Adeel Malik
On the blessed day of Jummah (Friday), the atmosphere inside the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre was one of quiet reverence as more than 4,000 worshippers stood together to recite a funeral prayer for the Muslims who had passed away and offered comfort prayers to the victims’ loved ones as reported by The Standard.
Long before the service began at 1.30pm, people from across the city started arriving, many visibly moved by the scale of the tragedy that had shaken the entire community.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said about offering funeral prayers for Muslims (Sahih Muslim 948):
A Muslim man does not die while forty men pray over him, who do not associate any partners with Allah, but that Allah will accept their intercession for him.
Pakistan GBA Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong (PGCC) chairman Qamar Minhas highlighted the heavy toll on foreign domestic workers, many of whom were from Muslim-majority countries.
Efforts are already underway to contact the government to speed up the return of bodies to their home countries so families can hold proper burials.
Several workers remain unaccounted for, and while hope of finding them alive is fading, searches continue.
The PGCC has also set up a relief team that has been delivering supplies to affected residents since the first day of the fire.
The chamber has also begun collecting donations to help both surviving domestic workers and other families who lost everything.
Minhas became emotional while speaking to reporters, describing the disaster as a tragedy that has stunned the entire Islamic community in Hong Kong and united people of all backgrounds in grief.
The Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong’s Mufti Muhammad Arsad confirmed that at least nine Muslims are among the dead or missing.
The fund is providing financial assistance and emotional counselling to help bereaved families through the difficult weeks ahead.
One of its senior members, Saeed Uddin, who has previously received the Silver Bauhinia Star for community service, praised the government’s rapid response and said the Muslim community is working closely with police and officials to ensure the remains are respectfully returned home as soon as possible.
Consular officials from Iran, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh and the deputy consul from Saudi Arabia attended the service to show solidarity.
Bangladesh’s consul Dr. Shah Mohammad Tanvir Monsur expressed gratitude for the swift emergency response and said the thoughts of the international community are with Hong Kong at this painful time, adding that he hopes the bereaved will gradually find strength to rebuild their lives.
