This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
Allah Almighty said in the Quran: Death will surely come to everyone.
Reference: (Al Imran:185)
During the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, believers continued to pass away, and whatever the Prophet ﷺ did upon their passing, we should also do the same. Deviating from the Sunnah is a very dangerous matter.[وَ لَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَوۡفِ وَ الۡجُوۡعِ وَ نَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَ الۡاَنۡفُسِ وَ الثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ وَ بَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ]،[ الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَتۡہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ ۙ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ]،[ اُولٰٓئِکَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ صَلَوٰتٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہِمۡ وَ رَحۡمَۃٌ ۟ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡمُہۡتَدُوۡنَ]
[And certainly We will test you with fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient], [Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return"], [
(من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد)
(فمن رغب عن سنتي فليس مني)
[3] Sayyida Umm Atiyah (may Allah be pleased with her) (a female companion) had a son who passed away. On the third day, she ordered yellow perfume to be brought and applied it to her body, saying that it is forbidden for us to mourn anyone for more than three days except for the husband.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Funerals, Chapter: A Woman's Mourning for Someone Other Than Her Husband: 1279
[4] When the news of the death of Sayyiduna Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the land of the evening, Umm al-Mu'minin Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) ordered yellow perfume on the third day and applied it to her cheeks and arms, saying (I am a widow) I had no need for perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: A woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not mourn any dead person for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Funerals, Chapter: A Woman's Mourning for Someone Other Than Her Husband: 1280
[5] Sayyida Zainab bint Abi Salmah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that I went to Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was a respected wife of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: A woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not mourn for a dead person for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days. Then I went to Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Zainab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her). When her brother passed away, she ordered perfume to be brought and applied it, then she said, what need do I have for perfume? The matter is that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: A woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not mourn for a dead person for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Funerals, Chapter: A Woman's Mourning for Someone Other Than Her Husband: 1281, 1282], [Muslim, Book of Divorce, Chapter on the Obligation of Mourning in the Case of Death... etc.: 1486, 1487 ... to the end of the chapter
And in Muslim, there are seven hadiths on this subject.
[6] When the news of the death of Sayyiduna Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) reached, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Prepare food for the family of Jafar (may Allah be pleased with them), because they have been afflicted by a calamity that has occupied them.
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Funerals, Chapter on Food Prepared for the Family of the Deceased: 998], [Abu Dawood, Book of Funerals, Chapter on Preparing Food for the Family of the Deceased: 3132], [Ibn Majah, Chapters on Funerals, Chapter on Food Sent to the Family of the Deceased: 1610
[1] Other than visiting the grave and standing there to pray, nothing else is established from the Sunnah. Consolation after three days is disliked. In non-Arab cities, spreading carpets is a very bad practice. There is no objection to preparing food for the afflicted, but it is not permissible for the afflicted to hold a feast on the third day. Building any structure on the grave is disliked. Building a mosque on the grave is disliked.
Reference: (Fatawa Alamgiri: 263/2 to 265)
. Mourning means that a person leaves their daily routine and sits at home.Mourning for three days is permissible; more than three days is forbidden.
Reference: (Malabad:80)
Prostrating at the graves of the Prophets, peace be upon them, and the great saints, may Allah have mercy on them, and circumambulating around them (performing tawaf), asking them for wishes, and making vows in their name is forbidden. In fact, many of these actions lead to disbelief. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has cursed those who perform these acts.
Reference: (Malabad:80, 82)
[3]Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Abu al-Tayyah (may Allah have mercy on him) to level the grave that is elevated and to erase any form on it, and he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had sent me with the same order. Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) said that building a structure over the grave is disliked, and mourning should not last more than three days. In non-Arab lands, those who spread mats and sit on roadsides, this is a very reprehensible act. According to Imam Abu Hanifa, his companions, and all the scholars unanimously, no one has the power to make the dead hear their voice, but when Allah wills, the dead hears. Cooking food for the deceased and feeding those who gather is a prohibited dislike (makruh tahrimi)... This innovation is very reprehensible in this era.
Reference: (Hidayah: 922 to 925)
[4]The third, tenth, and fortieth days are highly blameworthy and innovations. Reciting Fatiha is a common innovation.
