Rules and Issues of Funeral
Illness as expiation for sins:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“Allah Almighty cleanses a Muslim of his sins through illness just as fire cleans gold and silver of impurities.”
❀ And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“When any harm befalls a Muslim, Allah expiates his sins because of it just as a tree sheds its leaves in autumn.”
❀ And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Any affliction that befalls a Muslim, even a thorn prick, Allah forgives his sins because of it and raises his ranks.”
Actions to be done during illness:
❀ The patient should be patient with the illness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“It is amazing for a believer that all his affairs are good for him, and this goodness is only for the believer. If he experiences happiness, he thanks Allah, and that is good for him; and if he experiences hardship, he is patient, and that is good for him as well.”
❀ One should not become weary of illness and wish for death. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“If a person is afflicted with any hardship or illness, he should never wish for death because of it. If he must pray, he should say: O my Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and cause me to die if death is better for me.”
❀ One should have good expectations from Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“No one should die except in a state of having good expectations from Allah.”
❀ The Prophet (peace be upon him) went to a young man who was in his final moments and asked: “How do you feel?” He said: “I hope for Allah’s mercy and fear my sins.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If these two things arise in a person’s heart at the time of death, Allah fulfills his hope and protects him from anxiety.”
❀ If a person has the rights of others upon him, he should fulfill them; otherwise, he should make a will regarding them.
❀ The will should be in written form. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“If a Muslim has anything to bequeath, it is not permissible for him to pass two nights without having a written will with him.”
❀ If the deceased did not get the opportunity to make a will, it is still obligatory upon the heirs to pay off his debts from the inheritance.
❀ If a person wants to give some of his inheritance in the way of Allah, he should make a will.
❀ The conditions for bequeathing wealth are as follows:
➊ One can bequeath up to one-third of the wealth, not more than that.
➋ One cannot bequeath wealth in favor of an heir.
➌ An heir cannot be deprived of his lawful share.
➍ Two men should be made witnesses when making a will.
Changing a Will:
❀ Changing someone’s will is forbidden.
❀ If the will is not according to the Quran and Sunnah, it is obligatory upon the heirs to change it according to the Quran and Sunnah.
❀ The will must be fulfilled before the distribution of inheritance.
Bequeathing Good Deeds:
❀ Besides wealth, one can also bequeath for religious deeds, as the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, advised the Ummah about many deeds at his last moments.
❀ And Sayyiduna Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, may Allah be pleased with him, made a will while dying:
“When I die, do not trouble me; I fear that you will lament. Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbid lamentation.”
The Importance of Visiting the Sick:
❀ One should definitely visit a Muslim patient. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
عُودُوا الْمَرِيضَ
“Visit the sick.”
❀ And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
إن الله عز وجل يقول يوم القيامة يا ابن آدم مرضت فلم تعدني قال يا رب كيف أعودك وأنت رب العالمين قال أما علمت أن عبدي فلانا مرض فلم تعده أما علمت أنك لو عدته لوجدتني عنده
“On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will say: O son of Adam! I was sick but you did not visit Me. He will say: O my Lord! How could I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? Allah Almighty will say: Did you not know that My such-and-such servant was sick, but you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited that sick person, you would have found Me with him?”
The Virtue of Visiting the Sick:
❀ When a person goes to visit a patient, Allah Almighty is with the patient.
❀ And the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever comes to visit his Muslim brother, he picks the fruits of Paradise until he sits down by the patient. When he sits, mercy covers him. If the visit is in the morning, seventy thousand angels pray for him until the evening, and if it is in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for him until the morning.”
Etiquettes of Visiting the Sick:
❀ While observing Islamic limits, a man and a woman can visit each other, provided there is no fear of temptation.
❀ The patient should be comforted and encouraged to be patient.
❀ The patient should be comforted with these words, or similar words:
لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى
“It is nothing, God willing, this illness will cleanse sins.”
