Is it permissible to help a Christian make a coffin?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : One guy came to me, a carpenter, a Christian who wants to make a coffin for me, and I said I want to seek a ruling; meaning, is it permissible for me to make a coffin for him? I told him: If it came to me, I would make a coffin for him.
Another questioner : Because of his father's work, he needs to earn a living.
The questioner : No, not because of his father's work, there is nothing, there is nothing.
Another questioner : ... You ask the Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If it came to you, what would you do?
The questioner : I would make it for him.
Another questioner : If he said to you: A cross?
The questioner: No.
Another questioner : Listen to it from the Shaykh.
The questioner : Let's see, let's see.
The Shaykh : Okay, before me.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no obstacle.
Before I explain the Islamic ruling to you, how is it permissible for you to issue a ruling on your own? How?
The questioner : It is not a fatwa, it is an ijtihad that does not contradict the religion, meaning.
Another questioner : ... The previous information, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : ... Shaykh Hamdi, may Allah guide you, what is the purpose of a fatwa other than action? Give me an answer, meaning, take and give with me, when a person takes a fatwa to the mufti; is it not to act according to the fatwa?
The questioner: Of course.
The Shaykh : So you are now, first, issuing a ruling for yourself, and second, acting on your own ruling, so you are saying very clearly: If it came to me, I would agree with him, so I tell you how you issue a ruling for yourself, you say: I am not issuing a fatwa, how is it not a fatwa? Meaning, you are acting as if you are an Islamic Shaykh issuing rulings to people [The Shaykh laughs!].
The questioner : No, by Allah.
The Shaykh : This is correct, he is not acting as a Shaykh!!
The questioner : ... If I want to make a cross for him after ... it is not permissible, meaning I seek a ruling from myself and say: This is haram, I will not make it for him.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you! Do you not know the saying of the Messenger - peace be upon him - :Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 12:2035 ? So you have lost the middle position here, you are holding onto the halal, I am holding onto the haram, okay; Sahih Muslim 1599a , look, are you from the many or the few?
The questioner : No, from the many.
The Shaykh : Okay; so it is not permissible for you to issue a ruling for yourself, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Do you know the saying of Allah - Mighty and Majestic - :[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] .
Stay with me, Shaykh Hamdi, who is going to prepare the tea for you now and distribute it to you.
What does Allah say?[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] , do you think that the Christians making the coffin is guidance or misguidance? This is the point, and as they say in our area: "The Shaykh's donkey stopped at the obstacle," the making of the coffin is settled.
Another questioner : Meaning he is telling you: May Allah forgive you, are you thinking that.
The Shaykh : He is claiming to me what should I tell him, increase his good, it is none of your business, it is a coincidence, a coincidence, right? What is your opinion about making this coffin, is it guidance or misguidance?
The questioner : Sometimes we make the coffin to transport the body from one place to another, not for ... .
The Shaykh : And sometimes?
The questioner : And sometimes in the minibus.
The Shaykh : Good. I am left, do you know from which type or from which of the two times I am asking you about the coffin?
The questioner : Sometimes.
The Shaykh : From which time?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, so why did you turn it into sometimes and sometimes?
The questioner : It is in the context of ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you!
The questioner : ... in a funeral ... .
The Shaykh : Leave me alone, my dear, you are now telling the story that you told, do not branch it out east and west, the story you told; this is of which type? Is it not a coffin to bury the dead person in?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you see how much time you took from us and wasted it on us, may Allah forgive you!
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you!
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, now is this coffin guidance or misguidance?
The questioner : No, misguidance.
The Shaykh : Okay; so when you say: If it came to me, I would make this thing, are you helping them with guidance or with misguidance?
The questioner : My master, this is a non-Muslim, not a Muslim!
The Shaykh : Do not distort it, do not distort it; if a Christian came to you wanting to buy grapes from you and you know that he wants to press them into khamr, is it permissible?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : This is an example you must consider, in our Syrian expression: "Fram," and you say: "Bri," so that the second time you do not rush to issue a ruling for yourself; you must remember - may Allah bless you - one verse in the Qur'an that is enough for you, what is the verse?[An-Nahl 16:43] , you either judge that you are from the few or from the many, and you have judged yourself and the matter is ended, so [An-Nahl 16:43] those who know more or those who do not know?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : No no, do not deviate, stay with me, I am speaking and you are perhaps distracted thinking about something.
The questioner : He is asking you.
The Shaykh : It means you are missing something of what I am saying; in that case, misunderstanding occurs, this is not permissible.[An-Nahl 16:43] those who know more or less?
