One of the most disturbing characteristics of the Muslim community is its ability to cling to baseless rumors long after they have been proven to be false. This is especially the case whenever a famous person is suspected of being a Muslim and that rumor gains circulation in the community. Once it enters the realm of urban legend IT BECOMES A FACT despite whatever the truth happens to be.
And so it is with Michael Jackson and the rumors that he was not only a Muslim, but is in fact to receive a janaza or Islamic funeral rite to be conducted by one of our famous imams. Let me be the one to break this news gently,
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE MICHAEL JACKSON WAS A MUSLIM AND THERE WILL BE NO OFFICIAL JANAZAH. AND NO, HE DIDN’T CHANGE HIS NAME TO “MIKAEL ABDULLAH” EITHER.
Can you believe that literally hundreds of Muslims are planning to attend MJ’s janaza and some have already bought plane tickets to Los Angeles, all based on an unproven rumor. This rumor mill has gotten so out of control that there’s now a conspiracy theory that Michael Jackson was murdered because he and Muslim musician Dawud Warnsby were preparing to go out on a “nasheed tour”!!!
BrotherAli Eteraz did a fine piece of journalism on this story and it seems that the real culprits in spreading these rumors were Imams Johari Abdul Malik and Zaid Shakir, who both tried to ride the Michael Jackson death frenzy into history by jockying to be the one selected to lead his janaza prayer, and in the process manage to praise everything about MJ’s life that they used to teach was haram (prohibited) in Islam, namely music and the performing arts. Salafi Burnout offered a devastating commentary on this shameless spotlight-mugging of the leadership, because everybody knows that common, everyday Muslims like you and I, those who’ve sacrificed for Islam striving to obey God’s commandments and eshew His prohibitions and gave up careers in entertainment, while Michael Jackson was grabbing his crouch, singing and dancing (which used to be haram remember?) and sleeping with little boys, will never get this kind of attention by the imams at our passing.
A Singular Voice 
When people post angry comments on your site this the reason why.
You stated Imam Johari and Imam Zaid are responsible for spreading rumors when in fact had if you done some research you would have found there was article written in British press several ears ago claiming MJ converted to Islam with Dawud Wharnsby present. However it wasn’t until a few days ago that Dawud whansby actually denied the story. It took him years to public deny something he could well have done years ago. He was full aware of the article but yet he never denied it neither did Michael’s brother Jermaine. So who’s really responsible for spreading rumors?
I don’t see how the shuyukh Johari & Zaid are responsible for anything. Neither claimed they knew for sure but that they heard from “relible sources”. And to be honest their are many people who claim to have met Micheal and stated he said he a was Muslim so I think the shuyukh can be excused for their actions.
The subtext behind this and other post seems to be an unfettered hatred towards “leadership”, many of scholars of Islam in the US.
The problem I see why you and others are so disappointed with the “leadership” is you’re trying to put them in the wrong perspective. I’ve been meaning to write a piece about this but Insha Allah I will get around to it soon.
Now the shaykh or Imam in “leadership” roles shouldn’t be in leadership because that’s not their function. The Shuykh job is to instruct NOT TO LEAD. Leadership is a position most scholars are not trained for. All for the most part have lived academic lives and don’t live the same lifestyles as typical muslims. As well as the primarily goal of someone who has learned usul ul deen is PRESERVE RELIGION not to insure the people understand and can implent what is taught in their lives. It’s hard truth to swallow but nonetheless it doesn’t make it less true.
There are five essentials (Ad daruriyyat ul Khamsah) taught as the primarily function of all laws within Shari,ah. All opinions, rulings fit within these five or overlap within these five. The Five are:
Preservation of and Protection of Religion
Preservation of and Protection Human Life
Preservation of and Protection of Human Intellect
Preservation of and Protection of Linage and Progeny
Preservation of and Protection of Material Wealth
The alim is engrossed within a world where respect and continuation of what has gone before is sacred. Someone one who spent on average 12 year to 15 years living in an environment whee this concept taught by words and actions becomes imbued with a deep sense to defend and protect the past. Not with a deep sense to convey and insure knowledge is imparted in easily digestible way.
So I think in order for Muslims to move forward they need to stop looking at the shaykh or Imam as a leader and see them for they are TEACHERS. They teach what has been taught to them but it’ s YOUR responsibility to understand how to implement the information,concepts into your life. This was the way of our successful forefathers throughout history. Until many start having this perspective many will always be disappointed with and disillusioned with Shuyukh.
Remember we don’t have clergy in Islam only judges and teachers.
