IPOH, Jan 27 — The Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah has consented to Friday prayers, as well as general mass prayers and funeral prayers to be held in all mosques and surau in the state with a maximum of 40 congregants starting tomorrow and throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
The ruler also advised all mosques and surau to hold solat hajat (prayer of need) every day for the end of the global COVID-19 pandemic so that life could return to normal soon.
Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council president Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini said the congregants allowed to attend the mass prayers are limited to only male Malaysian citizens aged between 16 and 70 and that the number did not include members of the mosque/surau committee.
“Friday prayers can be held at all mosques and surau, including the surau located in office buildings, universities, colleges, companies and factories, to enable more people to perform the prayers,” he said in a statement here today.
He said religious lectures were also allowed to be held in the mosques and surau, but only between the Maghrib and Isyak prayers.
However, Mohd Annuar said events or ceremonies inside or in the compound of the mosque or surau were not allowed.
Stricter regulations to maintain physical distancing among the congregants would be implemented especially the mechanism to ensure smooth flow of congregants while entering and leaving the mosque or surau.
During the Conditional MCO period which began on Nov 10 last year, Friday prayers and general mass prayers in all mosques and surau in Perak were allowed with the number of congregants was limited according to red, yellow or zones.
All religious activities and lectures, as well as tahlil and doa selamat, were either allowed or postponed based on the colour of the zones.
Mohd Annuar said Sultan Nazrin gave the consent after taking into consideration the proposal made by MAIPk on the advice of the Perak Fatwa Council, Ministry of Health (MOH) and the State National Security Council.
“The state’s Islamic Religious Department has been entrusted to issue the complete guidelines to all mosque and surau committees, and also to monitor compliance of the guidelines,” he said.
He said the Sultan understood the wish of Muslims to enliven the mosques and surau and to worship Allah in congregation but worried about the threat on their health due to the spread of COVID-19.
His Majesty also sympathised with the healthcare workers and had expressed his highest gratitude to all staff of the MOH, the police, Rela and other agencies involved in ensuring compliance with the MCO in the state.
Source: BERNAMA