What is the ruling on admonishing people at the burial of the deceased, and is it permissible for the preacher to make du'a and for the people to say "Ameen"? If it is permissible, what is the best du'a? And if it is not permissible, please clarify.

The questioner : Is it permissible to admonish people at the burial of the deceased in the graveyards, and is it permissible for the preacher to make du'a and for the people to say "Ameen" behind him? If this practice is correct, what is the best du'a? And if it is not permissible, I ask you, may Allah reward you, to clarify this for the people.

The Shaykh : As for private admonition, there is nothing wrong with it. For example, if a person is sitting with people around him and he speaks about death and what comes after it, and about the questioning of the deceased in his grave regarding his Lord, his religion, and his Prophet, that is good. Or, for example, if he is sitting at the grave and tells the people what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said when he was once sitting on the grave of one of his daughters, saying: The seat of the people of Paradise is not for one who does the deeds of the people of the Fire, and the seat of the people of the Fire is not for one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise. Your seat is written, but the deed that leads to this seat is also written. So there is nothing wrong with this kind of admonition. Also, on one occasion, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered al-Baqi' while they were at the funeral of a man from the Ansar, but the burial trench had not yet been completed, and the people were waiting for it to be finished. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat down, and they sat around him as if there were birds on their heads, out of respect for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and veneration for the occasion. So he told them about what happens at the time of death and after death. There is nothing wrong with this kind of admonition. However, if a person stands as a preacher at the grave and preaches to the people, that is not part of the Sunnah in any way. We have not known that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or the Companions ever stood as preachers in the graveyard admonishing the people. Where are admonitions and sermons held? In the mosques. Not in the graveyards. Graveyards are places for condolences. But if an occasion arises, meaning an admonition in a gathering that is not a sermon, there is nothing wrong with it. As for du'a after the burial, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never made du'a with the people saying "Ameen" behind him. Rather, when he finished burying the deceased, he would stand over the grave and say: So you stand at the grave and say: O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, make him firm, O Allah, make him firm, O Allah, make him firm, three times, and then you leave. Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he made du'a, would make it three times.