Sadly you find the Muslims crying and troubling themselves about a man who was for the majority of his life a non-Muslim. All his “contributions” were nothing to do with Islaam and far from it (with reference to music). As Imaam Maalik rahimahullaah said: It is only done by the sinners.
But where are these people when one of the Ulemaa pass away? Where are their tears when those who teach the people their religion pass away? Muslims need to set the priorities straight.
Allaah says about the ‘Ulemaa: Verily those who fear Allaah the most from amongst His slaves are the Ulemaa.
Not the Musicians and the dancers. Not the entertainers and the story tellers. But the ‘Ulemaa.
Yet we put our heads down and cry when we see the Muslim world in humiliation and degradation.
http://www.zaytuna.org/articleDetails.asp?articleID=125
When Zaid Shakir reprinted those rumors in his article, he spread them. In fact, people are using his essay as a “proof” that MJ was Muslim to those of us who point out there is no proof of it. As a person in a position of leadership, he has a responsibility to verify what he is going to say and you would think that someone who is that close to Hamza “Foot In My Mouth” Yusuf would have learned the value of researching and thinking before speaking. But like a lot of Muslims, it seems like br. Zaid was so eager and so desirous for this major entertainment figure to be a Muslim – thereby validating all of our choices to be Muslim, no doubt – that he *spread some rumors* without even seeing if they were factual or not, and in fact, was the main reason why Wharnsby and Yusuf Islam were forced to come out and say “No, we never even met that bloke.”
And while you want to cry for the rights of Muslim “leaders”, why are you assigning knowledge and motive to Dawud Wharnsby that you have no proof of? You don’t know that he knew about any previous news items – and you don’t supply any evidence to even show us that this “British article” even said what you are claiming here.
Articles like this one provoke angry comments b/c ARM is telling you what you don’t want to hear about yourselves.
Assalamu alaikum, I’ll have to go and read the Imam Zaid article again, because for the life of me, I can’t remember exactly what he said, he did mention something about music being haram, so I don’t think there’s anything to knitpick there, however, if what MJ did was so “haram”, then why are we, as an Ummah going so gaga over him possibly being a Muslim? How is that going to make our lives, now that MJ has returned to Allah, any better? And this is assuming that he was a Muslim. Did he do anything to help the community, as a Muslim? When he was alive?
IMHO, Inshallah, if he was a Muslim that is good, but if he wasn’t, well, whatever the case, it’s left with Allah to judge now. I felt sad that he’d died, not because he was a Muslim (I never knew he was and anything coming out of the British tabloids really should be taken with a bar of salt), but because as a child I enjoyed his music, and a lot of his songs are associated with fond memories. I also read commetns where people were going to buy plane tickets and travel halfway across the country to a janaza that they don’t know where it’s going to be etc., and I thought how silly? What if you get all the way out there and no janaza? What then?
What if another “famous Muslim musician” were to pass away, would we all be going so crazy, even though what they sang about and may have done in their lives was nowhere near Islamic in nature?
As far as imams jockeying to be the one to perfomr the janaza, again, I’d have to see a bit more substantiation to that and Allah indeed knows best regarding that, but we all need to use our heads, because from what I’ve seen, there’s no proof either way that Michael was or wasn’t a Muslim, because just as many people say he was as say he wasn’t, and many of the ones who were held up as saying that MJ was a Muslim have had to come back and clarify that they weren’t the ones who made these comments. It’s all a big mess.
I make dua that in any case, Michael be rewarded accordingly for his deeds.
To be fair, 99% of michael’s lyrics werent about anything haram. There’s no proof from MJ’s mouth that he was Muslim, but a lot of secondary sources say he was. He also did help a lot of communities immensely, he was one of the biggest humanitarians and even donated millions when Bosnia was under attack
@ Rabiya
Here’s the British article claiming MJ was muslim:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1954666.ece
And indeed I was mistaken the article is only a few months old not years however Dawuud Wharnsby knew about the article and rumor as on his blog on JUNE 26 2009 he wrote.
He knew about this artcle but yet didn’t make any public announcement refuting it until after MJ died why?
And as I stated I think Shaykh Zaid can be excused because they’re plenty of people who claimed to have met MJ (or somebody who has) and claimed he said he was a muslim but yet those who know most particularly his brother Jermaine have never denied it. Even today Jermaine has never said in interview that MJ is not muslim. Why? I find the behavior odd and misleading.
Indeed in Shari’ah what is known takes precedence over what is unknown. However in this case what is unknown and known is very unclear. Although it is best to err on the side of caution.
