Is it permissible to say "So-and-so, may Allah have mercy on him"

The questioner : Hello, yes, peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : Peace be upon you. Honorable Shaykh, this woman is with us on the line. She mentions that her father has passed away, and when she speaks of him, she says, "May Allah have mercy on him." Then someone told her that it is not permissible for her to do so?

The questioner : The one who said it is not permissible, or who criticized it.

The Shaykh : Yes, Shaykh.

The questioner : Because her saying "May Allah have mercy on him" or "May Allah have mercy on him" is a supplication. Everyone says it this way: "So-and-so, may Allah have mercy on him." "So-and-so, may Allah be pleased with him." They do not intend to convey a report, but rather they intend to make a supplication. So there is no difference between saying "So-and-so, may Allah have mercy on him" and "So-and-so, may Allah have mercy on him." The intention in all of it is supplication, not reporting. That is, the intention in saying "may Allah have mercy on him" or "may Allah have mercy on him" is not that the person is reporting that Allah has already shown him mercy, because he does not know that. Rather, he is asking Allah to have mercy on him. So there is no harm in saying "So-and-so, may Allah forgive him," "So-and-so, may Allah have mercy on him," "So-and-so, may Allah be pleased with him," or "So-and-so, may Allah protect him from the Fire." All of this is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good and His blessings.