SHAH ALAM – A Mufti has advised the public, especially social media users, not to go overboard while commenting about a couple after a photo that showed them riding a motorcycle with their sick 11-month-old baby went viral recently.
After the picture, which showed the baby who relied on a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine due to chronic lung disease was circulated, it began to garner nationwide attention, including from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself and donations started to pour in.
However, certain parties had alleged that the woman and the man who claimed to be the baby’s father were not legally married.
Pahang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman said the public should understand that it was the responsibility of the religious officer to handle the matter and that they should not take action on their own as it might conflict with the law.
"The public should not take action on their own as it may conflict with the law.
"Netizens need to understand that all responsible parties, the religious department or the Syariah Court, must take care of this," he said.
He further said that in catering to the needs of the baby better, the rightful guardian should be determined by the Syariah Court where the Syariah Court could order custody of the baby where the carer then should be able to fully take care of the child.
Upon commenting on netizens condemning the village's religious authorities for not doing anything, he said that their village’s religious figure had informed the religious enforcement authorities and is therefore not at fault, and has fulfilled his duty.
"We should praise the mosque's Qariah (local community) members for playing a role in helping troubled individuals.
We could suggest that the mosque's local community not only engages in mosque-related issues but also broader community problems.
"(To make things better) We can propose that the religious office train mosque officials or committees to play a role in this and assist the religious office," he said.
He also reminded that Muslims with problems should have visited the religious office to get help.