Muslim Brothers Perform Hindu Woman’s Last Rites; Mosque Opens Doors for Another Family in Kerala

Wayanad/Malappuram, November 12, 2026: Two acts of interfaith solidarity in Kerala have highlighted the strength of neighbourhood bonds and communal harmony, as Muslim neighbours performed the last rites of an 85-year-old Hindu woman in Wayanad, while a mosque in Malappuram opened its premises to help a Hindu family prepare a deceased woman for her final farewell.

In Chithragiri village of Muppainad panchayat in Wayanad, brothers Kappan Razak and Sulaiman performed the last rites of Kalyani Amma, an elderly Hindu woman who had no children or close relatives. They carried out the funeral rituals according to Hindu customs, honouring her final wish.

The brothers and their family had cared for Kalyani Amma as their own mother for nearly five decades. They attended to her daily needs, arranged medicines, accompanied her to hospitals and included her in family celebrations. As her health deteriorated, she spent her final months in their home.

“We looked after Kalyani Amma like our mother, and it was her wish that we perform her last rites,” Razak said, recalling their longstanding relationship. The brothers lit her funeral pyre at a local Hindu crematorium.

A second instance of interfaith support emerged from Pallikkara in Malappuram district, where the Khadeeja Mosque opened its doors to the family of 52-year-old Premalatha, who died after battling cancer.

Her husband, Sahadevan, and daughter, Neethu, had lived in a small rented house for 18 years. Unable to find a larger space to carry out the traditional washing and preparation of her body before cremation, the family received help from the mosque.

The mosque authorities allowed them to use its premises for the funeral preparations. Muslim women also came forward to help wash and dress Premalatha's body.

Suhara Mambad, state president of the Vanitha League, the women's wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, said the gesture was rooted in compassion and a sense of shared responsibility.

“I saw Premalatha as my younger sister. It was our duty to take such an initiative for that family. We have done it on humanitarian grounds,” she said.

The incidents come amid renewed public debate over communal relations in Kerala. Reacting to the Wayanad incident, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan praised Razak and Sulaiman, describing their gesture as a reflection of the state's inclusive social fabric.

He said the brothers had fulfilled Kalyani Amma's final wish with the affection and dignity of her own sons, adding that a mother's love transcends religion and a son's duty is not determined by caste.

The two incidents offer a powerful reminder that compassion, mutual care and human relationships can transcend religious boundaries, even at life's most difficult moments.

By Catholic Connect Reporter