Taken from the book “Rights of Parents and Children” by Shaykh Jāwēd Iqbāl Sīālkōṭī
✿ It Is Permissible to Shed Tears Over the Death of Children or Others
❀ Ḥadīth 1:
عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال:
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دخلنا مع رسولِ اللهِ ﷺ على أبي سيفٍ القينِ، وكان ظِئرًا لإبراهيمَ، فأخذَ رسولُ اللهِ ﷺ إبراهيمَ، فقبَّله وشمَّه، ثم دخلنا عليه بعد ذلك وإبراهيمُ يجودُ بنفسِه، فجعلت عينا رسولِ اللهِ ﷺ تَذْرِفانِ.
فقال له عبدُ الرحمٰنِ بنُ عوفٍ: وأنتَ يا رسولَ اللهِ؟
فقال: يا ابنَ عوفٍ، إنها رحمةٌ، ثم أتبعها بأخرى،
فقال: إن العينَ تدمعُ، والقلبَ يحزنُ، ولا نقولُ إلا ما يَرضى ربُّنا، وإنا بفِراقِكَ يا إبراهيمُ لمحزونونَ
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Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه narrated:
We entered the home of Abū Sayf, the blacksmith, with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Abū Sayf was the husband of the wet nurse of Ibrāhīm (the Prophet’s son). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ picked up Ibrāhīm, kissed him, and hugged him.
Later, we returned and found Ibrāhīm breathing his last. At that moment, the Prophet’s ﷺ eyes began to shed tears.
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf رضي الله عنه asked:
“Even you, O Messenger of Allah?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“O Ibn ʿAwf, this is mercy.”
Then he shed more tears and said:
“The eyes weep, the heart is sorrowful, but we say only what pleases our Lord. O Ibrāhīm, indeed we are grieved at your departure.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Janā’iz – Bāb Qawl al-Nabī: Innā Bika La-Maḥzūnūn: 1303
❀ Ḥadīth 2:
عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال النبي ﷺ:
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إنَّ اللهَ لا يُعذِّبُ بدمعِ العينِ، ولا بحُزنِ القلبِ
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ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah does not punish for the tears of the eyes or the sorrow of the heart.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Janā’iz – Bāb al-Bukāʾ ʿinda al-Marīḍ: 1304
✔ Summary:
✦ Shedding tears and feeling sorrow in the heart at the loss of a loved one is natural and permissible in Islam.
✦ There is no sin or punishment for this emotional response.
✦ What is prohibited is wailing, shouting, or speaking words of displeasure with Allah’s decree.
✦ The Prophet ﷺ himself cried at the death of his beloved son Ibrāhīm and called it a sign of mercy.