Reference: (Bahishti Zewar: 89/6, 90)
Reciting Quran over graves is disliked and an innovation.
Reference: (Alamgiri: 81/9 and Hidayah: 314/4)
A solid grave should not be built.
Reference: (Durr-e-Mukhtar: 468/1, 469, Kanz al-Iman: 69)
Building a structure on the grave as decoration is forbidden.
Reference: (Durr-e-Mukhtar: 469/1)
Building tall structures and lighting lamps on the graves of the friends of Allah is an innovation and forbidden.
Reference: (Darmukhtar, Hidayah, Malabad)
Summary of the Writing:
The actions from which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us: we have definitely done those actions, even though we have no evidence.
[1] Actions that are not established from Allah Almighty and His beloved Messenger ﷺ will be rejected.
[2] People consume the wealth of orphans upon their death, for which there is a severe warning in the Quran. Eating food from the houses of those afflicted is forbidden according to the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
Reference: (Hidayah:925/1)
And then, unlawfully consuming the wealth of orphans is an even worse matter.[3] Eating food from the houses where death has occurred is forbidden.
[4] Mourning for more than three days is forbidden, and among the non-Arabs, those who spread mats or similar items on the floor and sit on the ground, this is a very bad practice. The customary Fatiha, the thirteenth, the tenth, and the fortieth day are not established by Shariah. Apart from visiting the grave and praying for the owner of the grave, nothing else is proven from the Sunnah. Besides this, whatever is done at graves, such as building a solid grave, holding Urs, placing flowers on the grave, washing the grave, making vows and offerings, distributing food, appealing to the people of the grave, kissing graves, lighting lamps, rubbing the body on graves, etc., all these acts are against Shariah.
[5] It is thus proven that those who recite Fatiha repeatedly, on the tenth, fortieth day, and those who perform un-Islamic acts at graves have neither followed the Quran, nor the Hadith, nor the rulings of Fiqh in this matter because they have become uncontrollable. All these acts that the Ummah of Muhammad is currently performing at graves were done by the polytheists of Makkah, Christians, and Jews at their graves, as has been proven. Now these people are following the Jews, Christians, and polytheists of Makkah and do not believe in it, just as they did not believe. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: My Ummah will surely follow in the footsteps of the Jews and Christians.
In Ahmed Raza Khani's translation with commentary, there is repeated mention of Fatiha, the third, seventh, fortieth days, Urs, matters related to the dead and graves, and other innovations. However, according to Hadith and Hanafi jurisprudence, mourning for more than three days is not established. According to Hadith and Hanafi jurisprudence, apart from visiting graves and praying for those in the graves, nothing else is absolutely established regarding graves. And whatever other actions people perform besides these two are without justification and without any authentic basis. During Fatiha, the third day, etc., these people unlawfully consume the property of orphans. The Quran contains a severe warning against unlawfully consuming the property of orphans. See:
Reference: Ahmed Raza Khan Sahib's translation with commentary of Surah An-Nisa (10, 24)
in which it is written that unlawfully consuming the property of orphans is like eating fire, because it is a cause of punishment. In the noble Hadith, it is stated: On the Day of Resurrection, those who have consumed the property of orphans will be raised in such a way that smoke will come out from their graves, mouths, and ears, so people will recognize that this person is one who consumed the property of orphans.The Holy Quran states that the dead do not listen:
[اِنَّکَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ الۡمَوۡتٰی وَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَآءَ اِذَا وَلَّوۡا مُدۡبِرِیۡنَ] But you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and flee.
Reference: An-Naml:80
[فَاِنَّکَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ الۡمَوۡتٰی وَ لَا تُسۡمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَآءَ اِذَا وَلَّوۡا مُدۡبِرِیۡنَ] Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and flee.
Reference: Ar-Rum:52
[وَ مَا یَسۡتَوِی الۡاَعۡمٰی وَ الۡبَصِیۡرُ]،[وَ لَا الظُّلُمٰتُ وَ لَا النُّوۡرُ]،[وَ لَا الظِّلُّ وَ لَا الۡحَرُوۡرُ]،[وَ مَا یَسۡتَوِی الۡاَحۡیَآءُ وَ لَا الۡاَمۡوَاتُ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یُسۡمِعُ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ۚ وَ مَاۤ اَنۡتَ بِمُسۡمِعٍ مَّنۡ فِی الۡقُبُوۡرِ]
[And the blind and the seeing are not equal], [nor are the darkness and the light], [nor the shade and the heat], [nor are the living and the dead equal. Indeed, Allah makes hear whom He wills, but you cannot make those in the graves hear.]
