Standard operating procedure (SOP) of mosque and surau activities during conditional movement control order(CMCO)in Peninsular Malaysia: study in Selangor and Melaka.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world at the end of 2019 has changed people's lives, including the worship matters for Muslims. To prevent the pandemic that has caused millions of deaths from spreading, the Malaysian government has implemented a series of Movement Control Orders (MCOs) by introducing various Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that all Malaysians must adhere to. During this MCO period, the prohibition of worship activities carried out in mosques and Surau involving gatherings of many Muslims has triggered various community reactions. Some of them are dissatisfied when the limit on the number of jama’ah allowed to attend is very small and varies by state. Therefore, this study aims to identify the SOP setting method used by two states namely Selangor and Melaka. These two states were selected based on the significant differences between the two states in terms of the limit on the number of jama’ah allowed to attend mosques and Surau. Interviews with SS Mufti of Selangor and Melaka were conducted to obtain data on the question of this study. The findings from this study show that the difference between SOPs issued is to look at the situation during the ongoing infection cases. The situation and the level of dharurah (harm)or masyaqqah(hardship)that occurs is the basis of the setting of an SOP so that harm can be prevented and controlled from continuing to be rampant to preserve the maqasid syariah of the protection of human life.