that matters pertaining to Islamic affairs are under the jurisdiction of the Heads of State.
On the number of people in the congregation, he said this would be determined by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI), the religious authorities and mosque committees in the four states, to prevent a sudden crowd from gathering at the mosques.
Zulkifli said the decision on the number of people to perform Friday prayers was made after taking into consideration the views of Imam Ghazali and other scholars, that it was sufficient for a group of 20 to 40 men to perform Friday prayers in congregation.
“For now it is suffice for men to pray at the mosque.”
Zulkifli added that the mosques and surau where Friday prayers are performed, should ensure police and the state religious authorities are present to control the situation.
He said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador had been informed on the matter and had agreed to extend his full cooperation.
“The mosques and surau committee members must ensure that the MKN and Health Ministry’s standard operating procedures (SOP) are fully complied with.”
The Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah has consented to Friday prayer to be held in mosques and surau in the state from tomorrow May 15 after getting the views of the State Fatwa Committee.
Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) chief executive officer Shahrul Azam Shaari said Sultan Nazrin also consented to the coming Aidilfitri prayer to be held at the houses of worship.
However, he said, the permission to hold the prayers is subjected to several conditions, including the number of the congregation to not exceed 12 people, including the imam and the khatib.
“The mosques and surau are still not open to the public. The chairman of the respective mosque/surau committee should identify and ensure members of the congregation are confined to only the committee members and officials.
“Individuals over the age of 60 are not encouraged to attend the prayer. Those with symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, sore throat and flu, history of diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, cancer are not allowed to attend the prayer,” he said in a statement.
Apart from that, Shahrul Azam said that those attending the prayer are required to check their body temperature, to use hand sanitiser, record their attendance in the attendance book, perform the ablution prior to arriving at the mosque/surau and to bring along their own prayer mat.
He said the use of loud speakers by the mosques/surau where the Friday and Aidilfitri prayers are held is allowed for the reading of the sermon and “takbir”, respectively
The duration for the Friday prayer, from the call for prayer (azan) and sermon (khutbah), and the “takbir” and sermon for Aidilfitri prayer should be over by 20 minutes, he said, adding that the sermons prepared by the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPK) for both the prayers should be brief and should not take more than 10 minutes to be read out.
On the arrangement of the saf and position of members of the congregation during the prayers, Shahrul Azam said, it has to be in compliance with the standard operating procedures issued by the Health Ministry.
Members of the congregation are required to disperse after the prayers are completed as no food or drinks is allowed to be served at the mosques/surau, he added.
He said the chairman of the respective mosque/surau committees would be required to ensure all the conditions and guidelines are observed and complied with, failing which the permission for their mosque/surau to hold the prayer would be withdrawn.
Friday prayers will also be allowed only at selected mosques and surau from tomorrow, said Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council (MAINS) chairman Datuk Mohamed Husein.
He said the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, the four Undang and the Tunku Besar of Tampin gave their consent on the matter yesterday.
“As the Covid-19 pandemic is still not over, it is still forbidden to hold Friday prayers (in all mosques) in Negeri Sembilan during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
“The Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEANS) would give their evaluation before it can be decided which mosques or surau will be allowed to open,” he told a press conference today.
As for Aidilfitri prayers, Mohamed said they could only be held at the same selected mosques and surau, while recommending that Muslims perform the prayers in their homes.
Mohamed added that the congregational prayers would be limited to between four and 12 people comprising committee members and officials of the mosque or surau.
Meanwhile, he said mobile tithe (zakat) counters would be opened at selected mosques in each district from tomorrow until May 23, between 10am to 2pm daily, to facilitate the Muslim community especially those in the Felda settlements and outskirt areas.
“However, those with internet facilities are encouraged to make their tithe payment online, as announced earlier.”
However, Friday prayers in mosques in Melaka will be allowed from May 29 but with conditions, Melaka Mufti Datuk Abdul Halim Tawil said today.
The decision on the matter was reached at a special meeting of the Melaka Fatwa (Edict) Committee yesterday, he said.
Abdul Halim said only 40 worshippers will be allowed for the Friday prayers but added that this will be subject to developments and the consideration of the National Security Council.
The mosque managements must take the appropriate control measures to ensure the health of the worshippers in compliance with the standard operating procedures of the CMCO, he said.
“There will be no Friday prayers in mosques in Melaka tomorrow (May 15) and on May 22. These will be replaced with the Zuhur prayers at home.”
The special meeting yesterday also decided that there will be no Aidilfitri prayers in mosques in Melaka, he said, adding that these prayers will be held within the family at home.
All mosques, surau and musalla (open space outside a mosque mainly used for prayer) in Kelantan remain temporarily closed during the CMCO.
Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) president Tengku Temenggong Kelantan Tan Sri Mohamad Rizam Tengku Abdul Aziz said during the CMCO period only mosque and surau officials were allowed to be present for the azan, Friday prayer, five-times-a-day prayers and tarawih prayer.
He said the implementation took effect from yesterday until a new official statement was released by MAIK.
“The mosque goers must pass the health screening at the nearest district health office. Mosque officials with symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, sore throat and cold are not allowed to attend,” he said in a statement today.
Selangor is still maintaining its decision on the suspension of Friday prayers at all mosques and surau in the state, to curb Covid-19 infection.
However Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) in a statement said, Friday prayers could only be performed by the imam and mosques’ committee members with the attendance of three to 12 people, beginning tomorrow.
“Only the mosques’ committee members and imam are allowed to perform Friday and Aidilfitri prayers in the state mosque, royal mosques and district mosques.”
The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah gave his consent on the matter after the decision was made following a meeting between the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS), Selangor Mufti Department and JAIS.
On April 13, Sultan Sharafuddin decreed the suspension of Friday and congregational prayers as well as religious lectures at all mosques, surau and musollah (prayer rooms) in the state, to be extended until May 31 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The following is a list of SOP for the implementation of Friday, congregational, tarawih and Aidilfitri prayers which mosques, Friday surau and selected surau in the Federal Territories, and four states under the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as head of Islam, must comply with.
- Implementing social distancing inside and outside the mosque;
- Distance between worshippers is one metre and face mask is compulsory;
- Entering and leaving mosque must observe turn by queueing up and observing distancing;
- Those with chronic diseases, senior citizens of 70 years and above and children under 15 years are not allowed for congregational prayers at the mosque;
- All worshippers present must perform ablution at home and bring along their own prayer mat to the mosque;
- Worshippers must disperse in a calm manner;
- Gathering inside or outside mosque is not allowed, after prayers.
Additional recommendations to the religious authorities in the states are:
- Having a counter at reduced number of entrances to check body temperature, have hand sanitisers and attendance records.
- Sanitising the prayer area, surrounding areas including toilets and ablution areas before and after prayers;
- Use of toilet must be limited following the number of toilet cubicles available at any one time;
- Congregation members must bring along their identity card failing which they must be told to go home;
- Attendance is recorded in the attendance book;
- The door of the mosque is opened an hour before azan (call to prayers) and would be closed soon after the congregational prayers.
– Bernama