Q. When a colleague of mine died recently, I went to his funeral. When the body was taken into a mosque for prayer, I stayed outside, being a non-Muslim. But when the janazah prayer for the deceased was over and the procession gathered, some of my colleagues came to me and said that it was inappropriate for me to be in the funeral procession. I was very offended. I come from a country with a sizable Muslim population, where Muslims and non-Muslims participate in each other’s family occasions, such as weddings, bereavements, etc. It has never been known to me that if I show my respect to a deceased colleague and attend his funeral, I would be violating social or religious customs. Please comment.
Thomas P.K.
A. I am sorry you had to go through this experience, which must have hurt you. But I would ask you to overlook it as the action of some overzealous people who do not know their religion. Once a funeral passed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he stood up in respect. He was told that it was the funeral of a Jew. He said: “Is he not a human being?”
It should be explained that the Prophet was fully aware that the passing funeral was that of a non-Muslim. Had the deceased been a Muslim, his body would have been brought to the Prophet’s Mosque for janazah prayer.
Islam requires maintaining good relations with our non-Muslim neighbors and friends. The Prophet urged his followers to show them every kindness. This is part of our faith. To suggest that they cannot express sympathy when we have a distressing occasion, or delight on our happy occasions, is to be unkind to them. This is totally against the Prophet’s tradition. There was absolutely nothing wrong with your action, going to the funeral and waiting outside the mosque while the prayer was being held.
