BATU PAHAT: Congregants at a mosque in Johor who relied on the azan or call to prayer from the mosque to break their fast, which was made three minutes earlier than the actual time recently, should replace their fast since it is considered void due to the error.
State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said the incident occurred when the bilal on duty called out the azan without referring to the clock which was set in accordance with the standard issued by the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM).
He said checks conducted by the mosque found that only the congregants present broke their fast based on the azan from the mosque.
“On that day, there were some activities conducted at the mosque and only those who were there were affected (broke their fast early).
“So, my advice to them is to replace their fast as their fast on that day is void. I also would like to advise the bilals in the state to be careful and not repeat the mistake,“ he told reporters after the Ihya Ramadan Programme at the Sekawan Desa Jamek Mosque, here, last night.
Mohd Fared said he believed the incident was a human error.
“We (state government) have instructed all surau and mosques to use the SIRIM Malaysia clock as a guide (on prayer time) as they provide more accurate time instead of using personal clocks or watches,” he added.
On March 25, in a post on social media, Kluang District Kadi As-Syeikh Sabarudin Isnin expressed his sadness after a mosque called out the call for the Maghrib prayer three minutes earlier than the actual time, causing the congregants at the mosque to break their fast.
