Is it permissible to give a sermon after burying the deceased, because we see some of the brothers engaging in speech or delivering a sermon after the burial is completed, and is there any established report from
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The questioner : Is it permissible to give a sermon after burying the deceased, because we see some of the brothers engaging in speech or delivering a sermon after the burial is completed, and is there any established report from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding a sermon after the burial or before the burial? We ask for guidance on this matter?
The Shaykh : I am not aware of any Sunnah from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would stand and preach to the people after the deceased was buried. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he finished burying the deceased, would stand over the grave and say:Sunan Abi Dawud 3221Sahih (Al-Albani) This is what was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The utmost that was reported regarding the matter of preaching is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out one day for the funeral of a man from the Ansar. They reached the grave, and it had not yet been dug out, meaning the digging was not completed. The people sat down, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions sat around him. He began to poke the ground with a stick in his hand, and then he (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke to them about the state of a person when he is on his deathbed. This is the utmost I have heard regarding preaching. It is known that this was not a sermon intended for its own sake, but rather, because they were sitting waiting for the grave to be dug, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) preached to them while sitting with them. It was the preaching of a seated person, like one who is conversing, not one who stands and preaches with a loud voice as if he were a preacher. There is a difference between this and that, and a difference between an incidental matter and a permanent, continuous one.
Someone might say: The people in this state, at the burial of this deceased and in the cemetery, are closer to having soft hearts and accepting the sermon, so we should take advantage of this situation. It is said: This is good. However, since we have not found a precedent for us in this matter from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions, who were the most eager people to offer advice and to seek out situations where advice would be most beneficial and effective, it is not befitting for us to go ahead with something like this.
The important point is that we know the difference between the regular thing, where a person stands among the people like a preacher, preaching and speaking, and the incidental thing, where a person speaks in the manner of one who is sitting. Therefore, we say: If the people sit waiting for the grave to be dug and repaired, and the like of that, and one person speaks to those around him with words that soften the heart, then there is nothing wrong with that. It is necessary to distinguish between the incidental thing and the permanent thing, and between the thing that is done in the manner of a preacher and orator, and the thing that is done in the manner of a speaker who talks to those around him, like a seated person talking to his companions.
The Shaykh : I am not aware of any Sunnah from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would stand and preach to the people after the deceased was buried. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he finished burying the deceased, would stand over the grave and say:
Seek forgiveness for your brother, and beg steadfastness for him, for he will be questioned now.
استغفروا لأخيكم وسلوا له التثبيت فإنه الآن يسألSomeone might say: The people in this state, at the burial of this deceased and in the cemetery, are closer to having soft hearts and accepting the sermon, so we should take advantage of this situation. It is said: This is good. However, since we have not found a precedent for us in this matter from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions, who were the most eager people to offer advice and to seek out situations where advice would be most beneficial and effective, it is not befitting for us to go ahead with something like this.
The important point is that we know the difference between the regular thing, where a person stands among the people like a preacher, preaching and speaking, and the incidental thing, where a person speaks in the manner of one who is sitting. Therefore, we say: If the people sit waiting for the grave to be dug and repaired, and the like of that, and one person speaks to those around him with words that soften the heart, then there is nothing wrong with that. It is necessary to distinguish between the incidental thing and the permanent thing, and between the thing that is done in the manner of a preacher and orator, and the thing that is done in the manner of a speaker who talks to those around him, like a seated person talking to his companions.