Friday sermons at Singapore mosques temporarily shortened due to hot weather, haze

SINGAPORE – Friday prayer sermons at mosques in Singapore will be temporarily shortened from Aug 21 on account of hot weather and the haze.

Instead of the usual six to seven pages for the first sermon, it will be under four pages for now, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) in a social media post that day.

“Hopefully this step will make it easier for worshippers to gather, worship and remain comfortable in these challenging weather conditions,” said MUIS.

The change will be in effect until further notice, it added.

Friday prayer sermons are written by the Office of the Mufti in MUIS, under the guidance of the mufti. The mufti is Singapore’s highest Islamic authority, overseeing key religious rulings for Muslims here.

The first Friday prayer sermon is given during Zohor, which for August 2026 takes place ** slightly after** 1pm.

The daily maximum temperatures in the second fortnight of August are likely to range between 33 deg C and 34 deg C on most days, said the weatherman in its fortnightly forecast on Aug 17.

On a few days, the daily maximum temperature could reach a high of 35 deg C.

Most nights may also be warm and humid, with temperatures staying above 27 deg C.

Dry conditions are expected to persist in the coming days, with hot spots and smoke plumes observed in the surrounding region, the ** Meteorological Service Singapore **had said.

These have been seen mostly in the southern and central parts of Sumatra and various parts of Kalimantan.

With the prevailing south-easterly or south-westerly winds, Singapore may experience hazy conditions should the fires intensify, the Met Service added.