KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 ― Following backlash against a candlelight vigil against a Korean pop star, Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad explained today that Muslims are allowed to mourn a non-Muslim, especially if the deceased is related.

The Federal Territories mufti however warned Muslims against being obsessed to the point of abandoning principles of the religion, or following "foreign cultures” when it comes to mourning the dead.

"As Muslims, we must not be swayed by foreign cultures when mourning. Islam puts specific guidelines and manners when it comes to the ethics of mourning,” he said in a statement.

"Muslims must have a personal identity and must not easily be swayed by non-Muslims’ cultures in this matter. At the same time, the love for an artist does not require us to be too obsessed until we abandon the principles of a Muslim.”

The mufti explained that Islam allows mourning a non-Muslim, but not to the point of lamentation and extreme tears.

Last week, around 100 fans of the late Kim Jong-hyun from various ethnic and religious backgrounds gathered near Dataran Merdeka in the capital for a candlelight vigil in memory of him.

Coming from all over the Klang Valley, they held up glow sticks, torches, balloons and flowers as they mourned him. Most who attended were students.

In response, Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria had asked about the necessity for Muslims to pray for a deceased non-Muslim to go to heaven, while his Perlis counterpart Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said it is already forbidden for Muslims to mourn their own deceased family members, what more a K-pop artist.

Zulkifli claimed today that in this case there was no need to deliver condolences as the family members or close friends of the deceased were not even present.

"The wish towards the deceased himself (as if speaking to the dead) is a useless act and is not part of Islamic culture,” he said.

He also agreed with the 2015 national fatwa that had declared participating in candlelight vigils is "haram”, or forbidden for Muslims.

The reason given was because such vigils are similar to other religions’ practice, and may threaten a Muslim’s faith.

Kim, a 27-year-old singer-songwriter, was found unconscious at a private hotel in Seoul on Monday and died in the hospital. Police are treating his death as suicide.

In an apparent suicide note, Kim, better known as front man Jonghyun of the Korean-pop sensation SHINee, wrote that he was "broken from the inside”.