KOTA KINABALU, Sept 1 — The Sabah Mufti’s Office has denied claims that the state mufti and his deputy were involved in the exhumation of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir’s remains, calling the allegations baseless and damaging, according to Sinar Harian.
The clarification follows the circulation of a 46-second video on social media last Thursday in which a gravedigger alleged the mufti and deputy mufti were present and detected a fragrance from the body.
“The Sabah State Mufti and Deputy Mufti were not involved in the exhumation process as alleged. The statement in the video is slander that could harm the reputation and public trust in the Mufti’s Office,” the department said in a statement last night, as reported by Sinar Harian.
Those involved were urged to retract the remarks and issue both verbal and written apologies, failing which legal action may be taken.
The office also advised the public not to spread unverified information and warned that legal measures could be pursued against any individual or party sharing the claims made in the video.
Alongside the denial, the office issued religious guidance related to the matter, noting that visiting graves is encouraged in Islam but must be carried out with proper decorum and within the boundaries of syariah.
Among the prohibitions during grave visits are wailing, screaming, beating one’s cheeks or thrashing about in excessive grief.
Other prohibitions include sitting or crawling on graves, stepping over or leaning on them, and walking on graves except where there is no other path to reach a specific grave.
The office also cautioned against superstitious practices that undermine faith, such as turning graves into places of worship or veneration, seeking blessings from graves, or imitating the rituals of other religions, including bringing flower garlands.
It called on Muslims to approach issues related to Zara Qairina’s grave with humility and moderation, without exceeding Islamic teachings, and prayed that the community remains under Allah’s guidance and mercy.
