Class 7
WIDESPREAD BIDAHS RELATED TO DEATH, GRAVES & BENEFITING THE DEAD
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ
“Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever” [al-Rahmaan 55:26-27]
“Every soul shall taste death in the end; to Us shall you be brought back.” (Surat al-‘Ankabut: 57)
Death is a moment of grief, fear, love, and helplessness. Because of this emotional vulnerability, bid‘ah spreads most easily after death.
Many practices surrounding death are defended with:
“It comforts the family”
“It benefits the soul”
“This is how we honour the deceased”
“Its our culture” but clearly do things that are ibaadaat.
But Islam teaches us something profound: True benefit to the deceased comes from obedience — not rituals. In the class we will also read about Sunnah ways to benefit the dead.
BID‘AHS RELATED TO THE DECEASED
1. Paying Someone to Recite Qur’an for the Deceased
Bid‘ah
Hiring people to recite Qur’an for the dead
Paying for khatm gatherings
Transferring reward through paid recitation
Why this is invalid:
Qur’an recitation is a physical act of worship
One who recites for money has no reward
Therefore, there is nothing to gift to the deceased
Scholars said: “The one who recites for money has no reward — so what does he have to give to the deceased?”
Sunnah
Make du‘ā’ directly for the deceased
Give ṣadaqah on their behalf
Perform acts explicitly legislated for benefiting the dead
Read details : http://islamqa.info/en/ref/83829
2. Third day (Ziyaarah) or Forty-Day Gatherings (Chaaleeswī)
Bid‘ah
Family & Friends gathering after 3 days or 40 days to recite Qur’an
Treat attendance as expected or obligatory
Believe that the deceased particularly benefits on the third day
Belief that the soul returns on the 40th day
Fixing dates for remembrance rituals
This practice:
Has no basis in Islam
Is borrowed from non-muslim customs
Restricts du‘ā’ to invented timings
Sunnah
Du‘ā’ can be made at any time
No fixed days: 3rd, 7th, 40th, or yearly
It is not permissible to take part in or attend such gatherings. We have to speak out against such practices as enjoining good and forbidding evil
Consistent supplication is better than ritualised remembrance
Read details : http://islamqa.info/en/ref/5871
3. Offering Food at the House of the Deceased
Bid‘ah
Family of the deceased cooking and hosting people thinking that it is an act that benefits the dead.
Treating it as a Sunnah
The Companions said: “We used to regard gathering and preparing food after burial as similar to wailing.”. This is because it adds burden to grief and resembles jāhiliyyah practices.
Sunnah
Neighbours and relatives bring food to the family
Try to relieve the Family— not burden them with your presence
Read details : http://islamqa.info/en/ref/170391
4. Wailing, Lamenting & Mourning Rituals
Bid‘ah / Ḥaraam
Wailing loudly
Striking cheeks
Tearing clothes
Wearing black as a mourning symbol
These are practices of jāhiliyyah, not Islam.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “He is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, rends his garments and calls with the call of the jaahiliyyah.” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
Sunnah
Patience (ṣabr)
Saying Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji‘ūn
Pay off Debts
Quiet grief
Making Dua
Planning to set up things that can act like a source of SAwaaab-e-Jaariya for the deceased.
Specific mourning rules only apply to widows
Read details about what the family of a deceased should and shouldn’t do : https://learn-islam.org/class-4-reacting-to-death-in-family
Other Common Practices that NOT Sunnah
5. Reciting Quran or some specific verses on the water to wash the body.
6. Pushing cotton or cloth in the mouth/nose.
7. Enclosing anything in the Shroud.
8. Writing on the Shroud (the Kalimah).
9. Placing a paper with the Kalimah written on it in the shroud or under the head
Many of these have actually been taken from non-Muslim rituals and unfortunately there are many more that has absolutely no basis but still has crept into Muslim’s minds/practices and have them believing all that is Sunnah. We also see things are not even Bidah they are more towards Shirk like taking the deceased to a Tomb before burial. May Allah protect us all.
