Dr M: Will going on umrah with stolen money bring divine reward?

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has questioned whether going on umrah using stolen money would still entail a divine reward (pahala).

Mahathir noted that while the umrah is not compulsory, Muslims who perform it are promised a divine reward.

"(But) I wonder if the money spent to perform the umrah comes from illegal sources, such as stolen money, would it still be legitimate and gives divine reward?

"I am only asking. Because I see hundreds of people being sponsored to go on umrah using money from a source which is questionable," he said in a blog posting today.

Mahathir, who performed the umrah last week, did not make any specific references in asking the question.

However, it came amid controversy over Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin's reported sponsorship of the wing's leaders to go on umrah.

Last month, Suara.TV reported that Khairy had sponsored all 191 Umno Youth division heads in a recent trip to perform the umrah in Mecca.

Umno Youth Pusat Bandar Taman Chempaka deputy branch secretary Syed Rosli Jamalullail had questioned where the money for the sponsorship came from.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor also performed the umrah last month. -Mkini