The Permissibility of Hastening the Funeral
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Lately, it has become common to delay the funeral until the next day, or until the deceased's relatives arrive, as well as lining up after the burial to offer condolences. What is your opinion on this?
As for the first: It is contrary to the Sunnah, there is no doubt about this;Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Hasten with the funeral) and delaying it is contrary to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Furthermore, it is a wrong done to the deceased;Because the righteous deceased, when he leaves his house, says: Bring me forward, bring me forward.
He desires to be hastened; because he is facing a dwelling in Paradise—may Allah make us among them—so it is a wrong to the deceased on one hand, and contrary to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the other. His relatives or friends who are not present can, when they arrive, pray over his grave, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed over the grave of the man or the woman who used to clean the mosque.
As for lining up for condolences, people have adopted this, saying: It is easier. In the past, each person was in a different place among the deceased's family, so when they offered condolences to one, they would look for the others: Where is so-and-so? Where is so-and-so?So they said: We gather together so that it is easier. If this practice does not develop into something prohibited, then I see no harm in it—may Allah will it.But what I see no basis for: The issue is that they kiss (embrace) the deceased's family, and this has no basis, unless a person is arriving from a journey and kisses (embraces) them based on his arrival from the journey.
As for the first: It is contrary to the Sunnah, there is no doubt about this;Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Hasten with the funeral) and delaying it is contrary to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Furthermore, it is a wrong done to the deceased;Because the righteous deceased, when he leaves his house, says: Bring me forward, bring me forward.
He desires to be hastened; because he is facing a dwelling in Paradise—may Allah make us among them—so it is a wrong to the deceased on one hand, and contrary to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the other. His relatives or friends who are not present can, when they arrive, pray over his grave, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed over the grave of the man or the woman who used to clean the mosque.
As for lining up for condolences, people have adopted this, saying: It is easier. In the past, each person was in a different place among the deceased's family, so when they offered condolences to one, they would look for the others: Where is so-and-so? Where is so-and-so?So they said: We gather together so that it is easier. If this practice does not develop into something prohibited, then I see no harm in it—may Allah will it.But what I see no basis for: The issue is that they kiss (embrace) the deceased's family, and this has no basis, unless a person is arriving from a journey and kisses (embraces) them based on his arrival from the journey.