The questioner : More.
The Shaykh : More, okay, these more ones you have made yourself one of them, what is their obligation in the text of the verse?
The questioner : ... the people.
The Shaykh : He wants to waste it!![An-Nahl 16:43] .
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Those who do not know, more or less?
The questioner : Those who do not know, more, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, and are you one of them?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, I am going with you.
The questioner : I thought ... .
The Shaykh : What do we have? Make your thought on that star, we have nothing in it, so as long as you know yourself, "and whoever knows himself has known his Lord," that you are from the many or the most of those who do not know.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is their obligation in the text of the verse?
The questioner : They ask.
The Shaykh : They ask whom? The many or the few?
The questioner : The few.
The Shaykh : So do not rush the second time to say: I will issue the ruling and I will act on it, beware, then beware.
The questioner : ... They used to come to us to make coffins for them ... not Muslims ... do you see? We used to do this, when it came like he said ... the thing is this, but it escaped my mind that these people would bury him in it.
...
The Shaykh : Do you not know the hadith of the Battle of Uhud where some of the Companions were martyred, among them the father of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah and his uncle, and after the war had ended, he brought a beast to put his father and his uncle with ... the beast.
The questioner : Who?
The Shaykh : To transport them and bury them in Madinah, and then the caller of the Messenger - peace be upon him - called, naturally on the tongue of the Messenger: Bury the dead in their places of death. He said: So I dug for them in their place and buried them. So it is not permissible to move the dead person from one place to another.
Another questioner : As they said on this occasion, I have passed through, I do not know from whom I heard that if a person bequeathed a will that if I die, bury me in Jerusalem, Jerusalem is better than here, if there is no hardship on them, there is no objection ... but if I die here ... but if the place is blessed, the ... they want to be on it, like Madinah, like Jerusalem - for example - blessed more than the region where I died, do you see? ... if there is no hardship on them, there is no objection to moving him, but if there is hardship and difficulty ... ... I do not know this talk.
The Shaykh : This is talk I am talking!!
Another questioner : ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah be pleased with Salman al-Farisi and Abu al-Darda', these are from the noble Companions between whom the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - established brotherhood when the Muhajireen migrated from Makkah to Madinah, they lived as long as they lived with the Messenger - peace be upon him -, then the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - passed to the highest companion, then the events of time separated them, including jihad in the path of Allah, this one would go to a country and this one would go to a country, the important thing is that the days placed Salman in Iraq and Abu al-Darda' in Sham, so one day he wrote ... .
Another questioner : Because of his father's work, he needs to earn a living.
The questioner : No, not because of his father's work, there is nothing, there is nothing.
Another questioner : ... You ask the Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If it came to you, what would you do?
The questioner : I would make it for him.
Another questioner : If he said to you: A cross?
The questioner: No.
Another questioner : Listen to it from the Shaykh.
The questioner : Let's see, let's see.
The Shaykh : Okay, before me.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no obstacle.
Before I explain the Islamic ruling to you, how is it permissible for you to issue a ruling on your own? How?
The questioner : It is not a fatwa, it is an ijtihad that does not contradict the religion, meaning.
Another questioner : ... The previous information, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : ... Shaykh Hamdi, may Allah guide you, what is the purpose of a fatwa other than action? Give me an answer, meaning, take and give with me, when a person takes a fatwa to the mufti; is it not to act according to the fatwa?
The questioner: Of course.
The Shaykh : So you are now, first, issuing a ruling for yourself, and second, acting on your own ruling, so you are saying very clearly: If it came to me, I would agree with him, so I tell you how you issue a ruling for yourself, you say: I am not issuing a fatwa, how is it not a fatwa? Meaning, you are acting as if you are an Islamic Shaykh issuing rulings to people [The Shaykh laughs!].
The questioner : No, by Allah.
The Shaykh : This is correct, he is not acting as a Shaykh!!
The questioner : ... If I want to make a cross for him after ... it is not permissible, meaning I seek a ruling from myself and say: This is haram, I will not make it for him.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you! Do you not know the saying of the Messenger - peace be upon him - :
Indeed, the halal is clear, and the haram is clear, and between them are matters of doubt
إن الحلام بيِّن ، والحرام بيِّن ، وبينهما أمور مشتبهاتand in between them are the things doubtful which many people do not know
بينهما أمور مشتبهات لا يعلمهنَّ كثير من الناسThe questioner : No, from the many.
