How is it to observe one-minute standing silence in honour of the dead – those killed by 'terrorists'?

Answer

There is no need for the lengthy bootlicking arguments to justify a palpably haraam practice which is exclusively a custom of the kuffaar. The reasoning of the Janaazah episode proffered by the Mufti Sahib is baseless. The analogy is false.

The simple, straightforward answer is that it is haraam to adopt this one-minute silent standing practice in honour of the dead, and in emulation of the kuffaar. According to the Hanafi Math-hab it is not permissible to perform even Janaazah Salaat for a Muslim dead whose body is not present. Standing for dead persons, whether present or absent, is tantamount to shirk.

While this is the actual fatwa, i.e. it is not permissible, we do understand the predicament of weak Muslims in countries such as the U.K, U.S.A. and Europe where there is so much hatred for Muslims and Islam.

If a Muslim is caught up in a public place or at work where kuffaar predominate, and all of them stand to observe the one-minute silence, then it is understandable that Muslims living under kuffaar domination will also have to stand. But such standing should be abhorred in the heart, and instead of reciting Surah Ikhlaas as the Mufti mistakenly advises, recite Istighfaar for unwilling indulgence in the sin. Thus, participating will be because of weakness of Imaan and circumstances. But the sin remains a sin.

There is no need to mitigate this haraam practice with legless arguments smacking of bootlicking. We must concede that it is haraam, but we stand because our Imaan is weak and we are living under kuffaar domination.