Supplication at the Moment of Death
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[Instructing the Dying Person]
Question: Among the well-known and widespread customs among us is instructing the deceased after he is placed in his grave and after the earth is piled over him. We see that most scholars agree on this, while some of them, meaning the scholars of our country, do not give it any consideration. They cite as evidence for this that it is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that when his son Ibrahim passed away, he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood at his grave and instructed him. So one of the Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, you are the best of creation,And after your death, who will instruct us? So he said to them: [Ibrahim: 27] the verse.And the question is: How authentic is this report from the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him)? And if instructing the deceased is prescribed, what is its wording and method? We ask that you support your answer with convincing evidence as much as possible, and may Allah reward you with good?
Answer: The prescribed instruction is instructing the dying person at the moment his soul departs by having him say “There is no god but Allah,”As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 1444Sahih (Darussalam) , so that this great word is his last word from this world, so that he meets Allah the Exalted with it, and it is the seal of his deeds. This word is repeated to him gently and softly while he is in his death throes. If he utters it, it is not repeated to him again unless he speaks other words after it. If he speaks other words after it, it is repeated to him gently and softly so that he may utter it and it may be his last word. This is the prescribed instruction.
As for after the soul has departed and the term of life has ended, the deceased is not instructed, neither before burial nor after burial. To our knowledge, no authentic Sunnah has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this.
Rather, a group of scholars have recommended instructing the deceased after his burial, but to our knowledge, they have no established evidence from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for this. Consequently, instructing the deceased after burial has no basis in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, some scholars said it based on their independent legal reasoning. Every person’s statement is taken and left except that of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So, from the statement of the independent reasoner, what agrees with the evidence is taken, and what has no evidence for it is left.
As for what you asked about regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructing his son Ibrahim, I have not found a basis for this either, and it appears that it has no basis. How could the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instruct Ibrahim when he died as a small child and the religious obligations did not apply to him? This indicates that this has no basis in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the conclusion: It is obligatory for the Muslim to return to the truth, even if people oppose him, and to leave what has no evidence for it, even if people do it; because we are obligated to follow the evidence and to follow what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) brought, not to take what we find people doing without scrutiny and without presenting it to the Book and the Sunnah. This is what I advise you to do, and I advise my Muslim brothers to do it. Instructing the deceased after burial has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather, the prescribed instruction is at the time of death throes; because it is what benefits the dying person and the dying person understands it; because he is still in a state of life and is able to utter this word. He is still in the abode of action and the abode of this world; because it is the abode of action. As for after death, the time of action has ended, the deeds are sealed, and he has moved to another abode. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
Question: After the burial of the deceased in his grave, is it not prescribed or required to supplicate for him and ask for his steadfastness, as the Messenger commanded in some hadiths?
Answer: Yes, what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the deceased after his burial is that he would stand at his grave, make du'a' for him, seek forgiveness for him, and say to his companions:Sunan Abi Dawud 3221Sahih (Al-Albani) .
So, what is prescribed for Muslims when they have buried the deceased and finished the burial is to stand at his grave, seek forgiveness for him, and ask Allah for his steadfastness; because it is the time when the two angels question him in the grave.They say: “O Allah, forgive him. O Allah, make him steadfast.” And they repeat this blessed supplication, for Allah benefits him with it; because the supplication of Muslims for the dead is hoped to reach them and for them to benefit from it. The supplication of the living for the dead is what is prescribed, not the reverse, which the ignorant and the grave-worshippers do, where they ask the deceased to supplicate for them, seek forgiveness for them, and intercede for them. This is the opposite of what Allah and His Messenger prescribed, and this is opposing Allah and His Messenger. What is prescribed is the reverse: that the living one is the one who supplicates for the deceased and seeks forgiveness for him.And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says to His Prophet: [Muhammad: 19] , and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would, when he passed by the graves, face them with his face (peace and blessings be upon him).And he said: .
As for what is done with the funerals of these newly invented innovations, matters that people have become accustomed to, which have no basis in the Shari'ah of Islam, it is obligatory to be cautious of them, to prevent them, and to warn against them.
[Supplication at the Moment of Death]
Question: Is there a specific supplication said at the moment the soul departs from the body of the dying person and when he is placed in the grave?
Answer: As for at the time of his death throes, what has come is that he is instructed to say “There is no god but Allah”, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 1444Sahih (Darussalam) ,And by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Abi Dawud 3116Sahih (Al-Albani) .
So it is recommended and desirable that the dying person be instructed to say “There is no god but Allah” at the time of his death throes, and that he be instructed to say it gently, and that it not be repeated to him, and that he not be pressured, but rather that it be said to him gently.
And as for at the time of burial, it has come that when the deceased is placed in the grave,It is said:Sunan Ibn Majah 1550Sahih (Darussalam) , as narrated by Imam Ahmad and others.
As for saying a supplication at the time of death throes, nothing has come except instructing the dying person to say “There is no god but Allah.”And not when he is placed in the grave except:Sunan Ibn Majah 1550Sahih (Darussalam) , and nothing else. And everything that is not established in the Sunnah is an innovation.