Method of Ruqyah (spiritual healing) for the patient:
❀ The method of ruqyah (spiritual healing) is to pass your hand over the patient’s body, i.e., the affected area, and recite the following supplications, or recite the supplications, blow on your hands, and then pass your hands over the patient’s body:
➊ لَا بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى
➋ أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to recite this supplication seven times near the patient; if his time of death has not come, he will surely be healed:
➌ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
“O Lord of mankind! Remove this trouble and heal, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no disease behind.”
➍ Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq, and Surah An-Nas for ruqyah.
➎ Recite Surah Al-Fatiha for ruqyah.
➏ Recite بسم الله three times and this supplication seven times:
أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
➐ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنٍ حَاسِدٍ، اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
Things to do for a person near death:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لقنوا موتاكم لا إلٰه إلا الله
“Recite La ilaha illallah to a person who is near death.”
Because whoever’s last word in life is لا إله إلا الله will enter Paradise.
❀ The sick person should be asked to recite لا إله إلا الله, not just recited to them.
❀ If a disbeliever is sick, they should also be visited and invited to Islam.
❀ If a disbeliever accepts the invitation to Islam near death, they will be considered a Muslim. Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
A Jewish boy used to serve the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. He became ill, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to visit him. Sitting near his head, he said: Accept Islam! The boy looked towards his father sitting nearby, who said: Obey Abu al-Qasim, peace be upon him. So he accepted Islam, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, left saying: All praise is due to Allah who saved him from the fire.
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
إذا حضرتم المريض أو الميت فقولوا خيرا فإن الملائكة يؤمنون علىٰ ما تقولون
“When you visit the sick or sit by the deceased, speak good words, for the angels say Ameen to your words.”
The hadith about reciting Surah Yaseen near a person close to death is very weak; it is not appropriate to act upon it.
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❀ There is no authentic hadith proving that the face of a person near death should be turned towards the Qiblah; rather, there is evidence against it. For example, when Sayyiduna Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib, may Allah have mercy on him, fainted, on the advice of Abu Salamah, may Allah have mercy on him, his bed was turned towards the Qiblah. When Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib regained consciousness at night, he said: “Return my bed to how it was before.”
Responsibilities of attendees after death:
❀ When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ reached Sayyiduna Abu Salamah رضي الله عنه after his death, his eyes were open, so the Prophet ﷺ closed them.
Similarly, the mouth of the deceased should also be closed, and the hands and feet should be straightened so that they do not stiffen.
❀ The deceased should be covered with cloth. Sayyidah Aisha رضي الله عنها says:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was covered with a Yemeni sheet after his death.
❀ The preparation and shrouding should be done quickly and the body should be made ready for the funeral. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
أَسْرِعُوا بِالْجَنَازَةِ
“Prepare the funeral and take it quickly.”
❀ Speak well about the deceased. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
لا تدعوا علىٰ أنفسكم إلا بخير فإن الملائكة يؤمنون علىٰ ما تقولون
“Speak good (about yourself and your brothers), for indeed the angels say Ameen to what you say.”
❀ One should be patient with the grief caused by the separation from the deceased. Allah the Exalted says:
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
“Indeed, those who are patient when calamity strikes them and say: إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ (Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return).”
❀ The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
ما لعبدي المؤمن عندي جزاء إذا قبضت صفيه من أهل الدنيا ثم احتسبه إلا الجنة
“For my believing servant, if I take away something dear to him from this world and he is patient with the intention of reward, then his recompense with Me is nothing but Paradise.”
❀ And the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also said:
“Patience is only valid when it is shown at the beginning of the calamity (because gradually patience comes anyway).”
Permissible Actions at the Time of Death:
❀ It is permissible to kiss the deceased. Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) came to my chamber, looked at the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose face was wrapped in a Yemeni cloth. He removed the cloth from the radiant face, bent down, kissed it, and began to cry.
This also proves that the deceased is not impure, contrary to what some ignorant people think.
