Mosques to Conduct Limited Hari Raya Haji Prayers
24 July 2020
Families Encouraged to Conduct Prayers at Home, with Livestreaming of Sermon Delivered by Mufti
1. With safe management measures in place in mosques, and smooth conduct of Friday prayers weekly since 26 June, limited Hari Raya Haji prayers will be conducted at mosques on 31 July 2020. As places are limited, congregants who are unable to obtain a booking are encouraged to conduct prayers at home and tune in to the live broadcast of the Hari Raya Sermon by Mufti, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir.
2. Vulnerable individuals (those aged above 60 and those exhibiting symptoms of acute respiratory infection as well as pre-existing chronic medical conditions) as well as children below the age of 12 are strongly encouraged to refrain from going to the mosque, and to perform their prayers at home instead.
Hari Raya Haji Prayer
3. 45 mosques will offer three sessions of Hari Raya Haji prayer on the morning of 31 July 2020. Another 20 mosques will offer two sessions of Hari Raya Haji prayers. This will mean a total of 8,750 slots available for these prayers. The list of mosques and timings is appended as Annex A.
4. The Hari Raya Haji sermon by Mufti Dr Nazirudin will be broadcast in Malay (with English subtitles) on SalamSG TV as well as on Mediacorp Radio Warna 94.2FM. Mufti will deliver his sermon after leading prayer at 8.30 a.m. at Masjid Maarof. SalamSG TV and Warna will also broadcast the takbir (exaltation and praise to Allah swt) before the Hari Raya Haji prayer.
5. In addition to Mufti’s sermon, for the benefit of the Indian Muslim community, the sermon will also be delivered in Tamil by Masjid Jamae Chulia and Masjid Al Abrar via their Facebook platforms, and on Bisme Radio. Masjid Malabar will broadcast their sermon in Malayalam and for the benefit of our Muslim migrant workers, the sermon will also be delivered in Bengali on SalamSG TV at 9.30 a.m.
6. Registration for slots for Hari Raya prayers will be open via the MuslimSG app and https://ourmosques.commonspaces.sg from 1 p.m. on Monday 27 July 2020. Registration is open to all regardless of whether they have previously opened a slot for Friday prayer in the preceding weeks.
Guidance from the Office of the Mufti
7. This year, Hari Raya Haji falls on a Friday, so there are two congregational prayers for the Muslim community. Given that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and there are limitations on the prayer spaces available in mosques due to the necessary precautionary measures to reduce the risk of infection, the Office of the Mufti has provided guidance on this situation. Those who did not manage to secure a place to perform Hari Raya prayers in mosques can perform it at home with their families. This is similar to the arrangements for Hari Raya Aidilfitri and families are encouraged to watch the Hari Raya sermon online.
8. In relation to Friday prayers, although the majority of scholars from the Shafiee, Hanafi and Maliki schools of thought are of the opinion that Friday prayer is still wajib (compulsory) for those who have performed Hari Raya prayers on the morning of the day, the Office of the Mufti has advised that this opinion is best applied during normal situations where space and other similar limitations are not an issue.
9. The main priority for the Muslim community is to provide opportunities for as many Muslims as possible to perform Friday prayers, especially those who have not been able to perform them since the resumption of Friday prayers in mosques after the lifting of COVID-19 circuit breaker measures.
10. As such, Muslims who are able to secure a slot for Hari Raya prayer will not need to perform the Friday prayer, and may instead perform the Zuhur prayer and listen to the Friday sermon online.
Friday Prayer on 31 July 2020
11. The 65 mosques currently offering Friday prayers will continue to do so, with the same safety measures in place. As some mosques have started to offer three sessions instead of two, the number of slots available has increased to 9,100. The list of mosques and prayer timings is listed in Annex B. Registration for the slots via the MuslimSG app and https://ourmosques.commonspaces.sg will open from 10 a.m. on 28 July 2020.
12. Individuals who are able to secure a slot for Friday prayer will not be eligible to obtain a slot for Hari Raya Haji prayers. To provide more opportunities for those who have yet to perform Friday prayers at the mosque, those who have performed Friday prayers prior to 31 July 2020 will also not be eligible to register for a space.
13. Those who have yet to attain a slot for Friday prayers are still given the flexibility (or rukhsah), as advised by the Office of the Mufti, to replace Friday prayers with Zuhur prayers and then tune in to Friday sermons via SalamSG TV.
14. Muis has found that some members of the public have made bookings but did not turn up, thus depriving people of the prayer slots. Congregants who have obtained a slot but are unable to come for prayer are asked to cancel their bookings, so that others may have an opportunity to register.
Safe Management Measures
15. All congregants are advised to adhere to the safe management measures in place, to keep our mosques safe. This includes not attending if unwell, taking wudhu before coming to the mosque, bringing your own prayer items (prayer mats and a shoe bag), wearing a mask, refraining from talking and physical contact with other congregants while in the mosque and maintaining safe distancing and Safe Entry when entering and exiting the mosques.
MAJLIS UGAMA ISLAM SINGAPURA
List of Mosques and Prayer Timings on 31 July 2020
