Muslims gather to perform eclipse prayers

SEREMBAN: About 1,500 Muslim civil servants and the public gathered at Masjid Negeri here as early as 7am to perform the solar eclipse prayers.

The congregation was led by Imam Besar Masjid Negeri Mohd Nidzar Nor Mohamd.

State Islamic Affairs director Datuk Selamat Paigo said besides Masjid Negeri, all mosques in the country also held the solar eclipse prayers at 8.30am.

“We have also issued a circular encouraging all mosques in Negri Sembilan to hold the solar eclipse prayers.

“After the prayers, we will also read a sermon about the eclipse,” he told Bernama here.

At the Telok Kemang Observatory in Port Dickson, about 400 people waited since 6.30am to view and record the phenomenon.

In Perak, the Muslim community, including law enforcement personnel in Ipoh did not miss the opportunity to perform the solar eclipse prayers yesterday.

In Teluk Intan, 1,200 students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Horley Methodist watched the solar eclipse from 8am to 9am yesterday using a telescope.

A teacher who is also the coordinator of the project, Ahmad Kamal Sulaiman, said it was the school's Form Six project to view the beauty of the phenomenon.