In our country, when a person dies, he is buried next to others in a single grave that contains them all. So, if a righteous person is buried next to a wicked person who died without being prayed over, does this righteous person suffer from the punishment of this wicked person?
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The questioner : In our town, when a person dies, he is buried next to other dead people in a single grave that contains them all. So, if a righteous person is buried next to a wicked person who died without being prayed over, does the righteous man suffer from the punishment of this wicked person? And if he does suffer, how do we reconcile that with the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-An'am 6:164]?
The Shaykh : It is well known that the Sunnah is to bury the dead in a grave by themselves, and not to gather the dead in one grave except out of necessity, such as when there are many dead and it is difficult to bury each one in a separate grave, as was done with the martyrs of Uhud (may Allah be pleased with them), and as happens in wars where a large group is killed at once, and the like. Accordingly, the custom mentioned by the questioner in their place must be investigated by the scholars present in that country so that a decision in accordance with the Shari'ah can be made. As for gathering them in one grave when necessity calls for it, the one most knowledgeable of the Qur'an and most pious is placed first, facing the qiblah, and the second is placed behind him. If it happens that one of them is righteous and the other is the opposite, that does not affect the righteous ones, because the conditions of the Hereafter are not measured by the conditions of this world. For this reason, people on the Day of Resurrection will sweat, meaning they will be afflicted with sweat from the heat, and they will be in one place, yet they will differ in this manner. Even more than that, the Day of Resurrection is fifty thousand years, and it is easy and light for the believers, to the point that it is said: . And for some, it will be difficult and hard, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ghashiyah 88:2-3]. So the conditions of the Hereafter are not measured by the conditions of this world.
And as for the sayingThe questioner : How do you reconcile this, if he suffers from it, how do you reconcile it with the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-An'am 6:164]? It has become clear from my answer that there is no evidence that he suffers from it, because the conditions of the Hereafter differ from the conditions of this world. But there is a problem in a matter the questioner did not mention, which is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1002Sahih (Darussalam) This is what makes it difficult to reconcile with the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-An'am 6:164], since the dead person is punished by the action of another. The scholars differed in reconciling the hadith with the verse. Some said: This is regarding the disbeliever who is punished, and his family weeps over him because of his departure. Some said: This is regarding the one who instructed his family to wail and weep over him, so he is punished because he instructed it. Some said: This is regarding the one who was pleased with it because his family does it for their dead, and he did not instruct them to refrain from it. Some said: The punishment is not a punishment of retribution, but a punishment of pain and suffering. They cited as evidence for this the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 5429. The traveler is not punished with a punishment of retribution, but he is punished with a punishment of heartache and is distressed by this matter, meaning the journey. This opinion is the strongest of the opinions, meaning that the dead person feels this weeping and suffers heartache because his family and those most compassionate toward him are affected in this way and weep. The weeping for which the dead person is punished refers to weeping other than that which comes by natural instinct, meaning intentional weeping. As for weeping that comes by natural instinct, the weeper is not punished for it, nor is the one over whom it is done, because it is not by the person's choice.
As for gathering for condolences, preparing food, and the gathering of people from the outskirts of the town, and even from neighboring villages, all of this has no basis and is not from the practice of the righteous Salaf. Rather, Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We used to consider gathering at the house of the deceased and preparing food to be part of wailing". Therefore, I direct my advice to our brothers who have become accustomed to such things to leave this practice and to close the doors. If someone wants to offer condolences, he will find them in the market or in the mosque. Women may be permitted to allow the close female relatives of the deceased to attend the family of the deceased and offer condolences, but without gathering, without food, without wailing, and without mentioning the virtues of the deceased, because mentioning the virtues of the deceased is wailing, and wailing is forbidden. The best thing to do for the deceased after his death is to make du'a' for him, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 2880Sahih (Al-Albani).
The questioner : Shaykh Muhammad, regarding traveling to offer condolences, what is your opinion?
The Shaykh : I see that a person should not travel, especially since phones are available, and praise be to Allah, now one can call him on the phone and console him and say to him: Be patient, count it as a reward from Allah for what He has taken and what He has left. May Allah will it, unless he is very close, like a brother or the like, and he wants to travel if he sees that this eases the calamity for the bereaved and does not involve hardship or abandoning an obligatory duty. In that case, it might be permitted, although I would prefer that it not be done even in this case; I would prefer that a phone call is sufficient.
The questioner : Okay, may Allah bless you.
and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
وَلا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىThe Shaykh : It is well known that the Sunnah is to bury the dead in a grave by themselves, and not to gather the dead in one grave except out of necessity, such as when there are many dead and it is difficult to bury each one in a separate grave, as was done with the martyrs of Uhud (may Allah be pleased with them), and as happens in wars where a large group is killed at once, and the like. Accordingly, the custom mentioned by the questioner in their place must be investigated by the scholars present in that country so that a decision in accordance with the Shari'ah can be made. As for gathering them in one grave when necessity calls for it, the one most knowledgeable of the Qur'an and most pious is placed first, facing the qiblah, and the second is placed behind him. If it happens that one of them is righteous and the other is the opposite, that does not affect the righteous ones, because the conditions of the Hereafter are not measured by the conditions of this world. For this reason, people on the Day of Resurrection will sweat, meaning they will be afflicted with sweat from the heat
So some of them will reach their ankles, and some will reach their knees, and some will reach their waists, and some will be gagged by it
فمنهم من يبلغ إلى كعبيه، ومنهم من يبلغ إلى ركبتيه، ومنهم من يبلغ إلى حقويه، ومنهم من يلجمهIt will be as light as a single obligatory prayer performed by the believer
يكون بقدر فريضة أداها المؤمن(2) [Some] faces, that Day, will be humbled, (3) Working [hard] and exhausted.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ * عَامِلَةٌ نَاصِبَةٌAnd as for the sayingThe questioner : How do you reconcile this, if he suffers from it, how do you reconcile it with the saying of Allah the Exalted:
and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
وَلا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىThe deceased is punished for the crying of his family over him.
الميت يعذب ببكاء أهله عليهand no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
وَلا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىTraveling is a kind of torture
إن السفر قطعة من العذابAs for gathering for condolences, preparing food, and the gathering of people from the outskirts of the town, and even from neighboring villages, all of this has no basis and is not from the practice of the righteous Salaf. Rather, Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We used to consider gathering at the house of the deceased and preparing food to be part of wailing". Therefore, I direct my advice to our brothers who have become accustomed to such things to leave this practice and to close the doors. If someone wants to offer condolences, he will find them in the market or in the mosque. Women may be permitted to allow the close female relatives of the deceased to attend the family of the deceased and offer condolences, but without gathering, without food, without wailing, and without mentioning the virtues of the deceased, because mentioning the virtues of the deceased is wailing, and wailing is forbidden. The best thing to do for the deceased after his death is to make du'a' for him, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
When a man dies, his action discontinues from him except three things, namely, perpetual sadaqah (charity), or the knowledge by which benefit is acquired, or a pious child who prays for him.
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاثة: صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو لهThe questioner : Shaykh Muhammad, regarding traveling to offer condolences, what is your opinion?
The Shaykh : I see that a person should not travel, especially since phones are available, and praise be to Allah, now one can call him on the phone and console him and say to him: Be patient, count it as a reward from Allah for what He has taken and what He has left. May Allah will it, unless he is very close, like a brother or the like, and he wants to travel if he sees that this eases the calamity for the bereaved and does not involve hardship or abandoning an obligatory duty. In that case, it might be permitted, although I would prefer that it not be done even in this case; I would prefer that a phone call is sufficient.
The questioner : Okay, may Allah bless you.