What is the ruling on instructing the deceased at the graves?

The questioner : ... Is the case of instructing the deceased at the grave a recommended practice?

The Shaykh : Never. And this answer falls under my previous statement: The intended meaning is the one who is on the verge of death; because it is possible that he may be instructed, it is possible that he may catch this good word, and it is possible that he may testify, as happened with the Jewish boy ... As for knowledge, there is no instruction of the kind that people do today for the dead in their graves.
There is a long hadith narrated from Abu Umamah in the form you hear, but the hadith is weak and cannot be relied upon in any way. So, since it is not authentic, I say: O people, instructing this dead person has no benefit from the perspective of sound reasoning; why? This dead person either passed the test and trial in this world or failed. If he passed, what benefit does your instructing him have? And if he did not pass, likewise, what benefit does it have? It benefits him in no way whatsoever.
For example: the diligent student who is about to take a worldly exam; if he passes, he may not pass in the Hereafter, but in any case, it is an exam. This one exerted himself day and night, to the point that he memorized all his lessons by heart; this one does not need a cheater to instruct him ... from it, do you see how? And the opposite is the opposite; one who spent all the days before the exam in play and amusement, relying on what? That he will cheat, that he will be instructed; this one, here in this world, in most cases, will fail, this instruction will cause him to fail, if he is noticed, what? The supervisor, meaning, and perhaps he will be expelled from the study. And it remains known, meaning, in the systems. Now; the matter in the Hereafter is more precise than in this world; so this dead person, after he dies, is either righteous, in which case he no longer has a need for instruction, or wicked, in which case what benefit does instruction have? Given that he does not hear what is said to him at all.

The questioner : He does not hear.

The Shaykh : A verse in the Noble Qur'an, , so instruct him, then, my brother - Glory be to Allah! - , if he were to hear, do you think he would have the capacity in that moment to be instructed by you? If today, right now, you took one of these unruly young men and instructed him in Islam, he would not have the capacity; because he does not have that psychological and spiritual receptivity; so what can you say about this one who lived in this world as a cursed devil and died and went to the Hellfire, and you come now to instruct him!! If he were to hear, he would not hear from you; because he does not have that psychological capacity.
So the truth is that this instruction is one of the most amazing things that entered Islam; what is authentic from the Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him - is that when he buried the dead, he said: , look how the Sunnah is logical, , just a supplication, as we always and forever supplicate, in that moment we supplicate. And as we said earlier, the supplication may benefit and may not benefit, this matter is referred to Allah - Mighty and Majestic - .