The Permissibility of a Disbeliever Offering Condolences to a Muslim
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One of the Saudi military bases has a contract with the Americans, and one of the personnel at this base passed away.And when the condolences were being offered, the Americans came and said: We want to go to offer condolences to the deceased's father. Is this permissible?
It is permissible to offer condolences to the bereaved, whether the one offering them is a Muslim or a disbeliever. However, gathering in the house to receive the condolers is a religious innovation that did not exist in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or his Companions. Rather, the doors are closed—Meaning: the doors of those who have lost a family member—and whoever finds them in the market or in the mosque and sees that they are bereaved, he offers them condolences. This is because the purpose of condolences is not celebration; the purpose of condolences is to strengthen a person's patience. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent back the messenger of his daughter, whom she had sent to inform him about a son of hers who was on the verge of death, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent the messenger back and said to him: (Tell her to be patient and to seek reward from Allah, for to Allah belongs what He takes and what He gives, and everything with Him is by a specified term) and he did not go to offer her condolences, until she insisted that her father come. Not for the sake of the condolences, but for the sake of being present with this boy or child who was dying.
It was not known in the time of the Companions for the family of the deceased to gather to receive condolences from people. Rather, they considered preparing food in the house of the deceased and gathering for that to be part of wailing, and wailing is among the major sins. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who wails and the one who listens to it.And he said: (The one who wails, if she does not repent, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection wearing a shirt of pitch and a coat of leprosy) We seek refuge in Allah.
Therefore, we advise our Muslim brothers to refrain from such gatherings, which are not good, but rather are evil for them.
It is permissible to offer condolences to the bereaved, whether the one offering them is a Muslim or a disbeliever. However, gathering in the house to receive the condolers is a religious innovation that did not exist in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or his Companions. Rather, the doors are closed—Meaning: the doors of those who have lost a family member—and whoever finds them in the market or in the mosque and sees that they are bereaved, he offers them condolences. This is because the purpose of condolences is not celebration; the purpose of condolences is to strengthen a person's patience. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent back the messenger of his daughter, whom she had sent to inform him about a son of hers who was on the verge of death, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent the messenger back and said to him: (Tell her to be patient and to seek reward from Allah, for to Allah belongs what He takes and what He gives, and everything with Him is by a specified term) and he did not go to offer her condolences, until she insisted that her father come. Not for the sake of the condolences, but for the sake of being present with this boy or child who was dying.
It was not known in the time of the Companions for the family of the deceased to gather to receive condolences from people. Rather, they considered preparing food in the house of the deceased and gathering for that to be part of wailing, and wailing is among the major sins. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who wails and the one who listens to it.And he said: (The one who wails, if she does not repent, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection wearing a shirt of pitch and a coat of leprosy) We seek refuge in Allah.
Therefore, we advise our Muslim brothers to refrain from such gatherings, which are not good, but rather are evil for them.