Sultan Muhammad V reveres Islam, respects religious intellectuals

Kelantan mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad said the king often turned to him in matters related to Islamic law.

"For example, the entertainment law under Kota Bharu-Bandar Raya Islam Municipal Council. Any show, game, entertainment cannot be held on Friday night.

"But the Chinese community want to hold (entertainment) on a Friday night so they seek permission from Sultan Muhammad V and he will not approve it until he has obtained the views of the Mufti Department," he said in an interview with Bernama and Bernama News Channel (BNC) at his office at Balai Islam Lundang, here.

Aside from that, Mohamad Shukri said Sultan Muhammad V also has high regard for religious intellectuals such as mudir and 'sekolah pondok' headmasters which he expressed by conferring them awards and medals on his birthday.

"In fact, when there is time, he would have lunch at religious schools and I observe in my time as mufti, that there had never been any matter which he would not agree to once an opinion had been given," he said.

On Sultan Muhammad V's personality, Mohamad Shukri said he knew the Kelantan Sultan since the latter was 17 years old.

"As how the public knows him, the Kelantan Sultan is keen on learning indepth about Islam and would hold religious classes at least once a week during Maghrib and Isyak at Istana Negeri in Kubang Kerian, here.

"Aside from inviting a number of speakers such as almarhum Tuan Guru Haji Mohd Noor Ibrahim, almarhum Datuk Yusoff Zaky Yaacob and myself, he would ensure that every staff at the istana attends the discourses which often end with light refreshments after Isyak prayers," he said.

Sultan Muhammad V has a special al-Quran teacher to accompany him in his journeys including to Europe to ensure that he does not forget to hold a congregation of prayer.

"He always invites me to perform umrah particularly on the last 10 days of Ramadan and he would celebrate Aidilfitri there.

"He also sponsors a group of five to six of his subjects every year to perform the haj and built the Masjid Al-Ismaili in Pasir Pekan, Tumpat and as endowment for his father Sultan Ismail Petra," he said.

He said it was usual for Sultan Muhammad V to attend breaking of fast programmes and tarawih prayers with the people in the state.

"The Sultan is also an expert in the slaughter of cattle for sacrifice and would do it himself during Aidiladha, and distribute the meat to several areas in the state as charity," he said.

Meanwhile, Kelantan Syarie Chief Justice Datuk Daud Muhammad said Sultan Muhammad V would also study any Islamic law in Kelantan that is to be formulated.

Speaking to Bernama and BNC in an interview at his office at Kompleks Mahkamah Syariah Kota Bharu in Tunjong here, Daud said the Sultan had previously said that every law to be formulated in the Syariah Court must first be tabled at the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council.

After getting approval from the agency, then only should it be presented to the state government for the bill to be tabled, debated and approved at the State Legislative Assembly.

Daud said Sultan Muhammad was also concerned for any shortcomings in the enforcement of the syariah law in Kelantan.

"The Sultan is always asking whether the Syariah Court was already perfect or still inadequate.

"He takes it seriously. Every time I face him, the main thing that he wants to know is about how the Syariah Court is proceeding," he said.