Minister: Mosque committees to cooperate with Islamic authorities, cops to limit size of congregation

PUTRAJAYA, May 14 — The committees of each select mosques in Federal Territories will cooperate with Islamic authorities and the police to determine who can attend congregational prayers there, such as for Friday and tarawih prayers.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad said the authorities will conduct briefings for the committees and their chairmen to determine the limit to congregants, so as to avoid unwelcome surprises in which many people try to attend at once.

“Including a mosque’s imam and bilal, the committee will also determine who can enter and attend the prayers since they know their congregants best. Due to the limited numbers of attendees, for the time being it is recommended that only men attend,” he said during a special address.

The Islamic affairs minister was announcing the national fatwa committee’s decision to resume congregational prayers in select mosques and suraus in Covid-19 “green zones” in the Federal Territories, subject to strict conditions, including no more than 30 persons in attendance, excluding the presiding imam.

When asked how the public will be able to know which select locations to attend prayers, Zulkifli said all 86 or 87 mosques in the Federal Territories are included.

“As for suraus, over 100 were selected due to their suitability in terms of its space and size for congregants.

“Similarly, it has also been decided that one prayer session will be only for the given congregation. Which means in the case of Friday prayers, there will be only one congregation, and no such thing as a second or third congregations praying after them,” he said.

Zulkifli was also questioned on the minimum number of congregants to form a valid quorum, according to Islamic jurisprudence. Malaysia follows the Shafie school in the Sunni denomination, which generally holds that 40 persons is the preferred minimum quorum.

“This was discussed by the national fatwa committee using a holistic view. We took into account Imam Al-Ghazali’s view and that of other Shafie scholars, and settled upon the opinion that a quorum can count under certain circumstances with 20 or 30 congregants.

“I would also like to thank the National Security Council and the Health Ministry for allowing this even as the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic continues. To that, I must again emphasise that the mosque’s committee ought to do their part in ensuring the maximum number of congregants permitted inside does not exceed 30,” he said.

The minister previously said that the mosque and surau managing committee members must also ensure the NSC and Health Ministry’s standard operating procedures are fully adhered to by their congregants.

Only those aged between 15 and 70 are allowed to attend, and the doors to the mosques can only be opened up an hour before the azan, or the call to prayer, and closed after the prayers are done.