MUSLIM PRACTICES IN MALAYSIA | Facts and Details

PRACTICE OF ISLAM IN MALAYSIA

Tarawih prayers during Ramadhan in Malaysia

Nearly all Muslims in Malaysia are Sunni Muslims of the Shafi'i school.Sunni Islam stresses the observance of the five pillars of Islam but also emphasize the sincerity of belief and interior states of pious intent called niat. In some towns and cities Sufi brotherhoods exist. In the Malay areas of the northeast, much Islamic belief and practice is transmitted in residential boarding schools called pondok, under the tutelage of learned tok guru. Beginning in earnest in the 1980s there has been a movement, especially among the young and in the university, to return to a more vigorous and purer form of Islam. This movement is called dakwah, from the Arabic word for a "call" back to religion. [Source: Manning Nash, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East / Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993 ]

The daily call to prayer from mosques across the country amplifies the rhythm of Islamic rituals, as does the procession of the faithful to pray. Television programmes include reminders of prayer times, further highlighting the centrality of Islam in Malaysia. Significant holidays include the birth of the Prophet and the pilgrimage to Mecca, both of which receive extensive media coverage.
Many Malays want to make the pilgrimage to Mecca but can’t due to lack of money or inability to approval to make the trip. There is always a waiting list of Malay pilgrims seeking passage to Mecca. [Source: Thomas Williamson, Countries and Their Cultures, Gale Group Inc., 2001]

The month of Ramadan includes acts of piety beyond the customary abstinence from food and drink during daylight hours, and is followed by a major celebration. In contrast, non-Muslim religious buildings, practices and holidays have a smaller public presence in Malaysia. This is partly due to the smaller number of non-Muslims in the country and partly due to public policy, which limits the construction of churches and temples and the broadcasting of non-Muslim religious services.

The level of Islamic zeal varies somewhat from place to place. Muslims living in urban areas tend to be more liberal and Westernized than those living in the countryside. In some provinces, such as Kelantan and Terengganu, there is strong fundamentalist undercurrent. Here, women are urged to wear a special garment on their wrists that cover hands (some Muslims believe the hands as well as head should be covered) and some clerics have called for the stoning of adulterers.The majority of Muslim women wear ankle-length caftans and “teregas”, hair covering that are pinned under their chins, that expose only their faces and that give the women a gentle Pharaoh-like appearance.

Mosques and Prayer Halls in Malaysia

Kampung Laut Mosque in Tumpat is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia, dating to early 18th century

Islamic places of worship in Malaysia fall into two categories: large mosques, such as those in Putrajaya, Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur, and smaller prayer halls, known as suraus, which are located throughout the country, including along highways, at airports, in hospitals and in government offices. All Malaysian universities have their own mosques. In accordance with pre-Islamic Hindu-Buddhist customs, some Muslims consider certain saints' tombs to be holy places.

Malaysia has many mosques. Many have with Moorish-styled domes and minarets. Mostly funded by the government, the mosques cater almost entirely to the Malays and provide Friday sermons in the Malay language. Today, many Malay or Islamic buildings incorporate Moorish design elements as can be seen in the Islamic Arts Museum and a number of buildings in Putrajaya - the new administrative capital, and many mosques throughout the country. Moorish architecture hails from North Africa and Spain. Characteristic elements include muqarnas, horseshoe arches, voussoirs, domes, crenellated arches, lancet arches, ogee arches, courtyards, and decorative tile work.

Malaysia's most prominent holy place is the National Mosque, built in the heart of Kuala Lumpur in 1965. Its strategic position emphasizes the country's Islamic identity. The National Mosque is a splendid example of modern architecture. It is a spectacular assemblage of angles and concrete. The main dome of is designed in the shape of an 18-point star to represent the 13 states of Malaysia and the five central Pillars of Islam, and has the appearance of a partly opened umbrella roof which symbolises the aspirations of an independent nation. As one of Southeast Asia's largest mosques, National Mosque’s unique modern design embodies a contemporary expression of traditional Islamic art, calligraphy and ornamentation.

Malaysia’s oldest standing mosque is generally thought to be Masjid Raja in Perak, which dates to 1541 and was built under the direction of Sultan Muzaffar Shah I, the first Sultan of Perak. Another early mosque is Kampung Laut Mosque, with origins believed to go back to the 15th century, although it has been relocated and restored; it is known for its traditional wooden design, including a tiered roof and timber pillars. Other notable historic mosques include Kampung Hulu Mosque, constructed around 1728 and regarded as the oldest in Melaka, and Masjid Jamek, built in 1909 and considered the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

Chinese Mosque in Malaysia?

