The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about impacts on social, economic, educational, political, and religious affairs. In order to control the spread of this pandemic, the new normal lifestyle of Muslims is guided by the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) established by the Malaysian National Security Council (NSC) and the Ministry of Health of Malaysia (MOHM). Worship activities involving the socialization of Muslims in mosques, such as congregational prayers, Friday prayers, and funeral management, are also subject to new norms implemented to safeguard public safety from COVID-19 infections, thereby influencing several legal decisions and fatwas. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze several legal decisions and fatwas issued by the Selangor Mufti Department and the Special Muzakarah Committee Meeting of Malaysia's National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) concerning various aspects of Islamic worship practices during COVID-19 pandemic phase. This study also incorporates the opinions and decrees from global scholars. Based on qualitative research methodology through document analysis, this study discusses the validity of the issued fatwas along with an investigation into the approach and principles of the discretion in fatwa. The findings of this study indicate that the issuance of fatwas based on the hanging opinions (marjuh) and non-definitive opinions of the Shafi‘i school of jurisprudence aligns with the concept of discretion in fatwa (al-tarakhkhus fi al-fatwa), which is endorsed by scholars who prioritize the well-being (maslahah) and concessions (rukhsah) for the Muslim community. The significance of this study lies in allaying public apprehensions regarding the compatibility of fatwa decisions issued by the Selangor Mufti Department with the established fatwa standards based on the Shafi‘i school of jurisprudence in Malaysia and other global scholars.
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