The Shaykh : Okay; so it is not permissible for you to issue a ruling for yourself, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Do you know the saying of Allah - Mighty and Majestic - :
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِStay with me, Shaykh Hamdi, who is going to prepare the tea for you now and distribute it to you.
What does Allah say?
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِAnother questioner : Meaning he is telling you: May Allah forgive you, are you thinking that.
The Shaykh : He is claiming to me what should I tell him, increase his good, it is none of your business, it is a coincidence, a coincidence, right? What is your opinion about making this coffin, is it guidance or misguidance?
The questioner : Sometimes we make the coffin to transport the body from one place to another, not for ... .
The Shaykh : And sometimes?
The questioner : And sometimes in the minibus.
The Shaykh : Good. I am left, do you know from which type or from which of the two times I am asking you about the coffin?
The questioner : Sometimes.
The Shaykh : From which time?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, so why did you turn it into sometimes and sometimes?
The questioner : It is in the context of ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you!
The questioner : ... in a funeral ... .
The Shaykh : Leave me alone, my dear, you are now telling the story that you told, do not branch it out east and west, the story you told; this is of which type? Is it not a coffin to bury the dead person in?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you see how much time you took from us and wasted it on us, may Allah forgive you!
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you!
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, now is this coffin guidance or misguidance?
The questioner : No, misguidance.
The Shaykh : Okay; so when you say: If it came to me, I would make this thing, are you helping them with guidance or with misguidance?
The questioner : My master, this is a non-Muslim, not a Muslim!
The Shaykh : Do not distort it, do not distort it; if a Christian came to you wanting to buy grapes from you and you know that he wants to press them into khamr, is it permissible?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : This is an example you must consider, in our Syrian expression: "Fram," and you say: "Bri," so that the second time you do not rush to issue a ruling for yourself; you must remember - may Allah bless you - one verse in the Qur'an that is enough for you, what is the verse?
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَSo ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : No no, do not deviate, stay with me, I am speaking and you are perhaps distracted thinking about something.
The questioner : He is asking you.
The Shaykh : It means you are missing something of what I am saying; in that case, misunderstanding occurs, this is not permissible.
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَThe questioner : More.
The Shaykh : More, okay, these more ones you have made yourself one of them, what is their obligation in the text of the verse?
The questioner : ... the people.
The Shaykh : He wants to waste it!!
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Those who do not know, more or less?
The questioner : Those who do not know, more, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, and are you one of them?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, I am going with you.
The questioner : I thought ... .
The Shaykh : What do we have? Make your thought on that star, we have nothing in it, so as long as you know yourself, "and whoever knows himself has known his Lord," that you are from the many or the most of those who do not know.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is their obligation in the text of the verse?
The questioner : They ask.
The Shaykh : They ask whom? The many or the few?
The questioner : The few.
The Shaykh : So do not rush the second time to say: I will issue the ruling and I will act on it, beware, then beware.
The questioner : ... They used to come to us to make coffins for them ... not Muslims ... do you see? We used to do this, when it came like he said ... the thing is this, but it escaped my mind that these people would bury him in it.
...
The Shaykh : Do you not know the hadith of the Battle of Uhud where some of the Companions were martyred, among them the father of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah and his uncle, and after the war had ended, he brought a beast to put his father and his uncle with ... the beast.
The questioner : Who?
The Shaykh : To transport them and bury them in Madinah, and then the caller of the Messenger - peace be upon him - called, naturally on the tongue of the Messenger: Bury the dead in their places of death. He said: So I dug for them in their place and buried them. So it is not permissible to move the dead person from one place to another.
Another questioner : As they said on this occasion, I have passed through, I do not know from whom I heard that if a person bequeathed a will that if I die, bury me in Jerusalem, Jerusalem is better than here, if there is no hardship on them, there is no objection ... but if I die here ... but if the place is blessed, the ... they want to be on it, like Madinah, like Jerusalem - for example - blessed more than the region where I died, do you see? ... if there is no hardship on them, there is no objection to moving him, but if there is hardship and difficulty ... ... I do not know this talk.
The Shaykh : This is talk I am talking!!
Another questioner : ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah be pleased with Salman al-Farisi and Abu al-Darda', these are from the noble Companions between whom the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - established brotherhood when the Muhajireen migrated from Makkah to Madinah, they lived as long as they lived with the Messenger - peace be upon him -, then the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - passed to the highest companion, then the events of time separated them, including jihad in the path of Allah, this one would go to a country and this one would go to a country, the important thing is that the days placed Salman in Iraq and Abu al-Darda' in Sham, so one day he wrote ... .
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.