What is the ruling on what is called instructing the deceased, which is when one of the deceased's relatives comes an hour after his burial and says to him, "O so-and-so, son of so-and-so, Allah is your Lord and Muhammad..."

The questioner : A questioner says: Some people, when a person dies and is placed in his grave and the burial is finished, one of his relatives, his brother, returns to him and says: "O so-and-so, son of so-and-so! Allah is your Lord, Islam is your religion, and Muhammad is your Prophet!" This is called instructing the deceased. What is your opinion on this?

The Shaykh : Our opinion is that this is a religious innovation (bid'ah), and that it does not benefit the truth in any way. The misguided remains misguided even if he is instructed. And look, when the Dajjal is sent forth, whoever has hypocrisy in his heart, may Allah protect us from that, even if he knows his news, will follow him. But what is established is: and he did not say, "Instruct them." So instructing the deceased after his burial is a religious innovation (bid'ah).