What is the ruling on praying for the absent?
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The questioner : FudayriyyahThe Shaykh : A man had a relative who passed away in Jeddah. The people there prayed for him and washed his body. He lives about two hundred and fifty kilometers away from that area. His uncle did not attend, and the imam of a mosque located two hundred and fifty kilometers away gathered the people and prayed the prayer for the absent for his uncle. Many people died in that same year for whom they did not pray. Should we rebuke him and say: It is obligatory...?
The Shaykh : We tell him calmly: Do you have evidence for this?
The questioner : The evidence of the Najashi.
The Shaykh : It does not contradict [the ruling]. If he says, "I have the evidence of the Najashi," we say: The Najashi was a king in Abyssinia, a leader who died in a non-Muslim land. It was not known that he had been prayed for, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for him. But did not many people die during the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in places other than Madinah for whom he did not pray? He will say: Yes. So how do you pray for these people?
The questioner : He prayed for his uncle and left the others.
The Shaykh : Furthermore, praying for your uncle or relative in the gathering of the people without permission from the one in authority is wrong. Pray for him in your home with your family... as you wish. But imposing this on the Muslims behind you is not correct. Some of them may dislike your uncle and not see any merit in him such that they would pray the prayer for the absent for him. We say: The prayer for the absent is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from the Companions, and it did not occur except in one specific case, which is the prayer for the Najashi. And the Najashi, as I told you, had a distinction that no one else had. Also, he was in a land of disbelief, meaning Abyssinia had not embraced Islam at that time. So who said that he had been prayed for and that afterwards he prayed for him the prayer for the absent?
If Allah guides the man with this, that is what is required. Otherwise, he is told: Write a letter to the Department of Ifta and ask them for a ruling on that.
The questioner : ...for the prayer for the absent, this.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ...for the prayer for the absent, this.
The Shaykh : If it becomes prescribed, it is beneficial; and if it is not prescribed, it is not beneficial.
The Shaykh : We tell him calmly: Do you have evidence for this?
The questioner : The evidence of the Najashi.
The Shaykh : It does not contradict [the ruling]. If he says, "I have the evidence of the Najashi," we say: The Najashi was a king in Abyssinia, a leader who died in a non-Muslim land. It was not known that he had been prayed for, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for him. But did not many people die during the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in places other than Madinah for whom he did not pray? He will say: Yes. So how do you pray for these people?
The questioner : He prayed for his uncle and left the others.
The Shaykh : Furthermore, praying for your uncle or relative in the gathering of the people without permission from the one in authority is wrong. Pray for him in your home with your family... as you wish. But imposing this on the Muslims behind you is not correct. Some of them may dislike your uncle and not see any merit in him such that they would pray the prayer for the absent for him. We say: The prayer for the absent is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from the Companions, and it did not occur except in one specific case, which is the prayer for the Najashi. And the Najashi, as I told you, had a distinction that no one else had. Also, he was in a land of disbelief, meaning Abyssinia had not embraced Islam at that time. So who said that he had been prayed for and that afterwards he prayed for him the prayer for the absent?
If Allah guides the man with this, that is what is required. Otherwise, he is told: Write a letter to the Department of Ifta and ask them for a ruling on that.
The questioner : ...for the prayer for the absent, this.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ...for the prayer for the absent, this.
The Shaykh : If it becomes prescribed, it is beneficial; and if it is not prescribed, it is not beneficial.