Is it permissible for a Muslim to follow the funeral of a non-Muslim, or the reverse?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The listener from the Republic of Egypt asks: Is it permissible for a Muslim to follow the funeral of a non-Muslim, or the reverse? I ask for your guidance on this?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow the funeral of a non-Muslim, because following funerals is among the rights of a Muslim upon a Muslim, and not among the rights of a disbeliever upon a Muslim. Just as a disbeliever is not greeted with the salam and the path is not cleared for him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 16:10, it is not permissible to honor him by following his funeral, whoever this disbeliever may be, even if he is the closest person to you. As for a disbeliever following the funeral of a Muslim, this is a matter of consideration for me, and I do not assert an answer to it at this time.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow the funeral of a non-Muslim, because following funerals is among the rights of a Muslim upon a Muslim, and not among the rights of a disbeliever upon a Muslim. Just as a disbeliever is not greeted with the salam and the path is not cleared for him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Do not initiate the saluting of Jews and Christians (when you meet them), and if you meet any of them on the road, force him to go to the narrowest part of the road (i.e. do not give way for them to pass, but keep going).
لا تبدؤوا اليهود والنصارى بالسلام وإذا لقيتموهم في طريق فاضطروهم إلى أضيقهThe questioner : May Allah bless you.