ALOR SETAR, June 8 ― A khatib (a person who delivers the sermon) collapsed while delivering the Friday prayer sermon at the Al-Bukhary mosque here yesterday, before he was pronounced dead in hospital later.
Ustaz Ku Yaacob Ku Hashim, 68, a former teacher of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Kedah, here, collapsed at 1.30pm in the midst of the sermon, his former student, Hassan Mustafa Afifuddin, 30, who was among the Friday prayer congregation, told Bernama.
“We were focusing on his sermon when he suddenly collapsed and fell on the pulpit. A few of us rushed to bring him down and several doctors in the congregation administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) while I called for an ambulance,” he said.
Hassan said he then went to fetch Ku Yaacob's wife, who happened to call him after finding his number listed on her husband's phone that had been left at home.
As soon as they reached the Sultanah Bahiyah (HSB) hospital, they were informed by the medical officer on duty that Ku Yaacob had passed away.
Hassan said he had even managed to drop by Ku Yaacob's house for a few minutes for Hari Raya earlier before the mosque deputy chairman left the house at 12.30pm to prepare for his Friday prayer sermon.
“I had asked him to pray for my child but he told me he had to rush because he was to deliver the sermon. I didn't expect this would be the last day of seeing him alive,” he said.
Meanwhile, Al-Bukhary mosque senior executive Abdul Rahman Yaacob described Ku Yaacob a soft spoken and humble man, besides being very committed to his duties.
The mosque committee members and congregation were always consulting him if they had queries on religious matters, Abdul Rahman added.
“Recently he had been complaining to us about his diabetic condition and tight chest pains now and then,” he said. ― Bernama
