Muslims in Malaysia have started a weird trend of offering prayers in which they are offering Namaz with a table fan which they consider to be their life partner. People are also uploading their videos of offering Namaz with a table fan on social media. Reportedly, this trend started after there was a rumor that singles should consider a table fan their life partner and offer Namaz with it. Muftis and Maulanas in Malaysia have taken this as an act of insult to Islam, and have approached the Sharia court for action against this trend.
Datuk Idris Ahmed, Malaysia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, has appealed to the people to register a complaint to corresponding officials and religious authorities against those who are following this trend. A Mufti of Georgetown Penang has said that these people should not deliberately insult Islam, else they will be punished by the Sharia court.
According to a report by The Sun Daily, Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan Mohamed Noori has said that if the offender is found to be deliberately mocking religion, he should be tried in Sharia court and punished accordingly. He also said that considering a fan as one’s life partner and offering Namaz with it is an insult and mockery of Islam. He added that this can hurt the sentiments of any Muslim.
Mufti Mohamed Noori further said, “The actions of these people clearly indicate that they are deliberately insulting Islam. The officials and authorities need to investigate if the offender is a sensible person or suffering from some mental disorder or something else. I hope that they will investigate this very soon and take action according to what they find. If a criminal disrespects the prayer, he is not considered Muslim and he must repent for his actions.”
Speaking on the matter, Minister Datuk Idris Ahmed said, “I would advise people to first get themselves properly educated about the religion. For this, they should take the help of some Maulavi or participate in the Namaz at some local mosque. People are using a table fan while offering Namaz. This shows that they don’t have proper knowledge of the religion.”
Practicing puritan Islam in Malaysia is not a new thing. The Ministers in Malaysia have advocated for the same even in the past. In February 2022, Malaysian deputy minister of women, Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff had advised men to beat their wives to discipline them. The minister, who herself is a woman, had posted a video on her Instagram account on 12th February 2022, in which she had said that husbands should use the “physical touch approach” to punish women for unruly behavior.
