A large number of people attended former Islamic Minister Dr. Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari’s funeral prayer at the Islamic Centre, on Wednesday night.

Dr. Majeed’s close friends and family members joined the absentee funeral prayer after the Isha prayer.

He was laid to rest at the Muslim cemetery in Jawatta, Colombo after the afternoon prayers earlier on Wednesday. A large number of Maldivians attended the funeral service in Sri Lanka including former President Mohamed Nasheed.

An absentee prayer was held in Mecca in the afternoon as well.

Dr. Majeed was in Sri Lanka when his health deteriorated and was found unconscious on the floor of his room. Doctors said that he had suffered complications due to a stroke and was placed in a medically induced coma. He was on ventilator support in his last few days before passing away on Tuesday at the age of 55.

He is the Maldives’ first Minister of Islamic Affairs and first head of The Institute of Holy Quran. He is also the first Maldivian to earn a doctorate in Tafsir and Ulum al-Quran.