The Ruling on Condolences by Reciting the Qur'an and Offering the Fatihah
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A brother asks and says: In some villages and cities in the Hadramaut Governorate, when a person dies, his closest relatives or family hold a condolence ceremony for his soul. This involves reciting the Qur'an for one or three days in the mosque for the men, and in the house for the women. The recitation concludes with reciting the Fatihah for the soul of our Master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and all his Companions, and for the souls of the deceased who are related to the one who just passed away. During this time, coffee and shisha are distributed to all attendees of this condolence. What is the ruling on this practice? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: This practice is a religious innovation (bid'ah) and is not prescribed. Gathering for one or three days for this recitation, and then concluding with the Fatihah for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), all of this has no basis. However, a believer should come and offer condolences, pray for the forgiveness of their deceased, and for patience, reward, and compensation for the family, and this is sufficient. If they serve him coffee and perfume him, there is nothing wrong with that. But a specific gathering for one, two, three, or more days, involving specific recitation and concluding with the Fatihah, all of this has no basis. It was not done during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor during the time of his Companions. In fact, the scholars have explicitly stated that such a thing is a religious innovation (bid'ah).
What is prescribed for a believer in such a case is that he comes to his brother, whether at his home, on the road, or in the mosque, and says: "May Allah improve your consolation and mend your loss. May Allah forgive your deceased." The other person says: "May Allah reward you with good. May Allah accept from you," and the like. This is sufficient, praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: This practice is a religious innovation (bid'ah) and is not prescribed. Gathering for one or three days for this recitation, and then concluding with the Fatihah for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), all of this has no basis. However, a believer should come and offer condolences, pray for the forgiveness of their deceased, and for patience, reward, and compensation for the family, and this is sufficient. If they serve him coffee and perfume him, there is nothing wrong with that. But a specific gathering for one, two, three, or more days, involving specific recitation and concluding with the Fatihah, all of this has no basis. It was not done during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor during the time of his Companions. In fact, the scholars have explicitly stated that such a thing is a religious innovation (bid'ah).
What is prescribed for a believer in such a case is that he comes to his brother, whether at his home, on the road, or in the mosque, and says: "May Allah improve your consolation and mend your loss. May Allah forgive your deceased." The other person says: "May Allah reward you with good. May Allah accept from you," and the like. This is sufficient, praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.