The ruling on prayer, reciting al-Fatihah, and raising the hands in a condolence gathering

The questioner:
The questioner mentions that those offering condolences come in groups and as individuals, and that they pray in the place of the condolence gathering, in the area where the people are sitting. After the prayer, they recite al-Fatihah, and the worshippers raise their hands. Some of them recite al-Fatihah silently, and some of them make supplication. Is there a basis for this practice?

The Shaykh:
Prayer is not permissible in a place of condolences; rather, it is obligatory to pray in the mosques. They must respond to the call to prayer, pray, and go to the mosques, and they must not pray in the place of condolences. This is because the place of condolences is not a mosque. Their absence from the mosques is also a great accountability for them. Reciting al-Fatihah and ordering its recitation for the soul of the deceased, or to bestow blessings upon the attendees, is all bid'ah (religious innovation). This is because there is no evidence that al-Fatihah is recited for the dead, or recited for the attendees. Rather, Surat al-Fatihah is a great surah, the Mother of the Qur'an, and the greatest surah in the Qur'an. It is recited as a means of drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), just like the other surahs and verses of the Qur'an. It is recited in the prayer, and it is a pillar of the prayer; the prayer is not valid without reciting al-Fatihah. Therefore, it is recited in the prescribed manner. As for reciting it in this manner, it is among the forbidden bid'ah. Yes.