Johor: Congregants at a mosque in Johor, who broke their fast based on an early azan or call to prayer from the mosque, are required to replace their fast as it is considered void due to the error. The azan was mistakenly called three minutes earlier than the actual time.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the incident occurred when the bilal on duty at the mosque announced the azan without consulting the clock set to the standard issued by the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM). State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid explained that the error led to congregants breaking their fast earlier than the designated time.

Mohd Fared further noted that the miscalculation affected only those present at the mosque who relied on the azan to break their fast. "On that day, there were some activities conducted at the mosque and only those who were there were affected," he said. He advised those affected to replace their fasts and urged bilals across the state to exercise caution to avoid similar occurrences.

He attributed the incident to human error and emphasized the importance of using the SIRIM Malaysia clock for accurate prayer times. "We have instructed all surau and mosques to use the SIRIM Malaysia clock as a guide instead of personal clocks or watches," Mohd Fared added.

The incident drew attention on March 25 when Kluang District Kadi As-Syeikh Sabarudin Isnin expressed his disappointment on social media after learning about the premature call for Maghrib prayer, which led to the early breaking of the fast by mosque congregants.