LUMUT: Reciting al-Fatihah is a pillar of prayer, yet many Muslims remain unaware that errors in its pronunciation can compromise the validity of their prayer.
Concerned about this issue, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) took the initiative to offer al-Fatihah recitation checking sessions during the Perak MADANI Rakyat Programme (PMR) 2025 at Lumut Waterfront.
Darul Quran JAKIM assistant lecturer Mohd Husni Shafii said the face-to-face session aims to help Muslims identify both major and minor mistakes in their recitation based on the ‘Rasm Uthmani’, the standard Quranic script used in Malaysia.
“One common mistake is in the pronunciation of the letter ‘ḍad’, which is often substituted with the letter ‘dal’. This is considered a major error because changing a letter alters the meaning,” he told Bernama here today.
Mohd Husni expressed hope that the initiative by JAKIM would continue to benefit the public, as they become more aware of the minor or major mistakes in their recitation of surah al-Fatihah.
He said the response from visitors was very encouraging, with more than 40 people having attended the session since morning, reflecting the growing awareness and interest in improving Quranic recitation, especially in the context of daily prayers.
One of the visitors, Norazwani Yahaya, 43, said the initiative was very beneficial as it raised awareness and helped her correct long-standing errors in her recitation.
“I will now practice the correct recitation and teach my children as well,” said Norazwani, who also praised the expertise and knowledge of the programme’s instructors.
The recitation checking is one of the interactive activities held at the Mini Stage (Ministries, Agencies and State Government Pavillion) throughout Perak PMR 2025, which operates from today until Sunday.
Perak PMR 2025 runs from 9 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, while on Sunday, the event concludes at 6 pm. Government service booths are open from 9 am to 6 pm daily.
With the theme ‘Pendidikan Tinggi, Pemacu Negara MADANI’, the programme features over 200 services including knowledge-sharing sessions, exhibitions, health checks, advisory services, and various activities for all levels of society.