I really don’t see that at all.
You referred to the Shaykh as ‘As a person in a position of leadership’. have you examined Shaykh Zaid life? He is a teacher at Zaytuna Institute. He doesn’t head any organization (though he takes part in many),at best he is lecturer and professor and author.
I can name another lecturer, author and professor who is not head of any organzation….Dr. Na’im Akbar is he a “leader” too. Or Dr. Cornel West is he “leader” as well?
Like I stated before many misunderstand the shuykh of Islam….they are teachers not leaders. You wouldn’t look to english literature professor as leader for your life why are looking at the shuykh this way? This makes no sense.
I can name many great shuyukh throughout the history of Islam Imam Malik, Imam Nawawi, Imam Shaf’ii, Sa’id Ibn Musayyab, Sa’id Ibn Jubayr and all weren’t “leaders” they were teachers of deen ul islam. The only shuyukh that comes to my mind as a “leader” is Shaykh Uthman dan Fodio and Shaykh Waliuallah. If you look at their lives and shuykh of the US lives you clearly see a difference.
I think it is not appropriate what you said about MJ. We ,Muslim do not talk behind somebody who is dead.Even more you do not know what did do with the boys.He was innocent please It doesnt suiit you!!! be sensible.Besides this ,we can’t be sure about his faith how can you be so sure that he did not convert by just looking at his style of dances in the past It is nonse Allah knows the best
in reference to the article, there was never ANY evidence that MJ molested children, it was all made up to defame him and to rob his money. As for ” grabbing his crouch, singing and dancing” this was all before the news about his conversion which means he would have been forgiven for all of this if he did indeed convert, Micheal stayed on the low for a long time so we are no one to make judgements of what he may have been doing during that time- Allah took his soul before he performed his concerts.
in reference to the article, there was never ANY evidence that MJ molested children, it was all made up to defame him and to rob his money, he had the mind of a ten year old and he was not capable of sexual relationships, all his children were from surrogate mothers. As for ” grabbing his crouch, singing and dancing” this was all before the news about his conversion which means he would have been forgiven for all of this if he did indeed convert, Micheal stayed on the low for a long time so we are no one to make judgements of what he may have been doing during that time- Allah took his soul before he performed his concerts.
Any how, as muslims we should be pleased at the thought of ANYONE converting to Islam and not criticize anyone who is now dead as we do not know the truth, the truth is with Allah and we may never know whether he was muslim or not.
I would also like to point out that the media and stars are very QUICK to clear up any rumours that are being circulated and no one has said anything against the rumour of him converting however think for a moment whether they would be ‘allowed’ to openly say that he WAS a muslim? if he wasnt they would have definately made it known.
Also remember it doesn’t matter if people spend ‘most of thier lives disbelieving’ because when they find Islam they are forgiven all thier past sins.
I KNOW THAT MJ WAS A MUSLIM AND I PRAY 4HIM IAM ALSO MUSLIM AND PROUD TO BE
WE LOVE U MJ.WE R HAPPY THAT WE EMBRACED ISLAM.MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE AMEN
MJ ROCKS
He rocks, Yeah he does!
And to the guy saying that some of us muslims rushed to accept MJ as a muslim on order to validate our being muslim…WRONG!
You may not get this but MJ fans care about him and don’t like the fact that if he did die as a kafir…then he’ll have to burn in hell for eternity.
I hope that he was finally guided to the light of Islam and may Allah forgive him of his sins ameen.
He seemed like a nice person…he did alot to raise money for children, and hungry people, he would visit orphans, he got a liver transplant for a kid who was dying, and he was just so incredibly talented, he was one the greatest, sexiest entertainers ever…lol.
Someone like him is not gonna come around again for a long time, if ever…so it would just be a shame to have him lost forever. At least if he was muslim…he’ll be in Paradise one day.
He was an extremely nice person
Yeah the article came from a British tabloid do NOT take it serious!
He did NOT sleep with young boys neither did he claim to all he said was he gives his bed and slept on the FLOOR. Only report things that are FACTS not speculation.
About Michael’s contributions not sure he was a Muslim but i am judging on his deeds he is the celebrity who supported and donated the most money to charities took his time to meet sick people in hospitals instead of going to perform a concert first in that city also took gifts.
Was NOT selfish and that is a quality we do NOT see in today’s singers/celebrities
You usually expect someone like him with so much money to be self-centred yet he never behaved like that shared his wealth with needy people.
Now that is something to admire even of you are a Non-Muslim.
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