In February 2007, a controversy broke out over a request Chinese Malaysians who have embraced Islam to build their own mosque. Reuters reported: The Malaysian government has spurned applications by Chinese Muslims to open their first mosques, officials said. The authorities argued that having separate mosques would segregate Muslims and could anger the majority Malays, who by definition are Muslims. Mohamad Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, a convert championing Chinese Muslims, said Malaysia must show that Islam transcends race and culture. “We have to change the perception that Islam only belongs to a particular race, for example the Malays and the Arabs,” the 42-year-old Islamic scholar told Reuters. “We have to show the universality of Islam by allowing Chinese mosques,” he said at the weekend. “The authorities have to do away with the stereotypes.” [Source: Reuters, February 20, 2007]

Melaka Chinese Mosque, Krubong, Central Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia

“The issue goes to the heart of what Islam means in Malaysia, and shows how race continues to shape life in Malaysia 50 years after independence, analysts said. “There is fear that the Malay identity will be lost if Islam is practiced in languages other than Malay,” Canadian Muslim, Moaz Yusuf Ahmad, wrote in the New Straits Times recently.

“There is not a single mosque for Chinese Muslims, although Indian Muslims are allowed to have their own mosques. Ridhuan, a vice-president of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association, said his association was proposing to build mosques that would reflect Chinese design. “We would like to portray mosques that are based on Chinese architectures,” he said. “It’s to show that we are still Chinese but the mosques will be opened to all Muslims.”

Muslim Observances, Culture and Rituals in Malaysia

Muslim rituals related to worship services, prayer, pilgrimage, marriage, and burial in Malaysia are all conducted according to Islamic law and are performed in much the same way as they are in other Muslim communities. In addition Muslims in Malaysia practice adat istiadat, which are customs and traditions that pertain to such events as birth, marriage, and death. Adat istiadat diraja are the customs and traditions surrounding these events that are followed by the royal court. [Source: Ahmad Yousif, Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices, Thomson Gale, 2006]

Islamic rituals in Malaysia are performed according to the Shafiite school of law of the Sunni branch of Islam. As a rule most socio-religious events in the country, including official ceremonies, begin with a recitation of al-Fatiha, the opening chapter in the Koran, and end with a doa, or supplication, in Arabic. Malaysian Muslims also like to participate in the rituals of mystical orders called tariqahs. One such ritual is the dhkir, a special supplication that is made on certain occasions, including religious events, births, weddings, and deaths. Dhkir rituals usually last about one hour and usually are held in a local mosque or a house. Malay foods are served at the end of the session.

Muslims in Malaysia observe certain taboos of Hindu-Buddhist, Islamic, and indigenous origin related to pregnancy and childbearing. Some Malay Muslims also believe that bomohs, or traditional healers, possess supernatural or magical powers and can cure their patients through the use of plant and animal parts.

The association of Islam with traditional Malay culture has influenced dress, marriage customs, architecture, music and dance in Malaysia. Even the Malay martial art of silat incorporates Islamic elements. In recent years, Islamic literature, poetry, drama and nasyid (Islamic music) groups such as Raihan and Hijaz have flourished. However, despite Malaysia's efforts to maintain and promote its traditional Islamic cultural heritage, Western culture has grown to have a much greater influence on Malaysian youth.

Muezzin of Kuala Lumpur

List of Islamic denominations of which Shafi'i Sunni is the most common in Malaysia.

Thomas Fuller wrote in the International Herald Tribune, “In a few minutes, Jefri bin Bujang's melodious and powerful voice will be propelled into the still sleepy neighborhood around Malaysia's national mosque, the Masjid Negara. But first things first. As he enters the mosque, Jefri removes his punch card from its slot and slides it into the employee time clock. 5:20 a.m. This is the modern face of Kuala Lumpur, where even the muezzin logs his hours - and gets paid overtime for the early morning shift. Less than 20 minutes later, Jefri's voice echoes across old Kuala Lumpur and the landmarks of the city's multiethnic heritage. "Allahu Akbar!" Allah is the Greatest! [Source: Thomas Fuller, International Herald Tribune, December 3, 2006 /*/]

“His voice is amplified and projected from the mosque's towering minaret. It booms down the road toward St. Mary's church, the former cricket grounds and the Moorish-style courthouse, all designed and built a century ago, during British colonial rule. The call to prayer carries into the patches of jungle that surround Kuala Lumpur, into the city's orchid gardens, butterfly sanctuary and perhaps as far as the serene Lake Gardens, the legacy of Alfred Venning, a colonial official who set aside the large park and thus ensured that Kuala Lumpur would be one of Asia's greenest cities. /*/