❀ Crying is permissible, but uttering words disliked by Allah is forbidden. Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
“When the son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Ibrahim, was dying, tears flowed from his eyes. Abdul Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! Do you also cry (like people)? He (peace be upon him) said: O son of Awf! This is mercy.” Then he cried again and said: “Indeed, the eyes shed tears, the heart is saddened, but we will say only what pleases our Lord.”
❀ It is permissible to inform people to attend the funeral. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) announced the death of Najashi on the day of his death, then took people to the funeral place, formed rows, and led the funeral prayer with four Takbirs.”
❀ Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
“A black man or a black woman used to serve in the mosque. She passed away, and no one informed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) of her death. One day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked about her because she was not seen. When he was told that she had died, he said: Why did you not inform me?”
Prohibited Acts at the Time of Death:
❀ Lamentation is forbidden. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
ليس منا من ضرب الخدود وشق الجيوب ودعا بدعوى الجاهلية
“He is not one of us who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes, and utters ignorant words.”
❀ Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash’ari, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, disassociated himself from the woman (or man) who wails, shaves their head (or pulls hair), and tears their clothes (as a sign of grief).”
❀ Announcing death is permissible, but making announcements everywhere, advertisements, and publicity through newspapers, etc., is not permissible.
Sayyiduna Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
فإني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ينهى عن النعي
“I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbid the publicity of death announcements.”
Signs of a Good Ending:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“Whoever says the last words لا إلٰه إلا الله will enter Paradise.”
❀ And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“A believer dies with the sweat of his forehead.”
Expressing opinions about the deceased:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لا تسبوا الأموات فإنهم قد أفضوا إلىٰ ما قدموا
“Do not speak ill of the deceased, for indeed they have received the recompense for their deeds.”
❀ Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that once two funerals passed by. People spoke good words about one of them, so the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Paradise has become obligatory for him.” And when they spoke ill of the other deceased, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said the same: “Hellfire has become obligatory for him.” Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the reason, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
هذا اثنيتم عليه خيرا فوجبت له الجنة وهذا اثنيتم عليه شرا فوجبت له النار أنتم شهداء الله فى الأرض
“For the deceased whom you praised, Paradise has become obligatory, and for the one you spoke ill of, Hellfire has become obligatory. You people are witnesses on the earth before Allah.”
❀ And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
أيما مسلم شهد له أربعة بخير أدخله الله الجنة
“If four people testify to the goodness of a Muslim, Allah will admit him into Paradise.”
We said: “What if there are three?” He said: “(Yes!) Three as well.” Then we said: “What if there are two?” He said: “Two are also sufficient (for admission into Paradise).”
❀ The mention of oppressive and tyrannical disbelievers can be made in harsh words, as Allah Almighty has done in the Qur’an regarding Pharaoh, Haman, Qarun, etc., and the above-mentioned hadith of Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, also supports this.
Talking about someone’s fate:
❀ Some people consider a good person as definitively forgiven by themselves, certifying them as a person of Paradise or a friend of Allah, which is not permissible. Umm al-Alaa رضي الله عنها said:
Our master Uthman bin Maz’oon رضي الله عنه passed away and his funeral rites were performed. At that time, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم came. I said: “O Abu al-Saib! (this is Uthman’s kunya) may Allah have mercy on you, I testify that Allah has honored you.” The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “How do I know that Allah has honored him?” I said: “O Messenger of Allah! My father is sacrificed for you, then who else will Allah honor?” He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Indeed, death has come to him. By Allah! I also hope that Allah will deal well with him, but by Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah, yet I do not know what will happen to me.” Then Sayyida Umm al-Alaa رضي الله عنها said: “By Allah! After today, I will never give such testimony about anyone.”
❀ It is permissible to express hope for goodness regarding a good person, as the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said about Sayyidna Uthman bin Maz’oon رضي الله عنه: “By Allah! I also hope that Allah will deal well with him.”
