FatwaFederal TerritoriesSocial & Contemporary Issues
AL-KAFI #689: BERKABUNG ATAS KEMATIAN ARTIS KOREA
May Muslims mourn the death of a non-Muslim celebrity through prayers, candlelight vigils and singing?
Short answer
Mourning the death of a non-Muslim is in principle permissible, based on the Prophet's respect shown to non-Muslim funerals, but wailing and excessive crying are prohibited by consensus of the jurists.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Social & Contemporary Issues
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Mourning the death of a non-Muslim is in principle permissible, based on the Prophet's respect shown to non-Muslim funerals, but wailing and excessive crying are prohibited by consensus of the jurists. Singing in memory of the deceased is not encouraged and is better avoided, as it may fall under the prohibited al-marathi. Islam teaches specific words of condolence for non-Muslims, but in this case condolences are unnecessary since no family of the deceased is present to receive them. Participating in candlelight vigils is prohibited because it involves imitating non-Muslim religious rituals, in line with the National Fatwa Committee's ruling.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Secara asasnya, hukum berkabung atas pemergian orang bukan Islam, apatah lagi jika ahli keluarga dan saudara terdekat adalah harus dan dibolehkan.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #689: BERKABUNG ATAS KEMATIAN ARTIS KOREA”, 10 January 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2212-al-kafi-689-berkabung-atas-kematian-artis-korea. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/mourning-death-of-non-muslim-celebrity/