PETALING JAYA: A kind gesture, such as a condolence expressed with the words “Rest in Peace” could help calm family members who are grieving for a loved one, says Islamic Renaissance Front director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa.
He said in such trying times, one could rely on the best words to express sympathy and empathy to bereaved family members.
He was commenting on a report that the National Fatwa Council had “strongly discouraged” Muslims from using the expression “Rest in peace” when conveying condolences to families of non-Muslims.
This was reportedly based on religious connotations supposedly derived from an original prayer in Latin.
The council’s statement was posted on its official website in December last year and resurfaced in light of the death of prominent lawyer and politician Karpal Singh.
A news portal reported former Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Asri Zainul Abidin as asking the council to clarify its statement.
Dr Ahmad Farouk said a kind gesture with the minimum wish of condolences would be ‘Rest in peace.'
“He said in one hadith the Prophet was heard to say: ‘I have not been sent to curse the people but as a mercy to all mankind,' " he said in an interview.
Dr Ahmad Farouk added it was related that the Prophet reminded his companions in the first war of Badar to not utter offensive words to the dead among the non-believers since the words would hurt the living.
Malaysian Assembly of Mosque Youth (Pemuda Masjid) leader Dr Mohd Nawar Ariffin said the fatwa council’s suggestion was meant for Muslims only as "a discouragement."
“I feel that there is nothing wrong with the fatwa council’s stand. It is clearly directed to Muslims with specific stress on the need to respect others from different faiths while remaining strict with matters regarding our own faith (aqidah),” he said.
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