KUALA LUMPUR: Residents near a Muslim cemetery in Setapak said students of a deceased 'tarekat' (school of order) teacher recited the zikir.
Azmi Hassan, 55, of Taman Danau Kota, said this based on his observations as he visited his late wife's grave daily.
He also spoke to one of the students during their visit to the grave.
"The students will come at 7.30am and perform their ritual (zikir).
"I had asked them before as I noticed their zikir was loud.
"I asked them who this special person was and the student replied: our 'tarekat' teacher. They have been performing the zikir here for some time.
"For me, it's okay. When there are only one or two people, it seems normal.
"However, when there are many of them (who come to perform zikir), it might seem a bit lively.
"So for those who come occasionally (to the grave), it might feel a bit strange," he said here today.
Azmi said that if the action was wrong, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) would have taken action long ago.
Vista Wira Jaya 2 resident Kamal Azman Ahmad, 57, said he was at the cemetery during the incident and believed that there was no issue with them performing the activity.
However, Taman Melati resident Muhammad Safian Muhammad Shah, 70, a retiree, had a different view, urging the authorities to take action .
"Supposedly, when we are performing the zikir with Allah SWT, it should be calm and slow.
"If it's not done properly, it could lead to a misunderstanding, and if wrong, it could lead to 'syirik'.
"Zikir should be done in mosques or surau. At the grave, it should just be the recitation of al-Fatihah."
Safian, a retiree, said such an event had never happened before.
"I was shocked. If I had been there, I would have intervened.
"I'm not afraid to correct things like this. In Islam, we are supposed to advise each other."
A video showing a group of people reciting zikir at a Muslim cemetery had gone viral.
Police said they received a report about the video, with the case being referred to Jawi for investigation.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Naim Mokhtar said the government will not compromise on actions or practices that contradict Islamic teachings.
He said Jawi had been instructed to conduct an investigation into the incident.