ALOR SETAR (Bernama): A khatib collapsed while delivering the Friday (June 7) prayer sermon at the Al-Bukhary mosque here and was rushed to hospital before he was pronounced dead.A khatib is a person who delivers the sermon.Ustaz Ku Yaacob Ku Hashim, 68, a former teacher of SMK Agama Kedah here collapsed in the 1.30pm incident, said his former student, Hassan Mustafa Afifuddin, 30, who was among the Friday prayer congregation. "We were focusing on his sermon when he suddenly collapsed and fell on the pulpit. "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.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 chest pains now and then,” he said.

Source: The Star June 07, 2019 15:22 UTC