The Pahang Mufti Department and the Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MUIP) have expressed their full support for the decree of the Sultan of Pahang regarding the proposal to establish Friday prayer facilities at shopping centres nationwide.
Jabatan Mufti Negeri Pahang said Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, had taken note of the proposal and decreed that MUIP remains the authority representing the Ruler in matters concerning mosques and surau under the state’s jurisdiction, in accordance with the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
Pahang Mufti Datuk Dr Asmadi Mohamed Naim said the Sultan also endorsed the department’s clarification on the conditions for the validity of Friday prayers according to the Shafi’i school of thought. Religious authorities have consistently stressed the importance of ensuring any expansion of Friday prayer venues complies fully with established Islamic rulings and state regulations.
He explained that six key requirements must be fulfilled, including conducting the Friday prayer during the Zuhur period, having a congregation of at least 40 resident adult Muslim men, delivering two sermons beforehand, and holding the prayers in a designated place or building.
Dr Asmadi added that overlapping Friday prayers within nearby locations are not permitted unless there is a genuine necessity, with any exception requiring a decision by the Pahang Mufti before being submitted for the Sultan’s consent. Such measures are intended to preserve the role of mosques as the primary centres for congregational worship.
He also said the Sultan acknowledged that the planning of mosques throughout Pahang had already taken into account the development of worship facilities within community areas. As such, existing mosques and approved Friday Prayer Surau (SKJ) are considered more suitable for congregational Friday prayers.
Among the locations highlighted were Sultan Ahmad 1 State Mosque in Kuantan, Masjid Tepian Putra serving the Malay Town and Kuantan City Mall area, the upcoming City Mosque, and Masjid Al-Shafie in Kota SAS.
The Pahang Mufti Department and MUIP reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the status and role of mosques and surau across the state in accordance with the Sultan’s decree.
The statement follows an earlier decision by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS), which announced that the Sultan of Selangor had not granted approval for surau or musolla located inside shopping malls in the state to hold Friday prayers for the time being.
Previously, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan welcomed initiatives by states to introduce Friday prayers at shopping centres following encouraging public response in several locations within the Federal Territories, where the programme is currently being implemented under the jurisdiction of the relevant religious authorities.
