By Maryam Spahic
GOMBAK, 22 August 2014: A special Friday sermon was delivered at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (SHAS) Mosque by Asst. Prof. Dr Noor Amali bin Mohd. Daud in conjunction with the National Day of Mourning.
The government of Malaysia has declared a National Day of Mourning on Friday, August 22, as the bodies of the first 20 out of 43 Malaysian victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 are brought back to their families from the Netherlands.
In his sermon, Dr Noor Amali called on all Muslims to pray for the victims and their grieving families as well as all those affected by the disaster.
He urged everyone to reflect upon death and reminded them that each soul shall taste death. “For Muslims, the reflection of death should be ever present in mind,” he said.
“Constant remembrance of it prevents one from evil and sins and motivates one towards good morals.”
He also motivated the audience by quoting Rumi’s well-known saying, “Suffering is a gift. In it is hidden mercy.”
Salat al-janaza `ala al-gha’ibin (funeral prayer for unpresent bodies) was conducted after the Friday prayer.
Aircraft MH17 was carrying 298 passengers including 15 crew members from Amsterdam bound for Kuala Lumpur was believed to have been shot down in Eastern Ukraine on July 17. There was no sign of survival on the crash site.
Photo by Shawal Ras