Publishers must review books with Quranic and hadis content carefully, says Jakim

PUTRAJAYA, June 28 — The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) has urged the National Book Council of Malaysia to continuously remind publishers to exercise utmost caution in the publication of religious books containing Quranic verses and hadis texts.

Its director-general Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee said in a statement today that JAKIM, together with the state Islamic religious authorities, is ready to provide the necessary guidance to publishers of religious books to ensure compliance with Islamic requirements.

The statement came in the wake of controversy over inaccuracies detected in a religious book written by an influencer.

Sirajuddin said the department supports the firm stance of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar that publishers must uphold the sanctity of Islam and ensure religious books are vetted by the relevant authorities before publication.

He said every author must take full responsibility for the content of their books, while publishers of religious materials should appoint qualified experts and personnel with Islamic studies backgrounds to review all religious content before publication. — Bernama