The ruling on visiting the deceased's family at their home to offer condolences.

The questioner : Well, for example, if the deceased's family, for instance, finds that their grief is eased when people come to visit them at their home in the numbers we currently see, gathering at the place of condolences, does this mean we have entered into a violation, or have we entered into a custom?

The Shaykh : The issue requires detail. We do not prevent people from going to the home of the bereaved to offer condolences; there is no prohibition in that. However, the prohibition, as is the case with most innovations that Imam al-Shatibi calls "additional innovations," is that things are attached to the Sunnah that take it out of its lawful and Prophetic nature. So if a beloved person dies for the head of the household, and he goes to the head of the household's home to offer condolences, we do not say this is blameworthy. But it is blameworthy for the head of the household to sit to receive condolences, and for things to follow from this sitting, as is the reality today. If he is an employee, he suspends his job, and the government that helps him suspend his job because he is bereaved.

The questioner : An official excuse.

The Shaykh : An official excuse. Yes, he suspends his job. He may also suspend the prayers he used to perform in the mosque and stay at home. He may, and so on, suspend his interests, close his shop or business, and so forth. These are things that are not permissible. So if the Muslim adheres to the custom of the righteous Salaf: the son died, his beloved died, they buried him in the daytime, morning, evening, noon, and so on. People come to the house to offer condolences, and there is no prohibition. The next morning, he goes and opens his shop. People come to offer condolences at his shop. People see him in the mosque and offer condolences in the mosque. They do not go a second time to offer condolences at the house on the invitation of condolences. That is not the customary condolence. It is not necessary for him to go to his house. When these restrictions are observed as a prescribed matter, then we say it is not considered that, and Allah, this eases his grief, because this comes through the path of innovation in religion. But when you do not see all these additional innovations, and you go to his home, which is convenient for you, there is no prohibition. Offering condolences at his home is not easier for you. Offering condolences in the mosque is not easier for you. Offering condolences in the shop is not easier for you. The acceptable, prescribed condolence with them is in the condolence gathering. That is what is not permissible.

The questioner : The point is that if it is difficult, for example, to see them, for example, in the mosque, or I assume as a new assumption, one of my friends lives in ... for example, a relative of his passed away or something, so I go to offer condolences to him there because it is not difficult for me to see him, for example, in a period of ... it is permissible. Two or three years I do not see him.

The Shaykh : Every issue, Abu Munir, has its answer, but we establish principles and rules. So if you go to offer condolences to him there, do you know that the custom with them is to sit for condolences or not? Do you know, for example? Ah, here the matter differs. Let us reverse it. No, this group: a beloved person died, they buried him, the next day he goes to work, he does not cut off the prayer in the mosque, and so on. I go to his home to offer condolences, as long as it is not convenient for you otherwise. But in the first, customary image, we return now. If you go to offer condolences, you want to go as a teacher and a condolence-giver at the same time. Perhaps Abu 'Adnan remembers with me that once on one of the festivals, I came to him and said to him, "Look, I did not come to offer festival greetings, I came to visit." Do you remember or not? And you were also present. Well, what do I mean by this? I mean something people are unaware of, and it has become the last days because a person increases in knowledge! Many of the people aware with us in our saying that visiting the deceased on the day of the festival is an innovation, knowing that visiting the deceased in general is prescribed, and that is sufficient in that, is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him), in addition to his visiting the graves . Nevertheless, I say that the living visiting the deceased on the day of the festival is an innovation. Why? We do not want to explain why, because it is contrary to the Sunnah. So I came to say that the living visiting the living on the day of the festival is an innovation, and it needs digestion. It needs digestion. But we start with our brothers who have the readiness to accept the call, and among them is our brother Abu 'Adnan. I said to him, "Look, I am coming to visit, not to offer festival greetings." And this opens a door for us in explaining the difference between visiting and offering festival greetings that day. So you see people work on the day of the festival, do they work? Do they work on Friday? They do not work except rarely. Why? On the day of the festival, all these traditions that Allah has not sent down authority for them have come. And the governments have started to innovate festivals and festivals: the child's festival, the tree's festival, the such-and-such festival, and so on. May Allah be our helper. I mean, if people were scholars, many innovations would be practiced upon them. And perhaps the difference between the prescribed condolence and the non-prescribed condolence has become clear to you. If you go to offer condolences in a condolence gathering, you must raise your voice that this action, this that you are doing, is not prescribed. And I, because I am not able to see you, came to offer condolences, not for the sake of the condolence gathering. Clear, yes.