Question: Among the well-known and widespread customs among us is instructing the deceased after he is placed in his grave and after the earth is piled over him. We see that most scholars agree on this, while some of them, meaning the scholars of our country, do not give it any consideration. They cite as evidence for this that it is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that when his son Ibrahim passed away, he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood at his grave and instructed him. So one of the Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, you are the best of creation,And after your death, who will instruct us? So he said to them:
Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word
يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِAnswer: The prescribed instruction is instructing the dying person at the moment his soul departs by having him say “There is no god but Allah,”As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
‘Urge your dying ones to say La ilaha illallah.”
لقنوا موتاكم لا إله إلا اللهAs for after the soul has departed and the term of life has ended, the deceased is not instructed, neither before burial nor after burial. To our knowledge, no authentic Sunnah has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this.
Rather, a group of scholars have recommended instructing the deceased after his burial, but to our knowledge, they have no established evidence from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for this. Consequently, instructing the deceased after burial has no basis in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, some scholars said it based on their independent legal reasoning. Every person’s statement is taken and left except that of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So, from the statement of the independent reasoner, what agrees with the evidence is taken, and what has no evidence for it is left.
As for what you asked about regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructing his son Ibrahim, I have not found a basis for this either, and it appears that it has no basis. How could the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instruct Ibrahim when he died as a small child and the religious obligations did not apply to him? This indicates that this has no basis in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the conclusion: It is obligatory for the Muslim to return to the truth, even if people oppose him, and to leave what has no evidence for it, even if people do it; because we are obligated to follow the evidence and to follow what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) brought, not to take what we find people doing without scrutiny and without presenting it to the Book and the Sunnah. This is what I advise you to do, and I advise my Muslim brothers to do it. Instructing the deceased after burial has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather, the prescribed instruction is at the time of death throes; because it is what benefits the dying person and the dying person understands it; because he is still in a state of life and is able to utter this word. He is still in the abode of action and the abode of this world; because it is the abode of action. As for after death, the time of action has ended, the deeds are sealed, and he has moved to another abode. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
Question: After the burial of the deceased in his grave, is it not prescribed or required to supplicate for him and ask for his steadfastness, as the Messenger commanded in some hadiths?
Answer: Yes, what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the deceased after his burial is that he would stand at his grave, make du'a' for him, seek forgiveness for him, and say to his companions:
Seek forgiveness for your brother, and beg steadfastness for him, for he will be questioned now.
استغفروا لأخيكم، واسألوا له التثبيت، فإنه الآن يسألSo, what is prescribed for Muslims when they have buried the deceased and finished the burial is to stand at his grave, seek forgiveness for him, and ask Allah for his steadfastness; because it is the time when the two angels question him in the grave.They say: “O Allah, forgive him. O Allah, make him steadfast.” And they repeat this blessed supplication, for Allah benefits him with it; because the supplication of Muslims for the dead is hoped to reach them and for them to benefit from it. The supplication of the living for the dead is what is prescribed, not the reverse, which the ignorant and the grave-worshippers do, where they ask the deceased to supplicate for them, seek forgiveness for them, and intercede for them. This is the opposite of what Allah and His Messenger prescribed, and this is opposing Allah and His Messenger. What is prescribed is the reverse: that the living one is the one who supplicates for the deceased and seeks forgiveness for him.And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says to His Prophet:
and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women
وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِPeace be upon you, O people of the graves. May Allah forgive us and you. You are our predecessors and we are in your footsteps. O Allah, do not deprive us of their reward, and do not test us after them, and forgive us and them.
السلام عليكم يا أهل القبور، يغفر الله لنا ولكم، أنت سلفنا ونحن في الأثر، اللهم لا تحرمنا أجرهم، ولا تفتنا بعدهم، واغفر لنا ولهمAs for what is done with the funerals of these newly invented innovations, matters that people have become accustomed to, which have no basis in the Shari'ah of Islam, it is obligatory to be cautious of them, to prevent them, and to warn against them.
[Supplication at the Moment of Death]
Question: Is there a specific supplication said at the moment the soul departs from the body of the dying person and when he is placed in the grave?
Answer: As for at the time of his death throes, what has come is that he is instructed to say “There is no god but Allah”, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
‘Urge your dying ones to say La ilaha illallah.”
لقنوا موتاكم لا إله إلا اللهIf anyone's last words are "There is no god but Allah" he will enter Paradise.
من كان آخر كلامه لا إله إلا الله دخل الجنةSo it is recommended and desirable that the dying person be instructed to say “There is no god but Allah” at the time of his death throes, and that he be instructed to say it gently, and that it not be repeated to him, and that he not be pressured, but rather that it be said to him gently.
And as for at the time of burial, it has come that when the deceased is placed in the grave,It is said:
Bismillah, wa ‘ala millati rasul-illah (In the Name of Allah and according to the religion of the Messenger of Allah).
بسم الله وعلى ملة رسول اللهAs for saying a supplication at the time of death throes, nothing has come except instructing the dying person to say “There is no god but Allah.”And not when he is placed in the grave except: