Explanation of the Hadith: A funeral passed by and they spoke well of it, so he said: (It is decreed, it is decreed, it is decreed...)

The Shaykh : The meaning of this hadith becomes very clear if we recall the reason for its occurrence. It is reported in "Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim" from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a funeral, and his Companions spoke well of it when the funeral passed. He said (peace and blessings be upon him): . Then another funeral passed by and they spoke ill of it, so he said (peace and blessings be upon him): . They said: O Messenger of Allah, the first funeral passed by and you said: "It is decreed, it is decreed, it is decreed," and the other passed by and you said the same? He said (peace and blessings be upon him): .
Therefore, praying over a hypocrite whom we think is a Muslim does not mean that we have judged him to be in Paradise. This is especially true if the assumption comes from the masses of people today who attend a funeral in the mosque and pray over it. One of them turns around and asks, "What do you testify regarding this man?" He urges them to testify falsely about him because they do not know any good or evil in him. They mistakenly believe that if a good testimony is given about him, his black record will turn into a white record. The matter is not like this; rather, the reality of the matter is as some of the Sufis express it with a beautiful phrase: "The tongues of creation are the pens of the Truth." This phrase is taken from the previous hadith: "The tongues of creation are the pens of the Truth." But which creation? As you heard in the recent example, those who rush to give false testimony on every occasion and without occasion—are their tongues the pens of the Truth? No. Rather, it is when the society is a unified Islamic community raised with correct Islamic upbringing, where they do not testify, first of all, except with the truth, and they do not testify except after deliberation, caution, and reflection. This is contrary to what happened in the time of 'Umar when a man came to testify about another. He said to him: "Do you know him?" He said: "Yes." He said: "How do you know him?" He said: "Whenever I enter the mosque, I find him standing, bowing, and prostrating." He said: "Have you traveled with him? For travel reveals the character of men." He said: "No." He said: "Have you dealt with him in dirhams and dinars?" He said: "No." He said: "Is he your neighbor?" He said: "No." He said: "Then you do not know him." The point is: You are the witnesses of Allah on earth. If there is a group of truthful, believing, and knowledgeable scholars who testify about a person based on correct knowledge, then they are expressing the reality of the person, not the opposite of his reality. Applying the apparent rulings of the Shari'ah, which we are commanded to judge by, does not mean testifying to the inner reality of this person. Rather, if we want to take this reality from the apparent, it is by the testimony of the Muslim community at a certain time, if it is like the Companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in knowledge, jurisprudence, justice, and fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who do not show favoritism or conceal the truth. In that case, this testimony is a glad tidings of Paradise for the one testified about, and the opposite is the opposite. Applying the apparent rulings of the Shari'ah does not conflict with this hadith, because this hadith has a specific ruling regarding the testimony of the people of truth with the truth.