The Ruling on Consoling the Family of a Disobedient Deceased Person
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Sometimes a person dies, either by intentionally committing suicide, or a drunkard who consumed an intoxicant containing a large amount of alcohol or intoxicants leading to death, or a person who was killed in an act of aggression to get rid of his evil. Is it permissible to console the mother of the deceased due to one of these causes, or anyone related to him by kinship? I hesitate a lot about whether to go or not, so I turned to you to guide me to what pleases Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). May Allah reward you with good and be pleased with you?
Answer: Yes, there is nothing wrong with consoling the family; in fact, it is recommended to console them, even if it is in this case, and even if he was a sinner. If he committed suicide, or if he was killed by one who aggressed against him, or if he was killed by retaliation (qisas), or if he was killed by a fixed punishment (hadd) such as a married man who committed zina, and likewise if he drank alcohol until he died as a result of it, provided he did not consider it permissible and there was nothing in his actions or words that necessitated his apostasy, then he is a sinner and there is no barrier to consoling his family regarding that. There is no barrier to supplicating for him for forgiveness and mercy, and he is washed and prayed over. However, the prominent Muslims, such as the ruler and the judge and the like, do not pray over him. Some people pray over him as a means of deterring his evil deed, if he killed himself or died as a result of consuming intoxicants. As for if he died due to the aggression of others against him, where they wronged him by aggressing against him unjustly, then he is an oppressed person, and he is prayed over and supplicated for. Or likewise, if he died by retaliation, meaning he was killed by retaliation because he killed someone and was then killed by retaliation, this person is also prayed over and supplicated for, and his family is consoled regarding that, if he was a Muslim, provided he did not have anything that necessitated his apostasy. Yes. We ask Allah for well-being.
The presenter: May Allah bless you. So the suicide victim is prayed over, but a group of people other than the prominent ones pray over him?
The Shaykh: Yes; because he committed a great evil. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he was informed about a man who killed himself, said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 1964Sahih (Darussalam) (peace and blessings be upon him).
The presenter: And the rest were left to pray over him?
The Shaykh: Yes, he did not prevent the people. Yes.
Answer: Yes, there is nothing wrong with consoling the family; in fact, it is recommended to console them, even if it is in this case, and even if he was a sinner. If he committed suicide, or if he was killed by one who aggressed against him, or if he was killed by retaliation (qisas), or if he was killed by a fixed punishment (hadd) such as a married man who committed zina, and likewise if he drank alcohol until he died as a result of it, provided he did not consider it permissible and there was nothing in his actions or words that necessitated his apostasy, then he is a sinner and there is no barrier to consoling his family regarding that. There is no barrier to supplicating for him for forgiveness and mercy, and he is washed and prayed over. However, the prominent Muslims, such as the ruler and the judge and the like, do not pray over him. Some people pray over him as a means of deterring his evil deed, if he killed himself or died as a result of consuming intoxicants. As for if he died due to the aggression of others against him, where they wronged him by aggressing against him unjustly, then he is an oppressed person, and he is prayed over and supplicated for. Or likewise, if he died by retaliation, meaning he was killed by retaliation because he killed someone and was then killed by retaliation, this person is also prayed over and supplicated for, and his family is consoled regarding that, if he was a Muslim, provided he did not have anything that necessitated his apostasy. Yes. We ask Allah for well-being.
The presenter: May Allah bless you. So the suicide victim is prayed over, but a group of people other than the prominent ones pray over him?
The Shaykh: Yes; because he committed a great evil. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he was informed about a man who killed himself, said:
As for me, I will not pray for him.
أما أنا فلا أصلي عليهThe presenter: And the rest were left to pray over him?
The Shaykh: Yes, he did not prevent the people. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.