Holding Funeral Gatherings
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Question: In our town here in Sudan, when someone dies, a funeral gathering is held for them, and a mat is spread over the body, for a period of more than three days. Is it valid to spread a mat over the deceased, and how should they console each other in their loss, given that they spread the mat in the deceased's house? And is it permissible for the neighbors to bring food and drink to the family of the deceased, to share in their calamity?
Answer: These funeral gatherings that are held, which they call condolences, and the setting up of tents, and gathering people in them, and hiring reciters, and preparing food and drinks, and so on, all of this is from the newly invented innovations and from the burdens and shackles for which Allah has sent down no authority. This is especially so if the funeral gatherings are held from the deceased's estate, and the deceased may have debts upon him, and he may have minor heirs who are in need of money. In that case, the matter becomes more sinful and the harm greater, for in addition to being an innovation and an abomination, it is also an injustice to the owners of rights. Because the estate passes to the heirs upon the death of the deceased, and if he has debts, they belong to the creditors. So taking from it for these innovated funeral gatherings,Two matters are combined in it:
First: is an abomination,And secondly: and it is an injustice to the owners of these rights.
And a third matter among the prohibitions: It is that holding these funeral gatherings involves some grief and dissatisfaction with the calamity, because holding these funeral gatherings for this long period, and gathering people in them, is grief over the deceased.
And it is obligatory upon the Muslim to be patient with the calamity and not to display any grief, and not to display any emotional distress, but rather to be pleased with the decree and destiny of Allah, and to be patient and seek reward from Allah. This is what is required of the Muslim.
As for setting up these tents and these funeral gatherings, this indicates that he has not been patient and that he is in a state of grief, needing someone to come and sit with him, and to pass the time for consolation.
So what we advise and recommend to the Muslims is to stay away from such matters and these bad customs, and these abominable innovations, and these funeral gatherings for which Allah has sent down no authority, which are a waste of time and a squandering of money and a bringer of abominations,
and there is no good in them under any circumstances, neither for the living nor for the dead. For the living, they waste their time, exhaust their money, and occupy them with innovations, and the dead have no benefit from these funeral gatherings and these celebrations.
As for the prescribed condolence, it is supplication for the deceased, without holding a funeral gathering. One supplicates for him; every Muslim supplicates for his deceased brother, without a gathering. He supplicates for him alone and in any place, for the deceased, at his grave, or in his house, or in any place. And if Allah accepts the supplication, it reaches the deceased without effort and without cost.
And as for preparing food for the family of the deceased and giving it to them, so that they can use it in their state of being occupied from preparing food in their house, this is a good thing. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that food be prepared and sent to the family of the deceased. If this is limited to the family of the deceased only, that is fine. But sending food to this gathering, or to the tents, this is not permissible, because it is encouragement to hold funeral gatherings. Rather, food is prepared specifically for the family of the deceased only, not for the people who gather in this funeral gathering, because this involves helping them to revive the innovations.
Answer: These funeral gatherings that are held, which they call condolences, and the setting up of tents, and gathering people in them, and hiring reciters, and preparing food and drinks, and so on, all of this is from the newly invented innovations and from the burdens and shackles for which Allah has sent down no authority. This is especially so if the funeral gatherings are held from the deceased's estate, and the deceased may have debts upon him, and he may have minor heirs who are in need of money. In that case, the matter becomes more sinful and the harm greater, for in addition to being an innovation and an abomination, it is also an injustice to the owners of rights. Because the estate passes to the heirs upon the death of the deceased, and if he has debts, they belong to the creditors. So taking from it for these innovated funeral gatherings,Two matters are combined in it:
First: is an abomination,And secondly: and it is an injustice to the owners of these rights.
And a third matter among the prohibitions: It is that holding these funeral gatherings involves some grief and dissatisfaction with the calamity, because holding these funeral gatherings for this long period, and gathering people in them, is grief over the deceased.
And it is obligatory upon the Muslim to be patient with the calamity and not to display any grief, and not to display any emotional distress, but rather to be pleased with the decree and destiny of Allah, and to be patient and seek reward from Allah. This is what is required of the Muslim.
As for setting up these tents and these funeral gatherings, this indicates that he has not been patient and that he is in a state of grief, needing someone to come and sit with him, and to pass the time for consolation.
So what we advise and recommend to the Muslims is to stay away from such matters and these bad customs, and these abominable innovations, and these funeral gatherings for which Allah has sent down no authority, which are a waste of time and a squandering of money and a bringer of abominations,
and there is no good in them under any circumstances, neither for the living nor for the dead. For the living, they waste their time, exhaust their money, and occupy them with innovations, and the dead have no benefit from these funeral gatherings and these celebrations.
As for the prescribed condolence, it is supplication for the deceased, without holding a funeral gathering. One supplicates for him; every Muslim supplicates for his deceased brother, without a gathering. He supplicates for him alone and in any place, for the deceased, at his grave, or in his house, or in any place. And if Allah accepts the supplication, it reaches the deceased without effort and without cost.
And as for preparing food for the family of the deceased and giving it to them, so that they can use it in their state of being occupied from preparing food in their house, this is a good thing. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that food be prepared and sent to the family of the deceased. If this is limited to the family of the deceased only, that is fine. But sending food to this gathering, or to the tents, this is not permissible, because it is encouragement to hold funeral gatherings. Rather, food is prepared specifically for the family of the deceased only, not for the people who gather in this funeral gathering, because this involves helping them to revive the innovations.