What is the ruling on traveling from one town to another for condolences?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This is a question from one of the listening brothers, asking: What is the ruling on traveling from one town to another for condolences?
The Shaykh : We see that condolences do not require traveling in the present time, for we have, praise be to Allah, the means to do so. The telephone is available, the fax is available, and there is no need to travel. Yes, if it were the case that the one who died was among the closest people to you, such as your brother, and he died at your mother and father’s place, and you went to them to offer condolences, then it may be said that, if Allah wills, there is nothing wrong with that. But merely because he is a friend or a distant relative, one should not travel to him, because of the religious innovation in gathering for condolences, which was not known in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Jarir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bajali said: “They counted gathering at the home of the deceased and preparing food as part of wailing”. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : We see that condolences do not require traveling in the present time, for we have, praise be to Allah, the means to do so. The telephone is available, the fax is available, and there is no need to travel. Yes, if it were the case that the one who died was among the closest people to you, such as your brother, and he died at your mother and father’s place, and you went to them to offer condolences, then it may be said that, if Allah wills, there is nothing wrong with that. But merely because he is a friend or a distant relative, one should not travel to him, because of the religious innovation in gathering for condolences, which was not known in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Jarir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bajali said: “They counted gathering at the home of the deceased and preparing food as part of wailing”. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.