Source: “Wālidayn aur Aulād ke Ḥuqūq” by Shaykh Jāwīd Iqbāl Sīālkotī
✿ Lamenting Over the Dead (Niyāḥah) is Ḥarām in Islam
◈ 1. Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“There are two practices found among people which are acts of disbelief (kufr):
(1) Casting doubt on lineage (ta’n fī al-nasab), and
(2) Lamenting over the dead (niyāḥah).”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-Īmān, Bāb Iṭlāq Ism al-Kufr ‘alā al-Ṭa’n: 227
◈ 2. The Prophet ﷺ also said:
“There are four practices from the era of Jāhiliyyah (ignorance) that my ummah will not abandon:
(1) Boasting about lineage,
(2) Reviling others over ancestry,
(3) Seeking rain through stars (astrology),
(4) Wailing (niyāḥah) over the dead.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-Janā’iz, Bāb al-Tashdīd fī al-Niyāḥah: 2160
❖ What Is Niyāḥah?
Niyāḥah refers to wailing or excessive lamenting over the deceased, often with loud crying, chest-beating, tearing clothes, or uttering statements of despair (e.g., “Why did he die?”, “Who will take care of us now?”, etc.).
❖ Islamic Ruling:
✅ Patience (ṣabr) is commanded at the time of loss.
⛔ Wailing and lamentation (niyāḥah) is considered a sinful act and part of pre-Islamic ignorance (jāhiliyyah).
✔ Key Takeaways:
- Two practices are called acts of kufr: reviling lineage and wailing over the dead.
- These are serious sins and go against Islamic teachings of acceptance and trust in Allah’s decree.
- True faith requires patience and dignity in the face of loss.
- Niyāḥah brings no benefit to the deceased — rather, it incurs sin upon the living.
- It’s essential to educate families about Islamic funeral etiquette, especially avoiding cultural innovations rooted in jāhiliyyah.
