Muslim guide

Finding halal food

• Look for the official certificate — Halal certification in Malaysia is issued by JAKIM (the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) and state Islamic religious departments. A certified restaurant displays the Halal Malaysia logo and a certificate with an expiry date — check it is current. You can look any business up on our Halal Check page.
• “Halal” on a sign isn't a certificate — Some small stalls and Muslim-owned eateries are not certified. Muslim-owned does not automatically mean certified, so ask to see the certificate if it matters to you.
• “No pork, no lard” is not the same as halal — Those signs only say pork and lard aren't used. They don't cover alcohol in cooking or how the meat was slaughtered.
• Malls, food courts and supermarkets — Malls and food courts normally mark non-halal stalls, and supermarkets keep a separate “Non-Halal” section for pork products and alcohol. Read stall signs before ordering.

Prayer on the road

• Surau and musolla — Small prayer rooms (surau or musolla) are common in malls, airports, offices, petrol stations, hospitals and highway rest-and-service areas (R&R). Look for the signs. They have separate men's and women's areas with ablution (wuduk) facilities, and many provide prayer garments (telekung) for women to borrow.
• The call to prayer — The azan sounds from mosques five times a day, starting before dawn. Use the Prayer page for exact times at your location, and the live Qibla compass if your phone has one.
• Friday (Jumaat) prayer — Congregational Friday prayer is held around midday. Many Muslim-owned shops, offices and banks pause for it and reopen afterwards, so plan errands around it.
• The weekend differs by state — Most of Malaysia rests on Saturday and Sunday, but Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu observe a Friday–Saturday weekend, so government offices and many businesses there close on Fridays. (Johor returned to Saturday–Sunday in January 2025.) Check local hours if you're travelling on a Friday.

Etiquette

• Greetings — “Assalamualaikum” is welcome (reply: “Waalaikumussalam”). Malay Muslims often greet by lightly touching hands and then placing the right hand over the heart. Let the other person offer a handshake first, especially across genders.
• Right hand, shoes off — Give, receive and eat with the right hand. Take your shoes off before entering a mosque, a surau or a home.
• Dress — Modest dress is the norm, especially in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and rural areas. At mosques cover arms and legs; larger tourist mosques lend robes to visitors.

Ramadan & Hari Raya

• Ramadan bazaars — In the afternoon during Ramadan, Ramadan bazaars (bazar Ramadan) set up across the country selling food for breaking the fast — a highlight for visitors. Arrive before Maghrib; the best dishes sell out.
• Iftar and tarawih — Hotels and restaurants offer iftar buffets, and mosques hold tarawih prayers each night. In hotels, ask about suhoor (pre-dawn meal) arrangements when booking.
• Daytime eating — In big cities most restaurants stay open. In smaller towns, especially on the east coast, many eateries close or serve only after dark. Be discreet when eating in public as a courtesy.
• Hari Raya travel rush — Around Hari Raya Aidilfitri millions travel to their hometowns (balik kampung). Expect heavy highway traffic, book buses, trains and flights early, and note that shops in smaller towns can close for the first days.
• Dates — Islamic dates in Malaysia are set by moon sighting and announced shortly before — see the estimates on the Prayer page and confirm with the official announcement.