Is the funeral prayer permissible for sinners if one of them dies while persisting in sins, such as abandoning the prayer or abandoning the fasting of Ramadan?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. Is the funeral prayer permissible for sinners if one of them dies while persisting in sins, such as abandoning the prayer or the fasting of the month of Ramadan? I ask for your guidance.
The Shaykh : Yes. The prayer for sinners is permissible; in fact, they are more deserving of it than others, because the prayer for the deceased is an intercession for him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Ibn Hibban 11:194 Therefore, the people of sins are in need of someone to intercede for them with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through supplication. Those who pray over the dead supplicate for them for forgiveness and mercy. The one who supplicates says in his supplication: Mishkat al-Masabih 1655 This is a supplication that, if it is answered, brings much good to the deceased.
As for the questioner’s example of the one who abandons the prayer and the one who abandons fasting, his example of the one who abandons fasting is correct, for the one who abandons fasting is a sinner among the sinners and is not one who has exited the religion.
As for the one who abandons the prayer, the stronger opinion among the views of the scholars of knowledge is that he is a disbeliever, an apostate, and one who has exited the religion, and it is not permissible for any Muslim who knows his state to pray over him, because Allah the Exalted said to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hypocrites:[At-Tawbah 9:84].
And because the prayer for the deceased is a supplication and seeking forgiveness for him, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:[At-Tawbah 9:113] The apostate whose apostasy is established by the evidence of the Book and the Sunnah has it made clear to those who know this that he is among the companions of the Hellfire. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that the one who does not preserve the prayers will be gathered with Pharaoh, Haman, Qarun, and Abu Jahl, the leaders of disbelief, and may Allah protect us from that.
Accordingly, the example of the one who abandons the prayer as being among the sinners is not correct according to the stronger opinion. Rather, we say that the one who abandons the prayer is a disbeliever and an apostate, and it is not permissible for one who knows his state to pray over him. It is also not permissible for his family, who know that he does not pray, to present him to the Muslims for the funeral prayer, because they would thereby deceive the Muslims. It is also not permissible for his family to supplicate for him for forgiveness and mercy, given that he died in this state.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
The Shaykh : Yes. The prayer for sinners is permissible; in fact, they are more deserving of it than others, because the prayer for the deceased is an intercession for him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
There is no Muslim who dies and forty men who do not associate anything with Allah stand over his funeral, except that Allah will grant them intercession for him.
ما من مسلم يموت فيقوم على جنازته أربعون رجلاً لا يُشركون بالله شيئاً إلا شفّعهم الله فيهO God, forgive him, show him mercy, grant him security, pardon him, grant him a noble provision and a spacious lodging, wash him with water, snow and ice, purify him from sins as Thou hast purified the white garment from filth, give him a better abode in place of his present one, a better family in place of his present one, and a better spouse in place of his present one, cause him to enter paradise and preserve him from the trial in the grave and the punishment in hell
اللهم اغفر له وارحمه وعافه واعف عنه وأكرم نزله ووسع مدخله واغسله بالماء والثلج والبرد ونقّه من الخطايا كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس، اللهم أبدله داراً خيراً من داره وأهلاً خيراً من أهله وزوجاً خيراً من زوجه وأدخله الجنة وأعذه من عذاب القبر وعذاب النار وافسح له في قبره ونوّر له فيهAs for the questioner’s example of the one who abandons the prayer and the one who abandons fasting, his example of the one who abandons fasting is correct, for the one who abandons fasting is a sinner among the sinners and is not one who has exited the religion.
As for the one who abandons the prayer, the stronger opinion among the views of the scholars of knowledge is that he is a disbeliever, an apostate, and one who has exited the religion, and it is not permissible for any Muslim who knows his state to pray over him, because Allah the Exalted said to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hypocrites:
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muhammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.
وَلا تُصَلِّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَاتَ أَبَداً وَلا تَقُمْ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ فَاسِقُونَAnd because the prayer for the deceased is a supplication and seeking forgiveness for him, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:
It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُوْلِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِAccordingly, the example of the one who abandons the prayer as being among the sinners is not correct according to the stronger opinion. Rather, we say that the one who abandons the prayer is a disbeliever and an apostate, and it is not permissible for one who knows his state to pray over him. It is also not permissible for his family, who know that he does not pray, to present him to the Muslims for the funeral prayer, because they would thereby deceive the Muslims. It is also not permissible for his family to supplicate for him for forgiveness and mercy, given that he died in this state.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.