An Islamic Cleric by the name of Sheikh Yelma has revealed the reason why the late Yoruba actor Murphy Afolabi was not prayed for before he was buried. The Sheikh said his roles in movies were contrary to the tenets of islam.
In a video clip posted by the cleric on YouTube, he said:
“What we posted yesterday was that we cannot pray for (late) Murphy Afolabi because in the movies he usually acts in, and particularly Yoruba movies, it has a lot of forbidden things including traditional sacrifices, and it is rare for the actors not to be involved in such traditional sacrifices.
“They might be acting that way with the thinking that they are joking, but anything that has to do with Almighty Allah should not be joked with. Acting like a herbalist, witch or wizard, is against Islamic teachings and Islam is against such actions.
“What will make a Muslim start using what non-believers do to make people laugh? It is common in Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo films, but mostly in Yoruba films. I feel it is time for religious teachers and students to start looking into these issues.
“When any of these actors with a Muslim name acts like a herbalist in Yoruba movies and later dies, it becomes hypocritical for people to expect us to pray for them. As for Murphy Afolabi, I won’t pray for him, and neither will I curse him because he might not know.”
Afolabi died on Sunday, after slipping in the bathroom of his flat. He was laid to rest in his Ikorodu flat according to Islamic rights.