The term muezzin evokes images of the faithful being summoned from a balcony overlooking the dusty streets of Middle East capitals or the deserts of Arabia. But Jefri performs his azan from a decidedly less picturesque setting: a small, carpeted, windowless room on the ground floor of the mosque, with a microphone perched on a stand in the corner. Before reciting the call, Jefri completes his ablutions: washing his hands, cleaning his mouth and nostrils, washing his face from forehead to chin and from one ear to another, washing his forearms, wiping his head from front to back, wiping the inner sides of his ears and washing his feet. He then stands with unbroken concentration in front of his microphone, puts his feet about a foot apart, tilts his head back and his chin up. He plugs his ears with his fingers. ..."Allahu Akbar!" ("Come to Prayer! Come to Success!"(

The call to prayer, which is always in Arabic, can be sung with a number of different melodies, and Jefri says he does not decide which to use until he begins singing. "Some people think about what words come next," Jefri said afterward in his office across the hall. "I tend to think about the melody." Understanding Arabic is a challenge for many Muslims in Malaysia, where Malay, English, several Chinese dialects, and Tamil are most commonly spoken. "I don't understand Arabic fully," Jefri said. He can read the language phonetically because he studied it in high school, but he is working to expand his Arabic vocabulary.

Just before 1 p.m., Jefri prepares for the biggest event of the week: Friday prayers. He does his ablutions, snaps on a long black robe called a juba and dons a red cap wrapped with white cloth. He enters the prayer hall, where hundreds of worshipers have gathered. With his juba gently flapping in the breeze of a fan, Jefri begins the 15 lines of the call to prayer. His voice fills the cavernous space. The imam, Zulkifli bin Salleh, ascends to the wooden pulpit and issues his sermon in Malay. Islam reveres those who work hard, Zulkifli says. This will not only bring prosperity to the family, but also to the community and the country's economy. His words are in line with the current government's attempt to pair Islam and economic development.

Thousands of worshipers, overflowing into the far corners of the mosque, pray together. They kneel and touch their heads to the ground in nearly perfect synchronism. When they disperse, Jefri helps roll up and cart away the prayer mats. He returns to his desk, where he spends a few more hours clipping newspapers and greeting visitors. At 5:49 p.m. he punches out, mounts his motor- scooter and rides home.

Career of the Muezzin of Kuala Lumpur

Thomas Fuller wrote in the International Herald Tribune, “As one of three muezzins at the national mosque, summoning the faithful for their five daily prayers, Jefri says his work reflects his devotion to God and to Malaysia's Muslims. "Even though the pay is poor," he said, "I feel I am more blessed." A muezzin for the last eight years, he has had a career both sacred and profane. He previously worked as a bank clerk, stock boy, gas station attendant, and, perhaps most improbably, assistant supervisor of a cosmetics counter at a department store. ("I was the only man in the department," he said. "It was a lot of fun.") [Source: Thomas Fuller, International Herald Tribune, December 3, 2006 /*/]

“After living what he describes as a naughty youth of girls and motorcycles, Jefri chose to switch paths. His mother, who had enrolled him in a religious school when he was young, urged him to take the job at the mosque despite a salary half the level of what he made in retail. He receives 1,200 ringgit a month, or $325, including overtime. But he also is comforted by the perks of the job: Islam is Malaysia's official religion and all imams, muezzins and other Muslim officials are civil servants, receiving government salaries and pensions./*/

For those who work at Malaysia's largest mosques, the job also comes with prestige. Jefri regularly shakes hands with prime ministers and sultans. On the days when his azan, or call to prayer, is nationally televised, Jefri's parents gather in front of the television with friends in the small village where he grew up near Malacca, the old Portuguese and Dutch trading post. His mother cries when she hears his voice. /*/

"When I was young, I watched the live broadcast from the Masjid Negara," Jefri said in his office across the hall from the huge, open-air praying area, where janitors were rolling out carpets for prayer on a recent Friday. "I thought it was so melodic. It touched me. All of these people coming because you call them." In secondary school, he won a Koran-reading competition, but he never really studied the azan, he said. "I listened to the TV and memorized the melody," he added. When seeking the muezzin job, Jefri was interviewed by a panel of three judges, who had him recite parts of the Koran and sing the call to prayer. Now, he said, "My life feels easier. I feel it's a blessing from God." /*/

Rise of Conservative Islam in Malaysia

Over the years, Malaysia’s Muslims have become more conservative. Fundamentalist parties are doing better and imposing Muslim law on their constituents. Conservative Islam is very strong in the northeastern province of Kelantan and Terengganu. The Islamic Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party controls the governments there. The fundamentalist movement Malaysia is called “dakwah”, an Arabic word for “call”—as in “call back to religion.

The fact that fundamentalism has grown while the economy has grown and provided jobs and opportunities defies conventional wisdom. The rise of fundamentalism has been linked with the rise in the disparity of income and unhappiness over corruption and lack of moral direction provided the by the government.

