What is the ruling on the sermon delivered at the grave when the deceased is buried?

The questioner : The ruling on the sermon, our Shaykh, at every funeral, at the grave?

The Shaykh : At every funeral? What do you mean by "every"?

The questioner : There, at every funeral—meaning—some of the brothers step forward and deliver a sermon; is it part of the Sunnah to always preach, or...?

The Shaykh : Do you mean every funeral, every time a person is buried?

The questioner : At the burial, yes.

The Shaykh : Every time a person is buried.

The questioner : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : There is no objection, provided the well-known condition is always met: that the continuation or permanence of this practice does not lead people to understand something contrary to the Shari'ah; for example, if they come to understand it as something obligatory. In that case, it should be omitted sometimes. But people today do not understand it that way; may Allah help them to understand the text that makes it obligatory as being obligatory.

Another questioner : It is not the same as the people, and also the story changes every time, right?

The questioner : By Allah, it is a good field for da'wah (calling others to Islam).

The Shaykh : Ah, an opportunity for admonition.

The questioner : The thing is—meaning—that the funeral is at the cemetery, and one stands and speaks to the people about religious innovations, and encourages them toward tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and so on. It is a good thing, a good field for da'wah.

The Shaykh: Correct.

Another questioner : Now, the Christians' cemetery has become next to the Muslims' cemetery.

The questioner : Where is that?

Another questioner : In al-Sahab.

The Shaykh : Where is al-Sahab?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, if one of the people of the Sunnah does not step forward to speak, they bring in these Sufis who recite the Mawshiha and perform it at the grave.

Another questioner : They recite to the dead.

The Shaykh : Yes.