Shar‘i Ruling on Prompting the Dying to Say “Lā ilāha illā Allāh”
Taken from: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
Question
At what time should “Lā ilāha illā Allāh” be prompted to a person?
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd:
The time for prompting “Lā ilāha illā Allāh” (talqīn) is when death is near — that is, when a person is in the final moments of life, experiencing the struggle between life and death. At this time, they should be encouraged to utter this statement of faith.
Evidence from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, during the final moments of his uncle Abū Ṭālib’s life, came to him and said:
«يَا عَمِّ قُلْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ، كَلِمَةً أُحَاجُ لَكَ بِهَا عِندَ اللّٰهِ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, al-Janā’iz, Bāb idhā Qāla al-Mushrik ʿinda al-Mawt Lā Ilāha Illā Allāh, Ḥadīth 1360;
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, al-Īmān, Bāb al-Dalīl ʿalā Ṣiḥḥat Islām man Ḥaḍarahu al-Mawt, Ḥadīth 24)
“O uncle! Say ‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh’ — a statement with which I will testify on your behalf before Allah, or present it as evidence for you.”
Sadly, Abū Ṭālib did not say this statement and died upon shirk — and we seek Allah’s refuge from such an end.
Talqīn After Burial
Prompting “Lā ilāha illā Allāh” after burial is a bid‘ah (innovation), because no authentic hadith from the Prophet ﷺ supports it. Instead, one should do the actions authentically reported from him ﷺ.
The Sunnah Du‘ā at the Grave
As reported by Imām Abū Dāwūd, when the Prophet ﷺ had finished burying a deceased person, he would stand by the grave and say:
«اِسْتَغْفِرُوا لِأَخِيكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوا لَهُ التَّثْبِيتَ، فَإِنَّهُ الْآنَ يُسْأَلُ»
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, al-Janā’iz, Bāb al-Istighfār ʿinda al-Qabr lil-Mayt fī Waqt al-Inṣirāf, Ḥadīth 3221)
“Ask forgiveness for your brother and pray for his steadfastness, for now he is being questioned.”
Reciting Qur’an or Talqīn at the Grave
Sitting by the grave to recite the Qur’an, or going to the grave to prompt the deceased, are bid‘ah and baseless acts with no foundation in the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
