Kelantan Friday prayers law needed to ‘preserve peace’, says PAS MP

By admin-s On Nov 12, 2014

(MMO) – A PAS MP has defended Kelantan’s by-law that fines and jails Muslim men who skip Friday prayers for three consecutive times, saying last night it is needed to “preserve the peace” in the Muslim-majority state.

According to Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abd Aziz, Muslim men must not be seen flouting their Islamic obligations in public, as it will encourage others to do the same, thus “disturbing the public”.

At a forum discussing the limits between the powers of the state and personal freedom, the MP said that skipping Friday prayers is different from skipping the daily prayers, as the latter can be performed at home, thus skipping them will not “disturb the public”.

PAS state government came under fire last month for its move to enforce the 10-year old Kelantan Council of the Religion of Islam and Malay Custom Enactment 1994 starting this year.

The Kelantan by-law empowers state authorities to fine Muslim men up to RM1,000 or put them behind bars for up to a year, or both, for failing to attend Friday prayers thrice in a row.

Nik Abduh claimed that skipping Friday prayers is a major sin, citing a hadith—the collected sayings of Prophet Muhammad—claiming that the messenger had wished to burn the houses of those who skip their prayers, and hunt men who skip Friday prayers.