KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — Malaysia’s top Islamic authority today urged Muslims nationwide to hold prayers to ask for rain, called 'istisqa’, until the hot spell lets up.
In a statement today, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) announced that three mosques directly under its administration will also be holding the prayers.
“I would like to ask Muslims in Malaysia, so that the weather in Malaysia will recover through rainfalls that will quench the earth and nourish the vegetation,” Jakim Director-General Datuk Othman Mustapa said in the statement here.
The three mosques holding the prayer sessions are the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, and the Putra Mosque and Tuanku Mizan Mosque in Putrajaya.
Jakim requested the Federal Territories Religious Department (Jawi) to hold the prayers in mosques and prayer rooms in the federal territories.
Malaysia has experienced a hot spell since early January, with some areas charting temperatures close to 40° Celsius.
However, the Meteorological Department has explained that the hot weather is common during January and February, and does not qualify as drought.
Haze and water shortages in parts of Klang Valley have also exacerbated the condition.
