The Method of Condolences
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Fatwa No. ( 16552 )
Q: Among the newly introduced matters in this time is the change in the method of condolence in the southern region, which is considered a right of Muslims over one another. People have discussed it, and a fatwa was issued, yet the matter still seems to require clarification and explanation, as the fatwas conveyed to the people are general and lack detail. I hope to address this issue and enter the hearts of people through a legal door that does not require clarification, hoping to hear the case and thus issue a legal ruling that corresponds to its situation and covers most of its aspects. May Allah guide you. The current state of condolence in the southern region is as follows: 1- People hear the news of the death and gather, being members of the tribe—the deceased’s sons, daughters, sisters, their wives, and their children. 2- The duration of the gathering is at least three days. 3- Condolences from neighboring villages and tribes are done collectively, with groups arriving in batches of forty, thirty, or fewer or more, which requires a reception from the deceased’s tribe. 4- The residents at the place of condolence need food, provided in two ways: a) The tribe members themselves share the cost for three days, covering lunch, dinner, and coffee. b) Or some relatives and kin contribute on a rotating basis, either sharing the cost or not.
upon some, and people have taken it up in discussion and fatwas have been issued, as if the matter still requires clarification and explanation, since the fatwas transmitted to the people are general and contain no detail. Out of my desire to address the issue and enter the hearts of people through a legal door that does not require clarification, I hope to hear the details of the case and thus issue a legal ruling that corresponds to its situation and covers all its aspects. May Allah guide you. The current state of affairs regarding condolences in the southern region: 1- People hear the news of the death and gather, and they are the tribe members—the deceased's sons, daughters, sisters, their husbands, and their children. 2- The duration of the gathering is at least three days. 3- Condolences from neighboring villages and tribes are done collectively, with groups arriving in batches of up to forty or thirty, or fewer or more, and this requires a reception from the deceased's tribe. 4- The residents at the condolence site need food, which is provided in two ways: a- The tribe members themselves share the cost for three days, covering lunch, dinner, and coffee. b- Or some relatives and kin contribute on a rotating basis, either sharing the cost or not.
5- A tent is set up that accommodates the visitors and those receiving them from the tribes. 6- This is the case when the deceased is male; as for a female, they do not gather for her condolences, but rather individuals offer condolences, whether from the group or from the visiting tribes. 7- The deceased's estate, the deceased's sons, and his wife or wives do not share in any of the costs, except sometimes the cost of the tent, and the tribe or sub-tribe members serve them with anything needed for the condolences, such as coffee and its requirements.
A: First: Consoling the bereaved is prescribed; it is to comfort them and alleviate their burden, by praying for the deceased to be forgiven, and for his family and companions that Allah may console them in their loss, and by commanding them to be patient and seek reward. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Any supplication made for them is permissible, such as: "May Allah reward you in your consolation and in your loss, and replace it with something better for you." This is based on what Umm Salimah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: , narrated by Muslim. Second: Consolation may take place in any place where a Muslim meets his brother; a Muslim may console the family of the deceased in any place he encounters them, whether in the mosque during the funeral prayer, in the cemetery, on the street, in the market, in their home, or by contacting them by telephone. Third: Consoling a Muslim for his deceased, whether a woman or a man, is the same. Just as they do not gather to console a woman, but go individually and do not set up tents for that purpose, so too is a man consoled for. It is not permissible to set up canopies or designate specific days for consolation, as there is no report from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or from his noble Companions, or his Rightly Guided Caliphs, or any of the Imams, that he sat specifically for consolation, or designated a day, time, or place for consolation, or gathered people for consolation. If it had been permissible, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have done it. His uncle Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib was killed, his cousin Ja'far ibn Abi Talib was killed, his son (peace and blessings be upon him) Ibrahim passed away, his daughter Zaynab passed away, and many of his best Companions passed away during his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), and then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, and he had for them
strongly in the hearts of the Muslims, and his Companions loved him even more. If gathering for condolences had been prescribed, they would have done it. Likewise, Abu Bakr and 'Umar and 'Uthman and 'Ali passed away, and the Mothers of the Believers, the wives of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the rest of the Companions passed away, and it is not known that anyone held condolences for them or gathered for that. This indicates that gathering for condolences and preparing food for the attendees is a blameworthy religious innovation with no basis in the religion; rather, it must be denounced, and whoever assists in holding it commits a sin. When the later generations introduced the gathering and prepared food for the attendees, the noble Companion Jarir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bajali said: "We—the Companions—considered gathering at the deceased's home and preparing food after the burial to be part of wailing." It was narrated by Imam Ahmad with a good chain. As for providing food to the deceased's family from their neighbors or relatives, this is a recommended practice (sunnah); based on what Abu Dawud narrated from 'Abd Allah ibn Ja'far , who said: When the news of the death of Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) came, after he was killed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was narrated by Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah , and al-Tirmidhi graded it as good . Food is provided to the deceased's family in their home, not to the people gathered in the tents or pavilions set up; because the purpose of that is that the deceased's family may be occupied with grief and unable to prepare their own food, so food is provided to them.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Among the newly introduced matters in this time is the change in the method of condolence in the southern region, which is considered a right of Muslims over one another. People have discussed it, and a fatwa was issued, yet the matter still seems to require clarification and explanation, as the fatwas conveyed to the people are general and lack detail. I hope to address this issue and enter the hearts of people through a legal door that does not require clarification, hoping to hear the case and thus issue a legal ruling that corresponds to its situation and covers most of its aspects. May Allah guide you. The current state of condolence in the southern region is as follows: 1- People hear the news of the death and gather, being members of the tribe—the deceased’s sons, daughters, sisters, their wives, and their children. 2- The duration of the gathering is at least three days. 3- Condolences from neighboring villages and tribes are done collectively, with groups arriving in batches of forty, thirty, or fewer or more, which requires a reception from the deceased’s tribe. 4- The residents at the place of condolence need food, provided in two ways: a) The tribe members themselves share the cost for three days, covering lunch, dinner, and coffee. b) Or some relatives and kin contribute on a rotating basis, either sharing the cost or not.