Reference: Fatir:19 to 22
(Meaning) Just as no speech can be conveyed to the dead in the graves, similarly, O Prophet! you cannot convey the truth to those whose hearts have been made dead by disbelief.
Those deceased whom people call upon or worship besides Allah are unaware of their calling and worship:
[وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ لَا یَخۡلُقُوۡنَ شَیۡئًا وَّ ہُمۡ یُخۡلَقُوۡنَ]،[اَمۡوَاتٌ غَیۡرُ اَحۡیَآءٍ ۚوَ مَا یَشۡعُرُوۡنَ ۙاَیَّانَ یُبۡعَثُوۡنَ]
[And those whom they call upon besides Allah do not create anything, and they themselves are created], [they are dead, not alive, and they do not know when they will be resurrected.]
Reference: An-Nahl:21,20
Those whom you call besides Allah are themselves creations of Allah. So how can the Creator and the creation be equal? Yet you have equated them with Allah by calling upon them. Do you not think at all? The dead also refer to inanimate objects (stones) which are lifeless and unconscious, and also to deceased righteous people because after death, being raised again, which they are unaware of, applies more accurately to the righteous than to inanimate objects. They are not only called dead but it is further clarified that they are not alive. This also clearly refutes the grave worshippers who say that those buried in graves are not dead but alive, and we call upon the living. From Allah’s statement, it is understood that after death, no worldly life can be granted to anyone, nor does any connection with this world remain. Then how can any benefit, reward, or punishment be expected from them?
And in Surah Fatir, Allah Almighty said: [یُوۡلِجُ الَّیۡلَ فِی النَّہَارِ وَ یُوۡلِجُ النَّہَارَ فِی الَّیۡلِ ۙوَ سَخَّرَ الشَّمۡسَ وَ الۡقَمَرَ ۫ۖکُلٌّ یَّجۡرِیۡ لِاَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی ؕذٰلِکُمُ اللّٰہُ رَبُّکُمۡ لَہُ الۡمُلۡکُ ؕوَ الَّذِیۡنَ تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ مَا یَمۡلِکُوۡنَ مِنۡ قِطۡمِیۡرٍ]،[اِنۡ تَدۡعُوۡہُمۡ لَا یَسۡمَعُوۡا دُعَآءَکُمۡ ۚوَ لَوۡ سَمِعُوۡا مَا اسۡتَجَابُوۡا لَکُمۡ ؕ وَ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ یَکۡفُرُوۡنَ بِشِرۡکِکُمۡ ؕوَ لَا یُنَبِّئُکَ مِثۡلُ خَبِیۡرٍ]
[He causes the night to enter the day, and the day to enter the night, and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running for an appointed term. That is Allah, your Lord; His is the sovereignty, and those whom you call upon besides Him do not possess even the shell of a date seed.] [If you call them, they do not hear your call, and if they hear, they will not respond to you, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your association of partners with Allah, and no one will give you any news like one who is well-informed.]
Reference: Fatir: 14, 13
Allah Almighty is the doer of all the mentioned actions, and besides Him, those whom you call upon are not even the owners of such a trivial thing nor are they capable of creating it. Qatmīr refers to the thin skin that lies between the date and its pit. This thin peel is wrapped around the pit like a cover. It is further stated: If you call upon them in distress, they do not hear your call at all. Because they are inanimate objects or buried under the soil, and even if, hypothetically, they do hear, it is of no benefit. Because they cannot act according to your supplications, and on the Day of Judgment, they will say that they had no knowledge of your calling. We were completely unaware of this calling. From these verses, it is also understood that those who are worshipped or called upon besides Allah are not only stone idols but may also include intelligent beings (angels, jinn, devils, and righteous people). Otherwise, how would they deny it? It is also understood that calling upon them for the fulfillment of needs is shirk (associating partners with Allah). Allah Almighty is All-Knowing of everything, but those whom people call besides Allah are powerless; they do not hear the call and will deny this calling on the Day of Judgment.
