When Mr Khairudin Hashim and his family arrived at Al-Muttaqin Mosque in Ang Mo Kio on the morning of Hari Raya Aidilfitri in 2022, they did so with prayer mats in hand and masks on.
It was a very different scene on Saturday morning as the family of five turned up at the mosque empty-handed for Hari Raya prayers, with Covid-19 rules such as mask-wearing lifted and congregants no longer advised to take along their own prayer mats.
Pointing to some congregants who stayed behind after prayers to chat and greet one another, Mr Khairudin said he felt like the pre-pandemic atmosphere had returned, as he did not feel like he had to "just pray and leave".
The 60-year-old technician, who was at the mosque with his wife and three sons, was among thousands of Muslims who gathered across the island on Saturday to mark Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which is also known as Hari Raya Puasa and comes at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
About 240,000 prayer spaces were provided by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) this year, up from 153,250 in 2022.
Most of the spaces - about 230,000 were at 68 mosques, with five of them offering a single prayer session, 51 offering two sessions, and 12 offering three sessions.
This story is from the April 23, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the April 23, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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