In July 2008, the Malaysian state of Kelantan, which is governed by a conservative Islamic party, announced plans to compel Muslim government workers to pray five times a day as required by their religion. Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the chief minister the northeastern state, said Muslims who shirk their prayer obligations "are not fearful of Allah and are susceptible to committing bribery and other sins." Kelantan is planning to introduce a law to force Muslim government workers to pray five times a day, said the minister's aide Anual Bakri Haron. Kelantan has been ruled since 1990 by the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, which has implemented strict morality rules such as banning gambling, nightclubs and rock concerts. [Source: Associated Press, July 8 2008]

Ian Buruma wrote in The New Yorker, “The increasing conservatism of Malaysian Islam probably stems from insecurity and envy, more than from religious values. Lacking the powerful cultural and historical traditions of the Chinese and the Indians, Malays have been vulnerable to the inroads of Saudi-style Islam. It gives them an identity, a sense of belonging to something stronger than their village traditions.” Professor Lim Teck Ghee, a former World Bank social scientist, said “educated Malays have been too timid to resist, whatever they might do or say in private. “I’ve seen it happening with my progressive university friends,” Lim said. “Wives take to wearing the tudung, the daughters cover up. Their passivity, their silence, is very bad for the community, because it allows the ultras to set the agenda. Islam has become more and more conservative. Muslims can no longer go to non-Malay restaurants or visit the houses of non-Malay friends. Tensions have grown. We’re reverting to the colonial situation, where the different races only meet in the marketplace.” [Source: Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, May 19, 2009 ]

See Islamic Political Parties and Sharia Justice System Under Government

Muslim Women’s Clothing Customs in Malaysia

Traditionally-dressed Malay women wear long-sleeve, ankle-length caftans (loose dresses) made from shimmering materials and “tudungs”, pharaoh-like head scarves that are fastened below the chins with a pin and sometimes hang down like boy-scout neckerchiefs. Others wear head coverings that are wrapped around the head and are not pinned under the chin and look like head scarves worn by women in the Middle East.

Before the 20th century, Malay women still wore kemban, just sarongs tied above the chest, in public. As Islam became more widely embraced, they started wearing the more modest yet elegant baju kurung. The baju kurung is a knee-length loose-fitting blouse that is usually worn over a long skirt with pleats at the side. It can also be matched with traditional fabrics such as songket or batik. Typically, these traditional outfits are completed with a selendang or shawl or tudung or headscarf.

The caftans often have batik prints of bright, shimmering pink, red, orange, purple and that are coordinated to match the equally bright headscarves. Many women wear a sarong under the caftan. Some caftans have a yoke that may be decorated or feature colors that contrast with the rets of the caftan.

In conservative areas, women wear white prayer shawls, or “mukenahs”, when praying at a mosque. Some women hide their faces but breast feed their children in public.

Women working in fields have traditionally worn sarongs that reach just below the knee along with simple loose jackets. The costumes worn by dancers features a longer sarong and a long decorated jacket with long sleeves. Hook and sarong cradles are fastened to the luggage rack in trains.

Funerals in Malaysia

In Malay Muslim communities, death is treated as a solemn religious event governed by Islamic practices. Visitors are expected to dress modestly and show respect to both the deceased and the bereaved family. Burial typically takes place quickly after death, in accordance with Islamic requirements. [Source: P. Bala “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009 *\ [Source: Thomas Williamson, Countries and Their Cultures, Gale Group Inc., 2001]

Before the funeral, the body is usually placed in the home so relatives and community members can offer prayers and pay their final respects. The deceased is then wrapped in white cloth and taken to the cemetery for burial. While the broader mourning period may extend to 100 days, organized prayers are commonly held on the first three nights, as well as on the seventh, fortieth, and hundredth days.

Across Malaysia, beliefs about death and the afterlife are often accompanied by a broader cultural interest in the spiritual world. Stories about spirits and ghosts are widely shared in conversation and media, reflecting ongoing connections—whether emotional or symbolic—between the living and the dead.

Burial sites also reflect the country’s multiethnic composition: Muslim graves are typically marked by simple headstones, while Chinese cemeteries often feature larger tombs inscribed with family names. Chinese communities also maintain ancestor shrines, where offerings such as fruit and incense are placed. These practices, along with respect for burial grounds, are widely observed and recognized across different religious groups in Malaysia.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings; 1993; New York Times; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times; Smithsonian magazine; Encyclopedia.com; National Geographic; Live Science; Malaysia Tourism websites; Malaysia government websites; UNESCO; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Natural History magazine; Times of London; Library of Congress; The Conversation; The New Yorker; Time; BBC; CNN; Reuters; Associated Press; AFP; Lonely Planet Guides; Google AI; Wikipedia; The Guardian and various websites; books and other publications.

Last updated May 2026