The Rule for Condolences and Sitting for Them
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, what is the rule regarding condolences? Because these days, some people sit in their homes for three days, and some rent a rest house because of the large number of people?
Answer:
This is not befitting and is not valid. Sitting for condolences is not prescribed, neither in the home nor in a rest house.
The Muslim goes out to his work and does not neglect his work by sitting in the house. He goes out to his job, business, or teaching and works, because this indicates patience. As for sitting in the house, this indicates distress and that he has no patience. He should not sit. The people who come to offer condolences should do so wherever they find him: in the office, on the street, in the mosque, in the school, or anywhere. Or they can call him on the telephone. There is no need for him to sit and disrupt people's work. It may delay someone, and perhaps it may delay someone who is traveling. What is the reason for these burdens? It requires preparing food, which may come from the deceased's estate, or from his orphans, or from the young children of the household, or from the deceased's family. These matters are not befitting to do; rather, it is obligatory to leave them and prohibit them, because they also develop and may reach the level of sinful gatherings held in other countries, and innovations, and hiring reciters, and so on. Because innovations do not stop at a limit, it is obligatory to put an end to this matter.
And the one who has suffered a loss should be patient and endure, and carry out his work. Does neglecting work, or rather, does it indicate distress? Do not neglect work. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, what is the rule regarding condolences? Because these days, some people sit in their homes for three days, and some rent a rest house because of the large number of people?
Answer:
This is not befitting and is not valid. Sitting for condolences is not prescribed, neither in the home nor in a rest house.
The Muslim goes out to his work and does not neglect his work by sitting in the house. He goes out to his job, business, or teaching and works, because this indicates patience. As for sitting in the house, this indicates distress and that he has no patience. He should not sit. The people who come to offer condolences should do so wherever they find him: in the office, on the street, in the mosque, in the school, or anywhere. Or they can call him on the telephone. There is no need for him to sit and disrupt people's work. It may delay someone, and perhaps it may delay someone who is traveling. What is the reason for these burdens? It requires preparing food, which may come from the deceased's estate, or from his orphans, or from the young children of the household, or from the deceased's family. These matters are not befitting to do; rather, it is obligatory to leave them and prohibit them, because they also develop and may reach the level of sinful gatherings held in other countries, and innovations, and hiring reciters, and so on. Because innovations do not stop at a limit, it is obligatory to put an end to this matter.
And the one who has suffered a loss should be patient and endure, and carry out his work. Does neglecting work, or rather, does it indicate distress? Do not neglect work. Yes.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، باب حد السرقة — islamhouse.com (1:01:24)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.