Congregation SOP For Mosques in Johor: Less Than 5 At Once

The Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) with the approval of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, Sultan of Johor, has decided the new limit on the number of congregation for Friday prayers and the Five (5) times prayers during the period of movement control order (MCO) 3.0, effective 26th May 2021 until further notice by MAINJ.

Through a statement released on MAINJ’s Facebook page signed by Tosrin Jarvanthi Chairman of the Johor State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee, Md Rofiki Samsudin, Director of The Johor State Islamic Religious Department and Johor State Mufti, Yahya Ahmad dated 25th May 2021, cited the recorded numbers of 54,431 cases as of 24th May 2021 with 221 deaths in the state, while 91 mosques and suraus were temporarily closed from congregating all over Johor until 24th May 2021 courtesy of Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).

The statement imposes new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all mosques and suraus for the state of Johor for MCO 3.0.

Only 12 people, made up of committees in mosques or surau are allowed to congregate for Friday prayers – not including the head of the congregation (imam), caller for prayers (bilal) and sanitation officer on duty (noja). Only 4 people are allowed for the daily prayers made up of imam, bilal and noja, the same goes for surau’s.

The place of worship is to ensure the gap in between lines of congregation and praying area for travellers are not allowed to open.

Visiting Islamic cemeteries during MCO is not allowed. However, the burial of the remains is allowed in the presence of 12 next of kin, excluding the cemetery staff, provided the remains are not of a COVID-19 patient.

Funeral prayers in mosques and suraus are not allowed.