Islamic cleric Reveals Why He won’t pray for the late Murphy Afolabi

An Islamic cleric named Sheikh Yelma'e has revealed the reas why he refused to pray for the departed soul of the popular actor, Murphy Afolabi.


According to the cleric, Afolabi's movie roles often involved actions that go against Islamic principles, particularly his portrayal as a herbalist, which is prohibited in Islam. The cleric shared his views in a video clip that circulated on YouTube and Instagram.

It would be recalled that the nollywood Actor, was reported dead on 14th on May 2023 and has since been buried.

However, the cleric emphasized the importance of religious teachers and students critically examining the depiction of actions that contradict Islamic teachings. He believed that praying for Afolabi's soul, given the nature of his roles in films that violated Islamic practices, would be hypocritical. He also highlighted the prevalence of such forbidden acts, such as traditional sacrifices, in Yoruba movies, calling for a closer look into these issues by religious communities.

"What we posted yesterday was that we cannot pray for (late) Murphy Afolabi because in the movies he usually acts, and particularly Yoruba movies, it has a lot of forbidden things including traditional sacrifices and it is rare for the actors not to be involved in such traditional sacrifices.

“They might be acting that way with the thinking that they are joking but anything that has to do with Almighty Allah should not be joked with. Acting like herbalist, witch, or wizard, is against Islamic teachings and Islam is against such actions.

“What will make a Muslim start using what nonbelievers do to make people laugh? It is common in Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo films, but mostly in Yoruba films. I feel it is time for religious teachers and students to start looking into these issues.
“When any of these actors with a Muslim name acts like herbalist in Yoruba movies and later dies, it becomes hypocritical for people to expect us to pray for them. As for Murphy Afolabi, I won’t pray for him, and neither will I curse him because he might not know.”, the Cleric said.
In response to the cleric's stance, Dr. Femi Olugboji, a lecturer in Film and Media Arts at Lagos State University, discussed the perspectives of scholars regarding the portrayal of human images in Islam. While some scholars argue against the portrayal of human beings, particularly women, through certain media forms, they also recognize the importance of information dissemination through entertainment and news.

Olugboji questioned the intent behind Afolabi's acting roles and whether they aimed to correct societal issues or mislead the public. He urged a more objective examination of Afolabi's works to understand his intentions and achievements. The lecturer disagreed with the cleric's view, suggesting that if an actor assumes a role like that of an herbalist to address social problems, it shouldn't be considered a sin. He emphasized the need for movie practitioners to understand the audience's expectations and for individuals to develop media literacy to discern between positive and negative media content.

“They (scholars) said Islam does not forbid education through the portrayal of human images but what Islam forbids is the way human beings, especially women, are portrayed through their mode of dressing, and as well as the content that misleads the public.

“What is the intent of Murphy Afolabi’s acting roles in line with what the cleric mentioned? Is it to correct society? Were his actions in those films to correct the ills in society or was it to mislead the society? We need to be very objective by taking a deep look at his works to see what he was trying to achieve or achieved through the actions he displayed in his films.

Olugboji concluded that Afolabi's popularity during his lifetime indicates that he had successfully fulfilled certain societal goals through his works. He stressed the significance of considering individuals' socio-cultural and religious backgrounds when evaluating media content, as these backgrounds shape their perspectives and judgments on media's impact.






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