The Al-Arifin Masjid in Padang Katong, Kangar became the first masjid to use the Quran teleprompter developed by the Malaysia Perlis University (UniMAP), for its Tarawih prayers.
The technology was developed by Professor Ir Dr Anuar Mat Safar from the Faculty of Electronic Engineering Technology (FTKEN) at UniMAP.
He is also the chairman of the Al-Arifin Masjid.
The project was the result of the cooperation between the masjid, FTKEN, the faculty of mechanical engineering technology (FTKM), and the Perlis Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAIP), said the dean of FTKEN, Prof Madya Ts Dr Azremi Abdullah Al-Hadi.
Also involved with the project are Dr Iszaidy Ismail, Dr Ilman Jais, Ir Dr Wan Mohd Faizal Wan Abd Rahman, Mohd Haidiezul Jamal Ab Hadi dan Mohd Hazwan Mohd Hanid.
The technology allows the imam – the person who leads the congressional prayers – to read the Quran displayed on the display in front of him. He could then flip the pages on the screen using a remote control attached to his wrist.
UniMAP vice counsellor, Prof Dr Zaliman Sauli said the technology has the potential to be commercialised for use in masjids and even at home.
In the past, imams were hafiz – those who have memorised the Quran.
To facilitate imams who are less confident with memorisation, methods such as using a large print mushaf – a copy of the Quran – on a lectern so that they could recite from it, were used.
According to madhhab Shafiʽi, the school of Islamic jurisprudence that we follow in Malaysia, it is permissible for an imam to hold a mushaf during prayers to read from, even if it is on a smartphone.
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