ALOR SETAR, June 16 — The Sultan of Kedah, Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah has granted his consent to allow Friday and fard prayers to be held in all mosques and surau in the state starting this Friday.

Kedah Mufti Datuk Sheikh Fadzil Awang said for Friday prayers the minimum number of congregation is at least 40 people and the maximum is 60 people, while fard prayers are allowed to be performed with a maximum of 40.

However, he explained, the maximum number of people is subject to the size of a mosque or a surau and the ability of the Kariah committee to comply with standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the National Security Council, Ministry of Health and Kedah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAIK).

“Those who cannot perform Friday prayers should perform Zuhur prayers at their respective places. Congregational fard prayers are also allowed in all mosques and surau on a regular basis and we are asking the Kariah committee to provide prayer rooms for travellers.

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“For mosques and surau, the call of prayers used during the previous movement control order (MCO) and conditional control movement order (CMCO) will return to the original call while al-Quran reading and studies are allowed after dawn and dusk prayers, for not more than 30 minutes,” he told a press conference at Wisma Darul Aman here today.

Sheikh Fadzil said Aidiladha prayers and the sacrificial ritual are also allowed but attendance is subject to the suitability of the area while avoiding crowded, narrow and close places (3S).

“Distribution of sacrificial meat to the participants and the poor will be done whilst maintaining social distancing and large gatherings are not allowed,” he said.

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Meanwhile, at the same press conference, JHEAIK director Mohd Yusri Md Daud said a maximum of 60 people are allowed to attend Friday prayers for mosque, institutions and surau, while the state mosque is given a maximum of 80 people, including members of the mosque committee.

“There is still a limit on the number of people who can attend Friday prayers so we ask the mosque committee to rotate children of the kariah committee allowed to attend. Whoever wants to come first needs to register, so nobody should just walk in because we want to avoid large numbers.

“Whereas for the fard prayers at the mosque the number of people allowed is 40 people including the mosque staff while in the surau only 20 people are allowed to perform fard prayers. Teenagers aged 15 and below, they are not allowed to go to mosques and surau,” he said. — Bernama