Thousands perform absentee funeral prayers for Haron Din in Shah Alam

Thousands of people today performed the "solat ghaib" (absentee funeral prayers) for the late Datuk Dr Haron Din at the Sultan Salahudin Abdul Aziz Mosque here.

The mood was sombre when the prayers started at about 9.25am, led by the PAS spiritual leader's grandson Hakeem Hamdi, 17.

Following that, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang who also attended the prayers, gave a brief sermon at about 9.35am.

Also present were two PAS state executive councillors in the Selangor government, Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Zaidy Abdul Talib.

Also joining the congregation were Sungai Besar UMNO division chief Datuk Jamal Md Yunos, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) strategy director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Earlier, a recital of prayers was held, led by the Grand Imam of the mosque, Muhammad Farhan Wijaya.

Zaidy when met after the prayers described Haron as an Islamic scholar who had such a profound knowledge and his loss would be greatly felt by all PAS members as well as the Islamic community in the country.

For Jamal, despite having different political ideologies, he said he always admired Haron's leadership qualities as well as his wide and deep knowledge of Islam.

Haron, 76, died at 10.05am Friday (Malaysian time) at Stanford University Hospital in San Francisco, from heart complications.

His remains were buried at the Five Pillars Muslim Cemetery in Livermore, California at 8.57am (Malaysian time) today.

Haron leaves behind wife Datin Khatijah Salleh and five children - two sons and three daughters.