The Islamic Religious Council (Muis) is supporting the religious needs of Muslim foreign workers ahead of Ramadhan. Movement of workers living in dormitories have not been allowed since 22 April 2020.
"Muis recognises the important contribution of foreign workers to Singapore. Aside from their sacrifices and contributions to Singapore’s nation building, Muis also acknowledges the contributions of many Muslim foreign workers to our local mosques. For many years, our Muslim foreign workers have been an integral part of the mosque community. Many have volunteered to support in the preparation of buka puasa* meals during Ramadhan as well as other volunteer duties in the mosques throughout the year. Now, they too are fighting the battle against COVID-19, alongside the nation," the organisation said in an online statement.
Measures taken by Muis include:
- Working with the Singapore Ministry of Manpower to disseminate important information, such as the Imsakiah (prayer time table), fatwas, irsyads (religious guidance from the Office of the Mufti) and infographics released during this period.
Muis will continue to provide translated versions of relevant materials
to ensure that the workers remain updated on latest developments. For instance, the Muis Ramadan Handbook has been translated into Bengali.
- Working with an interagency taskforce to support foreign workers and dormitory operators. Muis has been working with the task force to help ensure that the health and wellbeing of Muslim foreign workers during Ramadhan. Religious guidelines specific to Ramadan as well as medical advisories related to fasting are being provided for the Muslim foreign workers in their native language, Muis said.
- Working with Masjid Assyakirin to produce short videos by Bengali-speaking imams in order to carry religious messages and messages of support. Other mosques have also reached out via video messages and video chats to comfort our Muslim brothers who have served and formed a bond with our mosques. These videos are disseminated via WhatsApp.
- Creating a dedicated playlist for Bengali resources on SalamSG TV, a special YouTube channel providing online videos for the Muslim community during Ramadhan. This will include messages from Singapore's Mufti Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir.
Details:
Download the advice on Observing Ramadan at Community Isolation Facilities and Dormitories and guidance on performing tarawih prayers amidst the outbreak situation. Tarawih (تراويح) refer to additional prayers performed in the evening during Ramadhan.
*Breaking of the fast