Ruling on holding funeral gatherings for three days
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Q563: The questioner, I. A. from the Republic of Sudan, says: In our town, when someone dies, a funeral gathering is held for them, and a mat is spread over the deceased for a period exceeding three days, incurring losses in the form of slaughtered animals, food, and drink from the deceased's family's home. Is it permissible to spread a mat over the deceased? How should they offer condolences for their loss, given that they spread a mat in the deceased's home? And is it permissible for neighbors to bring their food and drink to the deceased's family to share in their calamity?
A563: These funeral gatherings, which they call condolences, and the setting up of tents, gathering people there, hiring singers, preparing food and drinks, and so on, all of this is an invented religious innovation, and one of the burdens and shackles for which Allah has sent no authority; especially if these funeral gatherings are held from the deceased's estate, and the deceased may have debts, or may have minor or young heirs in need of money, in which case the matter becomes more sinful or causes greater harm, for in addition to being an innovation, it is also an injustice to the rights-holders;
because the estate passes to the heirs upon the death of the deceased, and if he has debts, it belongs to the creditors, so taking from it for these invented funeral gatherings combines two matters: First, it is what is wrong. Second, it is an injustice to the holders of these rights. And a third matter: among the dangers is that holding these funeral gatherings involves some grief and surrender to the calamity; because holding these funeral gatherings for this long period and gathering people there means: that it is grief over the deceased, and the obligatory duty upon the Muslim is patience with the calamity, not displaying any grief, and not displaying any emotional reaction, but rather being pleased with the divine decree and destiny, and let him be patient and seek reward, this is the obligatory duty upon the Muslim, whereas if he sets up these tents and these funeral gatherings, this suggests that he has not been patient, and that he is in a state of grief, needing someone to come and sit with him, and passing the time for consolation, so what I advise, and I counsel the Muslims, is to stay away from such matters, and these bad customs, and these blameworthy innovations, and these funeral gatherings for which Allah has sent no authority, and which are a waste of time, a squandering of money, and a bringer of what is wrong, and there is no good in them in any way, neither for the living nor for the dead, for the living, they waste their time, exhaust their money, and occupy them with innovations, and the dead have no benefit from these parties.
As for the prescribed condolence; it is supplication for the deceased, without holding a funeral gathering, he is supplicated for, every Muslim supplicates for his Muslim brother, without any gathering taking place, he supplicates for him alone, and in any place he supplicates for the deceased at his grave, or in his home, or in any place, and if Allah accepts his supplication, it reaches the deceased without effort and without cost. And as for preparing food for the deceased's family, and giving it to them; so that they can use it in their state of being occupied from preparing food in their home, this is a good thing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that food be prepared and sent to the deceased's family, if this is limited only to the deceased's family, and to the deceased's home. And as for sending food to the party and the tents, this is not permissible; because it is encouragement to hold these matters, so it is not permissible that they help, or give money or food to these funeral gatherings; rather, food is prepared specifically for the deceased's family only, not for the gatherers who gather in these funeral gatherings; because this involves helping them to revive innovations.
A563: These funeral gatherings, which they call condolences, and the setting up of tents, gathering people there, hiring singers, preparing food and drinks, and so on, all of this is an invented religious innovation, and one of the burdens and shackles for which Allah has sent no authority; especially if these funeral gatherings are held from the deceased's estate, and the deceased may have debts, or may have minor or young heirs in need of money, in which case the matter becomes more sinful or causes greater harm, for in addition to being an innovation, it is also an injustice to the rights-holders;
because the estate passes to the heirs upon the death of the deceased, and if he has debts, it belongs to the creditors, so taking from it for these invented funeral gatherings combines two matters: First, it is what is wrong. Second, it is an injustice to the holders of these rights. And a third matter: among the dangers is that holding these funeral gatherings involves some grief and surrender to the calamity; because holding these funeral gatherings for this long period and gathering people there means: that it is grief over the deceased, and the obligatory duty upon the Muslim is patience with the calamity, not displaying any grief, and not displaying any emotional reaction, but rather being pleased with the divine decree and destiny, and let him be patient and seek reward, this is the obligatory duty upon the Muslim, whereas if he sets up these tents and these funeral gatherings, this suggests that he has not been patient, and that he is in a state of grief, needing someone to come and sit with him, and passing the time for consolation, so what I advise, and I counsel the Muslims, is to stay away from such matters, and these bad customs, and these blameworthy innovations, and these funeral gatherings for which Allah has sent no authority, and which are a waste of time, a squandering of money, and a bringer of what is wrong, and there is no good in them in any way, neither for the living nor for the dead, for the living, they waste their time, exhaust their money, and occupy them with innovations, and the dead have no benefit from these parties.
As for the prescribed condolence; it is supplication for the deceased, without holding a funeral gathering, he is supplicated for, every Muslim supplicates for his Muslim brother, without any gathering taking place, he supplicates for him alone, and in any place he supplicates for the deceased at his grave, or in his home, or in any place, and if Allah accepts his supplication, it reaches the deceased without effort and without cost. And as for preparing food for the deceased's family, and giving it to them; so that they can use it in their state of being occupied from preparing food in their home, this is a good thing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that food be prepared and sent to the deceased's family, if this is limited only to the deceased's family, and to the deceased's home. And as for sending food to the party and the tents, this is not permissible; because it is encouragement to hold these matters, so it is not permissible that they help, or give money or food to these funeral gatherings; rather, food is prepared specifically for the deceased's family only, not for the gatherers who gather in these funeral gatherings; because this involves helping them to revive innovations.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.