New Delhi- With the most untimely demise of arguably the all time greatest pop singer Micheal Jackson turned Mikaeel, a question is being asked in the Islamic world whether he would be buried according to Islamic rites. Given the fact that he embraced Islam, he has to be buried according Islamic way. After legendary boxer Mohammad Ali and Basketball super star, Karim Abdul Jabbar, he was perhaps the most well-known celebrity in America to embrace Islam.

The singer converted to Islam in a ceremony at a friend'''s house in Los Angeles on last November 21.He is said to have sat on the floor and worn a small hat while an Imam of a local mosque officiated. An Imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the ‘Shahada’, which is the Muslim declaration of belief."

On the issue of his burial according to Islamic ways, Islamic scholar and thinker Umer Ilyasi said that other than washing the body and the burial, the actual ritual that is performed with regard to the death of a Muslim, and the obligation of the community with regard to that death is Salat al-Janazah. If Michael Jackson was a Muslim, Salat al-Janazah has to be performed for him.

However, it is not at all unusual especially among Black American converts to be some kind of mixed service, as different family members may wish to have a Christian service or have their pastor preside over a service for their deceased family member.

Another Islamic scholar and teacher of capital’s Modern School, Firoz Bakhat Ahmad said that it is unfortunate that Jackson has never done anything to spread the message of Islam in his country, where it is a most misunderstood religion. He said that except for Mohammad Ali, the likes of Jackson, Jabbar and Mike Tyson have never promoted Islam.

That way Mohammad Ali was exceptional in thee sense that when he was young he spread the message of peace and brotherhood of Islam. He became the unofficial spokesman