In Surah Al-Ahqaf it is stated:
[قُلۡ اَرَءَیۡتُمۡ مَّا تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ اَرُوۡنِیۡ مَاذَا خَلَقُوۡا مِنَ الۡاَرۡضِ اَمۡ لَہُمۡ شِرۡکٌ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ ؕ اِیۡتُوۡنِیۡ بِکِتٰبٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ ہٰذَاۤ اَوۡ اَثٰرَۃٍ مِّنۡ عِلۡمٍ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ]،[ وَ مَنۡ اَضَلُّ مِمَّنۡ یَّدۡعُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ مَنۡ لَّا یَسۡتَجِیۡبُ لَہٗۤ اِلٰی یَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ وَ ہُمۡ عَنۡ دُعَآئِہِمۡ غٰفِلُوۡنَ]،[ وَ اِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ کَانُوۡا لَہُمۡ اَعۡدَآءً وَّ کَانُوۡا بِعِبَادَتِہِمۡ کٰفِرِیۡنَ]
[Say, have you considered those whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created from the earth, or do they have partnership in the heavens? Bring me a scripture before this or a trace of knowledge if you should be truthful.] [And who is more astray than one who calls upon those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection and they, of their invocation, are unaware.] [And when the people are gathered, they will be enemies to them, and they will deny their worship.]
Reference: Al-Ahqaf:4-6
Allah Almighty created the earth and the heavens; He is the Owner of those whom these people invoke besides Allah. They are not creators of anything, nor do they have any share in Allah’s dominion. Therefore, calling upon them is purely false, and they have no evidence for invoking anyone other than Allah. Hence, calling upon others besides Allah is a great misguidance. Moreover, these stone idols or deceased persons whom they invoke are incapable of responding until the Day of Resurrection, and not only incapable but also unaware. This same message is conveyed in many other places in the Holy Quran. Such as:
Reference: (Yunus:29), (Al-Ahqaf:5, 6), (Maryam:81, 82), (An-Nahl:86), (Al-Kahf:52), (Al-Ankabut:25)
[اَلَمۡ یَرَوۡا کَمۡ اَہۡلَکۡنَا قَبۡلَہُمۡ مِّنَ الۡقُرُوۡنِ اَنَّہُمۡ اِلَیۡہِمۡ لَا یَرۡجِعُوۡنَ]
Have they not seen that We destroyed before them of generations those who are greater than them in power, and they will not return to them?
Reference: Ya-Sin:31
[وَ حَرٰمٌ عَلٰی قَرۡیَۃٍ اَہۡلَکۡنٰہَاۤ اَنَّہُمۡ لَا یَرۡجِعُوۡنَ]And the cities We destroyed have never returned to them, nor will they ever return.
Reference: Al-Anbiya:95
(That is) the town which We destroyed, it is forbidden for it to return in the world. It is in the Quran that the blind and the seeing are not equal, darkness and light are not equal, shade and sunlight are not equal, the living and the dead are not equal, Allah makes whom He wills hear, and you (O Prophet) cannot make those in the graves hear.
Reference: (See: Fatir:19, 22), (Hidayah: 314)
It is stated that the dead do not hear. According to Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, and his companions and all the scholars unanimously, no one has the power to make the dead hear his voice, but when Allah wills, the dead hear.
Reference: (Hidayah: 922/1 to 925)
Earlier, in the discussion of this book on Tawheed in Knowledge and Shirk in Knowledge, through seventeen different narrations, it has been proven that after the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, it is not known what his Ummah is doing, so what to say about other elders?
The belief in hearing of the dead is against the Quran. The dead cannot hear anyone’s speech, except for two cases which are exempted where the explicit hearing is proven by the text.
[1] It is mentioned in a hadith that when people bury a dead body and return, the dead person hears the sound of their shoes.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari:1338
[2] The martyrs of the Battle of Badr, to whom the voice of the Prophet ﷺ was miraculously made audible by Allah Almighty.
Reference: Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Qatl Abi Jahl: 3976
Apart from these two hadiths, all other hadiths regarding the hearing of the dead are extremely weak or even fabricated, and they are also against the Quran and authentic hadiths.
