The questioner asks: Is it permissible for a man to wash a deceased person who did not pray, did not fast, and drank intoxicants, or is it not permissible? And is it permissible to bury him in the Muslim cemeteries and perform the funeral prayer for him?
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The questioner : The questioner asks: Is it permissible for a man to wash a deceased person who did not pray, did not fast, and drank intoxicants, or is it not permissible? And is it permissible to bury him in the Muslim cemeteries and perform the funeral prayer for him?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to wash a deceased person who did not pray and did not fast, and the most important point is that he did not pray. If this person did not pray, may Allah protect us from that, even if he claimed to be a Muslim, he is not a Muslim; rather, he is a disbeliever. If he dies, it is not permissible to wash him, nor to shroud him, nor to pray over him, nor to bury him in the Muslim cemeteries. Rather, he is to be placed in his clothes in a grave in a distant place. This is because the disbeliever is a disbeliever; prayer, supplication, or anything else does not purify him.
On this occasion, I wish to warn those who have a deceased person among them, and they know that he did not pray and did not repent. I warn them against bringing him to the mosques of the Muslims so that the Muslims pray over him, for this is causing Muslims to fall into sin. If one does not know, there is no sin on him, but they are causing people to fall into sin. Allah the Exalted said to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):[At-Tawbah 9:84] Therefore, it is not permissible to pray over any disbeliever, nor to stand at his grave supplicating for him. This is a matter in which some people fall, either to cover up for their deceased or out of ignorance of the matter. But obedience to Allah and His Messenger is above all consideration. If a believer knows that it is not permissible to pray over one who died a disbeliever, and he has a deceased person and he knows that he is a disbeliever by any of the causes of declaring someone a disbeliever, then he must fear Allah and not pray over this deceased person, nor present him to the Muslims to pray over him. Here is a matter: a person may be presented to someone in whom he has doubt as to whether he is a Muslim or a disbeliever, because for example, it was established with him that he is one of those who do not pray. Then this person who was established as not praying dies, and he is presented to him to pray over him, and he doubts whether he is a Muslim or a disbeliever. What does he do? He does what is to pray over him, because the original state is that the Muslim remains upon his Islam. However, when supplicating for him, he conditions it, saying: "O Allah, if he was a believer, then forgive him and have mercy on him." And Allah the Exalted knows his state, whether he is a believer or not. And by this, he is safe from the burden, safe from supplicating for a disbeliever with forgiveness and mercy. The exception in supplication or the condition in it is a matter mentioned in the Qur'an. In the verses of the mutual oath-swearing in an accusation of adultery, Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nur 24:6-7] And He said regarding the woman: [An-Nur 24:8-9] So the exception in supplication is valid, just as the exception in acts of worship is also valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Lubaydah bint al-Zubayr when she wanted to perform Hajj while she was ill, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her:Sahih Muslim 1207b So the important thing is that a person makes an exception in such a situation: "O Allah, if he was a believer, then forgive him." Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in "Al-Alam al-Muqin" about his Shaykh, Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), that some matters of religion or jurisprudence were difficult for him, and he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a dream. Among the things that were difficult for him was that funerals were presented to him and he did not know whether they were Muslim or not? So he said to him: "Stick to the condition, O Ahmad." The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said this in the dream: "Stick to the condition, O Ahmad" And this chain from Ibn al-Qayyim to his Shaykh, Ibn Taymiyyah, is a sound chain, because both men are trustworthy. And no one should say: We relied here on establishing a legal ruling by a dream.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this dream is supported by the Qur'an, as we referred to earlier in the story of the mutual oath-swearing in an accusation of adultery, which is that the exception in supplication is permissible. And on this basis, this dream is in accordance with the principles of the Shari'ah, so it is acted upon.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to wash a deceased person who did not pray and did not fast, and the most important point is that he did not pray. If this person did not pray, may Allah protect us from that, even if he claimed to be a Muslim, he is not a Muslim; rather, he is a disbeliever. If he dies, it is not permissible to wash him, nor to shroud him, nor to pray over him, nor to bury him in the Muslim cemeteries. Rather, he is to be placed in his clothes in a grave in a distant place. This is because the disbeliever is a disbeliever; prayer, supplication, or anything else does not purify him.
On this occasion, I wish to warn those who have a deceased person among them, and they know that he did not pray and did not repent. I warn them against bringing him to the mosques of the Muslims so that the Muslims pray over him, for this is causing Muslims to fall into sin. If one does not know, there is no sin on him, but they are causing people to fall into sin. Allah the Exalted said to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muhammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger
وَلا تُصَلِّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَاتَ أَبَدًا وَلا تَقُمْ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِthen the witness of one of them [shall be] four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the truthful. (7) And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be among the liars.
فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ * وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ(8) But it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the liars. (9) And the fifth [oath will be] that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was of the truthful.
وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ * وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Lubaydah bint al-Zubayr when she wanted to perform Hajj while she was ill, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her:
Enter Into the state of Ihram on condition that you would abandon it when Allah would detain you.
حجي واشترطي أن محلي حيث حبستنيThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because this dream is supported by the Qur'an, as we referred to earlier in the story of the mutual oath-swearing in an accusation of adultery, which is that the exception in supplication is permissible. And on this basis, this dream is in accordance with the principles of the Shari'ah, so it is acted upon.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.