Singapore Muslims given permission to skip Friday prayers in haze

Singapore’s top Islamic authority on Friday allowed local Muslims to skip Friday prayers at mosques as smog levels hit a new record high due to forest fires in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation.

“The Office of Mufti opines that it is permitted for male Muslims not to attend Friday prayers during the subsistence of haze which may have hazardous effects to their health or may potentially threaten their lives,” the religious authority said.

It said that the men may perform the midday prayers somewhere else instead of mosques.

Friday mosque prayers are obligatory among devout Muslim males.

Muslims, mostly ethnic Malays, comprise more than 13 per cent of Singapore’s population, according to last year data.

Singapore’s smog index breached the critical 400 level on Friday, which is potentially life-threatening to the ill and elderly people if sustained over a 24-hour period. The index eased off in the afternoon but remained at officially “unhealthy” levels.