upon some, and people have taken it up in discussion and fatwas have been issued, as if the matter still requires clarification and explanation, since the fatwas transmitted to the people are general and contain no detail. Out of my desire to address the issue and enter the hearts of people through a legal door that does not require clarification, I hope to hear the details of the case and thus issue a legal ruling that corresponds to its situation and covers all its aspects. May Allah guide you. The current state of affairs regarding condolences in the southern region: 1- People hear the news of the death and gather, and they are the tribe members—the deceased's sons, daughters, sisters, their husbands, and their children. 2- The duration of the gathering is at least three days. 3- Condolences from neighboring villages and tribes are done collectively, with groups arriving in batches of up to forty or thirty, or fewer or more, and this requires a reception from the deceased's tribe. 4- The residents at the condolence site need food, which is provided in two ways: a- The tribe members themselves share the cost for three days, covering lunch, dinner, and coffee. b- Or some relatives and kin contribute on a rotating basis, either sharing the cost or not.
5- A tent is set up that accommodates the visitors and those receiving them from the tribes. 6- This is the case when the deceased is male; as for a female, they do not gather for her condolences, but rather individuals offer condolences, whether from the group or from the visiting tribes. 7- The deceased's estate, the deceased's sons, and his wife or wives do not share in any of the costs, except sometimes the cost of the tent, and the tribe or sub-tribe members serve them with anything needed for the condolences, such as coffee and its requirements.
A: First: Consoling the bereaved is prescribed; it is to comfort them and alleviate their burden, by praying for the deceased to be forgiven, and for his family and companions that Allah may console them in their loss, and by commanding them to be patient and seek reward. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
He consoled one of his daughters regarding her child and said: “Indeed, to Allah belongs what He takes and what He gives, and everything with Him is by a specified term, and He commanded her to be patient and seek reward.”
أنه عزى إحدى بناته في صبيها فقال: إن لله تعالى ما أخذ وله ما أعطى، وكل شيء عنده بأجل مسمى، وأمرها بالصبر والاحتساب“No servant is struck by a calamity and says: ‘Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we return, O Allah, reward me in my calamity and replace for me something better than it,’ but Allah rewards him in his calamity and replaces for him something better than it.” She said: So when Abu Salama passed away, I said what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had commanded me, and Allah replaced for me something better than him, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
ما من عبد تصيبه مصيبة فيقول: إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون، اللهم آجرني في مصيبتي واخلف لي خيرًا منها إلا آجره الله في مصيبته وأخلف له خيرًا منها قالت: فلما توفي أبو سلمة قلت كما أمرني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فأخلف الله لي خيرا منه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلمstrongly in the hearts of the Muslims, and his Companions loved him even more. If gathering for condolences had been prescribed, they would have done it. Likewise, Abu Bakr and 'Umar and 'Uthman and 'Ali passed away, and the Mothers of the Believers, the wives of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the rest of the Companions passed away, and it is not known that anyone held condolences for them or gathered for that. This indicates that gathering for condolences and preparing food for the attendees is a blameworthy religious innovation with no basis in the religion; rather, it must be denounced, and whoever assists in holding it commits a sin. When the later generations introduced the gathering and prepared food for the attendees, the noble Companion Jarir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bajali said: "We—the Companions—considered gathering at the deceased's home and preparing food after the burial to be part of wailing." It was narrated by Imam Ahmad with a good chain. As for providing food to the deceased's family from their neighbors or relatives, this is a recommended practice (sunnah); based on what Abu Dawud narrated from 'Abd Allah ibn Ja'far , who said: When the news of the death of Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) came, after he was killed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Prepare food for the family of Ja'far, for they have been afflicted with something that occupies them.”
اصنعوا لآل جعفر طعامًا، فإنهم قد أتاهم ما يشغلهمAnd success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.