The Ruling on Lamentation over the Dead
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Question:
This listener from Libya says: Some women say: Allah permits lamentation and wailing for three days, which are the first days of the condolence period. I know that this is ignorance, so what do we advise these ignorant women? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Yes, as you mentioned, lamentation is absolutely forbidden, and this statement made by some people that it is permissible for three days is false; it has no basis. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 103a And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 104a.
And: is the one who raises her voice at the time of calamity, and : is the one who shaves her hair at the time of calamity, and : is the one who tears her garment at the time of calamity.
And he said -may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him-:Mishkat al-Masabih 1727 And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 934, narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
This indicates that lamentation is absolutely forbidden, and that there is a severe threat in it, and that the woman who laments will rise from her grave on the Day of Resurrection wearing a shirt of pitch and a coat of scabs. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 67 This is a severe threat, also narrated by Muslim. Sahih Muslim 67 He called it disbelief, he called it one of the branches of disbelief; two things among people are disbelief: meaning: criticizing people's lineages, diminishing people's lineages. And he said -may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him-: Sahih Muslim 927b.
So it is obligatory to beware of lamentation, tearing garments, slapping cheeks, and supplicating with the supplications of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. This is what is obligatory for the relatives of the deceased and his friends: that they fear Allah and that they beware of these detestable actions.
As for crying with tears in the eyes, there is nothing wrong with it. The fact that the eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, there is no blame. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when his son Ibrahim died, said -may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him-:Sahih al-Bukhari 1303 Thus he said -may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him-. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Ibn Hibban 11:272 meaning: lamentation. Leaving it is obedience to Allah, and in it is reward, while in lamentation is sin. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. If a person is overcome, O Shaykh, and his voice rises with crying without intending to lament, what is your guidance?
The Shaykh: He must treat himself and beware. If something overcomes him, we hope that there is nothing upon him, but he must treat himself and beware of raising his voice.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
This listener from Libya says: Some women say: Allah permits lamentation and wailing for three days, which are the first days of the condolence period. I know that this is ignorance, so what do we advise these ignorant women? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Yes, as you mentioned, lamentation is absolutely forbidden, and this statement made by some people that it is permissible for three days is false; it has no basis. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He is not one of us (one among the Ummah of Islam) who beat the cheeks or tore the front opening of the shirt or uttered the slogans of (the days of) Jahiliya (ignorance).
ليس منا من ضرب الخدود، أو شق الجيوب، أو دعا بدعوى الجاهليةI have no concern with one with whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has no concern, Verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has no concern with that woman who wails loudly, shaves her hair and tears (her garment in grief).
أنا بريء من الصالقة، والحالقة، والشاقةAnd
The wailer
الصالقةThe shaver
الحالقةThe tearer
الشاقةAnd he said -may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him-:
Among my people there are four characteristics belonging to the pre-Islamic period which they do not abandon: boasting of high rank, reviling other people’s genealogies, seeking rain by the stars, and wailing.
أربع في أمتي من أمر الجاهلية لا يتركونهن: الفخر بالأحساب، والطعن في الأنساب، والاستسقاء بالنجوم، والنياحة على الميتIf the wailing woman does not repent before she dies, she will be made to stand on the Day of Resurrection wearing a garment of pitch and a chemise of mange.
النائحة إذا لم تتب قبل موتها تقام يوم القيامة، وعليها سربال من قطران، ودرع من جربThis indicates that lamentation is absolutely forbidden, and that there is a severe threat in it, and that the woman who laments will rise from her grave on the Day of Resurrection wearing a shirt of pitch and a coat of scabs. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Two (things) are found among men which are tantamount to unbelief: slandering one's lineage and lamentation on the dead.
اثنتان في الناس هما بهم كفر: الطعن في النسب، والنياحة على الميتTwo (things) are found among men which are tantamount to unbelief
اثنتان في الناس هما بهم كفرCasting aspersions on lineage
الطعن في النسبAnd lamentation over the dead.
والنياحة على الميتThe dead is punished in the grave because of wailing on it.
الميت يعذب في قبره بما نيح عليهSo it is obligatory to beware of lamentation, tearing garments, slapping cheeks, and supplicating with the supplications of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. This is what is obligatory for the relatives of the deceased and his friends: that they fear Allah and that they beware of these detestable actions.
As for crying with tears in the eyes, there is nothing wrong with it. The fact that the eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, there is no blame. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when his son Ibrahim died, said -may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him-:
The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord, O Ibrahim ! Indeed we are grieved by your separation.
العين تدمع، والقلب يحزن، ولا نقول إلا ما يرضي الرب، وإنا بفراقك يا إبراهيم لمحزونونIndeed, Allah does not punish for the tears of the eye or the grief of the heart, but He punishes for this, or shows mercy, and he pointed to his tongue.
إن الله لا يعذب بدمع العين، ولا بحزن القلب، ولكن يعذب بهذا، أو يرحم، وأشار إلى لسانهThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good. If a person is overcome, O Shaykh, and his voice rises with crying without intending to lament, what is your guidance?
The Shaykh: He must treat himself and beware. If something overcomes him, we hope that there is nothing upon him, but he must treat himself and beware of raising his voice.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.