Sultan Nazrin: Ensure mosques are enlivened

Responsibility falls on those prepared to accept the ‘amanah’

PETALING JAYA: Mosques must continue to be enlivened and enriched with activities, said Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.

“Enlivening the mosque is a responsibility that must be fulfilled by those who are prepared to accept the amanah (trust) by being appointed as mosque committee members, and also those appointed as mosque officers.

“Those who have been given the trust to manage and enliven the mosque, if they do not carry out their duties sincerely with diligence and commitment, are actually not being fair to the qariah (district) and not fulfilling the promise to the ummah (community),” he said.

Sultan Nazrin said during the early era of the spread of Islam, mosques fulfilled many roles and functioned as centres for governance, administration and judiciary.

Mosques also acted as centres for character development, the spreading of knowledge, culture as well as civilisation; and were filled with many activities on welfare and community relations.

“This means more areas in the mosque were filled with various activities, surpassing the time used for prayers.

“The passage of time and development of civilisation has changed the way we live and life has now become complex, besides the need to handle an ever-increasing community.

“That is why the role and functions as well as activities which used to happen within the walls of a mosque, now must be moved to various premises outside of the mosque,” he said.

Sultan Nazrin was speaking in conjunction with the golden jubilee anniversary of the Masjid Sultan Idris Shah II, the state mosque of Perak, Ipoh yesterday.

Sultan Nazrin also expressed his appreciation for those who had contributed to the success of Masjid Sultan Idris Shah II for the past 50 years.

The mosque was acknowledged as the Perak state mosque and its opening on Nov 15, 1968 was officiated by the 33rd Sultan of Perak Sultan Idris Iskandar Al-Mutawakil-Allallahi Shah II.