In Sudan, there are many wrongdoings and religious innovations in funeral gatherings; we find women wailing in groups around the deceased.

The questioner : In Sudan, there are many wrongdoings and religious innovations in funeral gatherings. For example, we find wailing women and women gathering in groups around the deceased. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding this? May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : What I know from the Shari'ah is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) The wailer is the one who cries over the deceased with a sound resembling the cooing of a pigeon. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed her because of the magnification of the calamity and the intensity of regret that result from wailing, and because Satan casts into the hearts of women what he casts of dissatisfaction with the decree of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His destiny. These gatherings that take place after the death of the deceased, which involve lamentation and wailing, are all forbidden gatherings; gatherings for major sins. It is obligatory for Muslims to be content with the decree and destiny of Allah. When a person is struck by a calamity, let him say: If a person says this with sincere intention and affirmation of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will replace it for him with something better than his calamity and reward him for it. This happened to the Mother of the Believers, Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her), when her husband Abu Salama died. She (may Allah be pleased with her), a believer affirming the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said this statement: What was the result? Allah replaced it for her with something better, for when her waiting period ended, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married her. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was better for her than Abu Salama, and there is reward with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Therefore, the function of a person in the face of calamities is patience, endurance, and seeking reward from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). As for these gatherings that include lamentation and wailing, they are forbidden gatherings that Muslims must disapprove of and stay away from.