Funeral Prayer for a Non-Praying Person and the Ruling on His Children
Source: Qur’an o Hadees Ki Roshni Mein Ahkam o Masail – Volume 01
The established position is that:
Two main reasons for not performing the funeral prayer of a non-praying person:
① The non-prayer performer is a disbeliever:
Since abandoning prayer is disbelief (kufr), the funeral prayer for a disbeliever is not offered.
② For the purpose of admonition:
To warn others against neglecting prayer, the Prophet ﷺ refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who committed suicide and for debtors. Abandoning prayer is an even greater sin, thus a fortiori the funeral prayer for a non-praying person should not be offered.
The principle is based on the hadith: "هم من آبائهم" (They are with their fathers).
According to this, the ruling of the children follows that of the parents.
This hadith can be understood in two ways:
Meaning: Just as the disbelieving parents are destined for Hell, their children are also destined for Hell according to Allah’s decree.
Meaning: The children are not necessarily from the people of Hell in the Hereafter, but in worldly (ẓāhirī) Shar‘i rulings — such as funeral prayer, burial, etc. — they are treated like the disbelievers.
Examples:
This shows that in certain Shar‘i rulings, their status is treated as that of the disbelievers, even if in the Hereafter they may enter Paradise.
Then the children of a non-praying person would also come under the same rulings, and their funeral prayer would not be offered.
Two situations arise:
① The children are like their parents and are destined for Hell.
② They ultimately enter Paradise.
Some ahadith support that they could be among the people of Paradise, in which case offering their funeral prayer would not be prohibited.
Objection:
If the non-praying person is a disbeliever, then his children should have the same ruling as the children of other disbelievers, whether the hadith relates to divine decree or worldly rulings.
Answer:
Based on ẓannī disbelief, declaring another person as a disbeliever merely due to being a follower (child) is problematic. In qaṭ‘ī disbelief, this is unanimously allowed.
From this discussion, another issue becomes clear:
⚠ But this is still a matter of great danger — for if the relationship was truly invalid, the children may indeed be illegitimate.
May Allah protect us from this and grant all non-prayer performers the ability to establish prayer so that their progeny remains pure and lawful. Āmīn.
Source: Qur’an o Hadees Ki Roshni Mein Ahkam o Masail – Volume 01
Funeral Prayer for a Non-Praying Person
The established position is that:
Two main reasons for not performing the funeral prayer of a non-praying person:
① The non-prayer performer is a disbeliever:
Since abandoning prayer is disbelief (kufr), the funeral prayer for a disbeliever is not offered.
② For the purpose of admonition:
To warn others against neglecting prayer, the Prophet ﷺ refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who committed suicide and for debtors. Abandoning prayer is an even greater sin, thus a fortiori the funeral prayer for a non-praying person should not be offered.
Ruling on the Children of a Non-Praying Person
The principle is based on the hadith: "هم من آبائهم" (They are with their fathers).
According to this, the ruling of the children follows that of the parents.
This hadith can be understood in two ways:
First Possibility – Related to Divine Decree:
Meaning: Just as the disbelieving parents are destined for Hell, their children are also destined for Hell according to Allah’s decree.
Second Possibility – Related to Worldly Legal Rulings:
Meaning: The children are not necessarily from the people of Hell in the Hereafter, but in worldly (ẓāhirī) Shar‘i rulings — such as funeral prayer, burial, etc. — they are treated like the disbelievers.
Examples:
- If the children of disbelievers are accidentally killed in war, there is no sin.
- They may be taken as part of the war booty and become slaves or concubines.
This shows that in certain Shar‘i rulings, their status is treated as that of the disbelievers, even if in the Hereafter they may enter Paradise.
If the Second Possibility is Taken as Correct:
Then the children of a non-praying person would also come under the same rulings, and their funeral prayer would not be offered.
If the First Possibility is Taken as Correct:
Two situations arise:
① The children are like their parents and are destined for Hell.
② They ultimately enter Paradise.
Some ahadith support that they could be among the people of Paradise, in which case offering their funeral prayer would not be prohibited.
Possible Objection and Its Answer:
Objection:
If the non-praying person is a disbeliever, then his children should have the same ruling as the children of other disbelievers, whether the hadith relates to divine decree or worldly rulings.
Answer:
- There is no scholarly disagreement on the disbelief of Hindus, Christians, etc. Whoever denies their disbelief is himself a disbeliever.
- However, scholars have differed regarding the disbelief of a non-praying Muslim. Therefore, the ruling of his disbelief is ẓannī (non-definitive), whereas the disbelief of other disbelievers is qaṭ‘ī (definitive).
Based on ẓannī disbelief, declaring another person as a disbeliever merely due to being a follower (child) is problematic. In qaṭ‘ī disbelief, this is unanimously allowed.
Final Conclusion:
- If the hadith "هم من آبائهم" relates to worldly rulings, the children of a non-praying person could be treated under the same rules, and their funeral prayer not offered.
- If the hadith is not taken in this sense, then declaring them disbelievers simply due to following their parent and refraining from their funeral prayer becomes difficult.
- However, if the aim is to warn non-prayer performers, their children’s funeral prayer may also be avoided — whether or not the hadith is taken in the sense of worldly rulings.
Important Note:
From this discussion, another issue becomes clear:
- If a non-praying man (a disbeliever) marries a woman who prays, their children should be considered illegitimate, because a Muslim woman cannot remain in marriage to a disbelieving man. Such a marriage is void, and the relationship is unlawful.
- However, since the disbelief of the non-prayer performer is ẓannī, it is better to avoid calling his children illegitimate.
⚠ But this is still a matter of great danger — for if the relationship was truly invalid, the children may indeed be illegitimate.
May Allah protect us from this and grant all non-prayer performers the ability to establish prayer so that their progeny remains pure and lawful. Āmīn.
