The ruling on using “al-Murhum” (the deceased) and “al-Maghfur Lahu” (may Allah forgive him) for the dead

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Some people were asked about the ruling on a person saying “So-and-so, the deceased” or “So-and-so, may Allah forgive him.” The answer given was: There is no objection to this phrase or anything similar to it, because we are not stating as a fact that Allah has shown him mercy or forgiven him, but rather we are asking Allah for it and making du'a for him. What is your view on this answer?

Answer:
This is an error. One should not say “the deceased” or “may Allah forgive him” [as a title], because this implies certainty. Instead, one should say “May Allah forgive him” or “May Allah have mercy on him.” This is what is said, and this is the practice of the scholars of the Muslims. As for saying “may Allah forgive him” or “the deceased” [as a title], this is an error, because it means asserting certainty regarding that matter.