Traveling to Offer Condolences
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Question: If one of a person’s relatives or friends passes away while they are in a country other than the one where he is, is it permissible for him to travel to the country where they are to offer condolences and comfort their family in their loss, or is this considered traveling without a valid reason and thus not permissible?
Answer: If the condolences involve religious innovations and superstitions, such as holding mourning gatherings that are practiced in some countries, then it is not permissible for him to participate with them, whether he travels or not. This is because it is among the religious innovations and what is wrong. If there are mourning gatherings, wailing, and other things done by the innovators, then this is what is wrong, and it is not permissible for a person to go to it or participate with the family, neither by traveling nor otherwise. Traveling is more severe.
However, if the condolences are merely comforting the living, merely soothing their minds, and making du'a for the deceased for forgiveness and mercy, then there is nothing wrong with that, especially if they are his relatives.
So in his traveling to them, offering condolences, and comforting them, there is much good. Perhaps they are in need of his presence. So there is nothing wrong with that, because this is an act of obedience and a good deed, not what is wrong.
Answer: If the condolences involve religious innovations and superstitions, such as holding mourning gatherings that are practiced in some countries, then it is not permissible for him to participate with them, whether he travels or not. This is because it is among the religious innovations and what is wrong. If there are mourning gatherings, wailing, and other things done by the innovators, then this is what is wrong, and it is not permissible for a person to go to it or participate with the family, neither by traveling nor otherwise. Traveling is more severe.
However, if the condolences are merely comforting the living, merely soothing their minds, and making du'a for the deceased for forgiveness and mercy, then there is nothing wrong with that, especially if they are his relatives.
So in his traveling to them, offering condolences, and comforting them, there is much good. Perhaps they are in need of his presence. So there is nothing wrong with that, because this is an act of obedience and a good deed, not what is wrong.