I found in one of the villages that people place a palm frond next to the deceased, claiming that it softens the body of the deceased, and on top of the grave, a bottle filled with water and
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The questioner : I found in one of the villages that people place a palm frond next to the deceased, claiming that it softens the body of the deceased, and on top of the grave, a bottle filled with water and grains. What is the ruling on this practice of theirs? May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
Allah knows best that he means they place it in the grave; that is what appears to be the case. In any case, we say: placing the palm frond with the deceased in the grave, or on the grave after burial, all of this is among the religious innovations (bid'ah) from which one is forbidden, and it does not benefit the deceased. And if anyone among the people claims that placing the palm frond on the grave after burial has a basis in the Sunnah, that is what al-Bukhari and others narrated from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by two graves in Madinah and said: Then he took a fresh palm frond and split it in two, and they said: O Messenger of Allah, why did you do this? He said: Sahih al-Bukhari 6052.
They said: So this Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicated that it lightens the punishment for these two men as long as they do not dry out, so let us place a palm frond on the deceased to lighten his punishment.
So we say: this is a religious innovation (bid'ah), because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not place it on every grave, but rather he placed it on two graves about which it was revealed to him that they were being punished. And placing the palm frond on the grave means that the owner of the grave is being punished, and this is a bad opinion of the deceased and speaking without knowledge. So we do not know whether he is being punished or not.
Therefore, this is forbidden from two angles:
First: that it is a religious innovation (bid'ah), and second: that it is a bad opinion of the deceased, and indeed third: that it is speaking without knowledge.
As for the second strange matter mentioned by the questioner, which is that they place a jar of water and grains around it, perhaps they want to break the fast of the deceased with it every morning; perhaps they think this. And this is a great error; this is nonsense and has absolutely no benefit, and we do not know of anyone who said this.
It is obligatory for this brother who saw the people of this village to advise them and explain to them that this is a religious innovation (bid'ah), nonsense, and foolishness. Perhaps he did that but did not mention it in the question. If it has happened, then that is what is required, and he should follow up, going out to them to see if they have stopped this or not.
And if he has not done so, meaning he has not advised them, let him advise them. Perhaps Allah will guide them through his hand, and that will be good for him in that.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
Allah knows best that he means they place it in the grave; that is what appears to be the case. In any case, we say: placing the palm frond with the deceased in the grave, or on the grave after burial, all of this is among the religious innovations (bid'ah) from which one is forbidden, and it does not benefit the deceased. And if anyone among the people claims that placing the palm frond on the grave after burial has a basis in the Sunnah, that is what al-Bukhari and others narrated from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by two graves in Madinah and said:
They are being punished, and they are not being punished for a great matter—meaning a difficult matter for them—but rather one of them used not to clean himself from urine, and the other used to spread backbiting.
إنهما يعذبان وما يعذبان في كبير -أي في أمر شاق عليهما- أما أحدهما فكان لا يستنزه من البول وأما الآخر فكان يمشي بالنميمةIt is hoped that their punishment may be abated till those two pieces of the leaf get dried.
لعله يخفف عنهما ما لم ييبساThey said: So this Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicated that it lightens the punishment for these two men as long as they do not dry out, so let us place a palm frond on the deceased to lighten his punishment.
So we say: this is a religious innovation (bid'ah), because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not place it on every grave, but rather he placed it on two graves about which it was revealed to him that they were being punished. And placing the palm frond on the grave means that the owner of the grave is being punished, and this is a bad opinion of the deceased and speaking without knowledge. So we do not know whether he is being punished or not.
Therefore, this is forbidden from two angles:
First: that it is a religious innovation (bid'ah), and second: that it is a bad opinion of the deceased, and indeed third: that it is speaking without knowledge.
As for the second strange matter mentioned by the questioner, which is that they place a jar of water and grains around it, perhaps they want to break the fast of the deceased with it every morning; perhaps they think this. And this is a great error; this is nonsense and has absolutely no benefit, and we do not know of anyone who said this.
It is obligatory for this brother who saw the people of this village to advise them and explain to them that this is a religious innovation (bid'ah), nonsense, and foolishness. Perhaps he did that but did not mention it in the question. If it has happened, then that is what is required, and he should follow up, going out to them to see if they have stopped this or not.
And if he has not done so, meaning he has not advised them, let him advise them. Perhaps Allah will guide them through his hand, and that will be good for him in that.