If a person dies and is buried, is it permissible to pray over him while he is in the grave?
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The questioner : If a person dies and is buried, is it permissible to pray over him while he is in the grave?
The Shaykh : Praying over a deceased person after his burial, for one who did not pray over him initially, is prescribed. This is because it is established that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed over a grave after the burial of the deceased, where he had not prayed over him before. However, is there a specific time limit for praying over the grave, or is it unrestricted?
Some scholars stated that it is limited to one month, and that one does not pray over the grave after a month has passed.
Others said that one should pray over him even if the period exceeds one month, and this is the correct position, on the condition that this deceased person died at a time when the one praying over him was among those who perform the funeral prayer. If this deceased person died before the one praying over him reached the age of seven years, then he does not pray over him.
Therefore, it is not prescribed for us to pray over the people of al-Baqi' who died in distant times. The correct view is that it is not restricted by a time limit, except that it is necessary that the one who wants to pray over the grave is someone who reached the age of performing the funeral prayer, meaning the deceased died when he was seven years old or approximately that age.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Praying over a deceased person after his burial, for one who did not pray over him initially, is prescribed. This is because it is established that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed over a grave after the burial of the deceased, where he had not prayed over him before. However, is there a specific time limit for praying over the grave, or is it unrestricted?
Some scholars stated that it is limited to one month, and that one does not pray over the grave after a month has passed.
Others said that one should pray over him even if the period exceeds one month, and this is the correct position, on the condition that this deceased person died at a time when the one praying over him was among those who perform the funeral prayer. If this deceased person died before the one praying over him reached the age of seven years, then he does not pray over him.
Therefore, it is not prescribed for us to pray over the people of al-Baqi' who died in distant times. The correct view is that it is not restricted by a time limit, except that it is necessary that the one who wants to pray over the grave is someone who reached the age of performing the funeral prayer, meaning the deceased died when he was seven years old or approximately that age.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.