Ruling on Reciting Surat al-Fatihah at Condolences

Question:
This is a question from the listener Muhammad Mukhtar Ahmad from Sudan. He says: We have some customs regarding condolences; among them is that people raise their hands to the family of the deceased and say: "The Fatihah," and they recite Surat al-Fatihah. Is this permissible or not?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
What is prescribed in condolences is to supplicate for the family of the deceased for success, patience, seeking reward, a great reward, and the forgiveness of sins for the deceased. As for raising hands to them and reciting the Fatihah, there is no basis for it.
Raising hands—we do not know what is intended by it. If the intention is shaking hands upon meeting, then there is nothing wrong with that. It is prescribed to shake hands with the one being consoled if he is a man, or if she is a woman who is a mahram to him, such as his maternal aunt, paternal aunt, mother, or the like. So there is nothing wrong with shaking hands with the one being consoled and saying: "May Allah magnify your reward, make your consolation good, forgive your deceased, and console you in your loss." All of this is good. This is said to both men and women. So he shakes hands with the man, and he shakes hands with the woman if she is a mahram to him, such as his sister, paternal aunt, or maternal aunt.
As for women who are not mahrams, they do not shake hands with them. What some people do of shaking hands with women is a mistake and is not permissible. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never touched the hand of a woman—meaning: in the pledge of allegiance. She said: He did not take their pledge except with words."
This indicates to us that a woman who is a stranger is not for a man to shake hands with. However, there is nothing wrong with shaking hands with a woman who is a mahram, such as his mother, grandmother, maternal aunt, paternal aunt, or the like. In condolences and upon meeting, there is nothing wrong with that upon meeting. If he meets his maternal aunt or paternal aunt when he visits her, he shakes her hand and supplicates for her. Or in condolences, he shakes her hand and supplicates for her. Likewise, if he meets a man upon meeting on the road or visits him in his house and shakes his hand, all of this is good. Likewise, in condolences, he shakes his hand and supplicates for him.
As for if raising hands is in a manner other than this, raising hands to the sky without shaking hands, this has no basis.
Likewise, reciting the Fatihah upon meeting the one being consoled has no basis; rather, it is from religious innovations. Yes.

The presenter: He also says: They gather and recite the Book on the basis that its reward goes to the deceased. Also, when they pass by the graves, they raise their hands and recite Surat al-Fatihah as a mercy for the deceased. Is this permissible?

The Shaykh: Likewise, their gathering for recitation at the time of condolences, all of this has no basis. One should console and then leave. One should console and supplicate for them and then leave. As for their gathering at the home of the deceased to recite the Quran, or to recite other things, or for eating and drinking, this has no basis. Rather, the Sunnah is that the neighbors of the deceased or their relatives send them food, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when the news of the death of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib came, when he was killed at Mu'tah in the Levant. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his family: This is the best and this is the Sunnah.
As for the family of the deceased preparing food and gathering people for recitation, or for supplication, or for anything else, this is not from the Sunnah. Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We used to consider gathering at the home of the deceased and preparing food after the burial to be from wailing." This indicates that this is not permissible, it is not befitting, and it is not prescribed; rather, it is contrary to what is prescribed. Yes.

The presenter: Regarding their raising their hands and reciting the Fatihah over the graves?

The Shaykh: Likewise, at the graves, this is also not permissible and has no basis. Do not raise hands at the graves, and do not recite the Quran between the graves. Nor when visiting the graves, this has no basis. But the Sunnah is to supplicate for the deceased and seek forgiveness for them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he visited the graves, would supplicate for the deceased with forgiveness and mercy. And he would teach his Companions, when they visited the graves, to say: And in another narration: He would supplicate for them like this, peace and blessings be upon him.
This indicates to us that the Sunnah in visiting graves is to supplicate for the deceased and seek mercy for them. As for reciting the Quran for them, or raising hands to the sky, or to any gesture, this is something that has no basis.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with the best reward.