Read details about Burial processions : https://learn-islam.org/class-6-funeral-procession-ghusl-shrouding-burial
BID‘AHS RELATED TO GRAVES
1. Placing Flowers or Objects on Graves
The act of placing flowers over the grave is backed by the following hadeeth by those who practice it, the Prophet ﷺ passed by two graves and said: “They are being punished, but they are not being punished for something that was difficult to avoid. One of them used not to take precautions to avoid (his body or clothes being soiled by) urine, and the other used to walk around spreading malicious gossip.” Then he ﷺ took a fresh palm-leaf stalk and split it in two, and placed one piece on each of the two graves. They said: O Messenger of Allaah, why did you do that?” He ﷺ said: “Perhaps the torment will be reduced for them so long as this does not dry out.” (Al Bukhaari 218, Muslim 292)
Its Refutation
This was:
A specific incident
Known only to the Prophet ﷺ
Never practiced by the Companions
Read Details : http://islamqa.info/en/ref/48958/
Sunnah
Salam to all the inhabitants of the graveyard : “Assalamu ‘alaykum ahl al-diyar min al-muminin wa’l-Muslimin, wa inna in sha Allah bikum lahiqun, as alu Allaha lana wa lakum al-‘afiyah (peace be upon you O people of the dwellings, believers and Muslims, In sha Allah we will join you, I ask Allah to keep us and you safe and sound).”
Du‘ā’a for the deceased
Seeking forgiveness for them
No physical offerings on graves
2. Building Structures Over Graves
Ḥaraam
Tombs
Domes
Enclosures
Shrines
These practices:
Lead to veneration
Open the door to shirk
Were strictly forbidden by the Prophet ﷺ
Sunnah
Simple graves
No elevation
No decoration
Read details : http://islamqa.info/en/ref/130919/
3. Building Mosques Over Graves
Major Prohibition
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“May Allah curse the Jews and Christians who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.” (Bukhari & Muslim).
“When a righteous man died among them, they would build a place of worship over his grave and put those images in it. They are the most evil of mankind before Allaah.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
This is one of the strongest warnings in Islam.
Sunnah
Graves are separate from places of prayer
Masjids must be free from graves
Prayers should not be offered in mosques in which there are graves.
Read details : http://islamqa.info/en/ref/26312/
4. Reciting Surah Fatiha or any part of Qur’an at the Grave
Bid‘ah
Reciting Fātiḥah or Qur’an over graves
Teaching the deceased shahādah after burial
No Companion ever did this.
Sunnah
Du‘ā’ for firmness (thabāt)
Seeking forgiveness after burial. The Prophet ﷺ finished a burial and said to his Companions, “Ask forgiveness for your brother, ask for steadfastness for him for indeed he is now being questioned” (Abu Dawood).
Read details : http://islamqa.info/en/ref/1333
5 Writing on Gravestones
Bid‘ah
Writing names
Writing Qur’anic verses
Decorating with inscriptions
Explicitly forbidden in authentic hadith of Jabir R.A., he said that Prophet ﷺ it is forbidden to plaster the walls of graves, to sit on them or to build over them. (Sahih Muslim, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaa’i).
Sunnah
Simple identification if needed
No inscriptions or verses
6. Visiting Graves Every Friday or any specific days that are fixed
Bid‘ah
Fixing Friday or a particular day as a grave-visiting day
Believing it has special virtue
Sunnah
Visit graves any day
Purpose: reminder of the Hereafter
Other Common Practices that NOT Sunnah
7. Having or thinking a specific colour of cloth is required to cover the funeral while taking it to the graveyard.
8. Saying the Kalimah or Takbeer while taking the Funeral to the Grave. This is not from Sunnah it has been taken from other religions.
9. Placing the Quran or any worldly possessions or pillow in the Grave.
10. Placing wreaths and flowers and the like upon the grave
11. Plastering graves, building structures over them, making them high and writing upon them. Allaah’s Messenger forbade these acts (Muslim, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah). The Prophet ﷺ commanded `Ali R.A. saying, “Do not leave a statue in a house except that you demolish it and do not leave a grave except that you flatten it” (Muslim).
BENEFITTING THE DEAD
At the outset please know, that in Islam, death is not perceived as an end of life. It is just the end of the worldly existence as we witness it, and the beginning of a new existence, in which the soul experiences a new world. And instead of crying or wailing on the death, it is prescribed to do the things mentioned in the Sunnah that would benefit our Dead.
There is a difference of opinion amongst scholars about the things that can benefit the deceased. We are quoting here only the things that there are no disputes about leaving out matter that the scholars have differed about.
Strive to Pray for them & ask for their forgiveness. The most important thing that will benefit your father/relative after his death, and that you can do for him now that he is in his grave, is to strive to pray for him and ask for forgiveness and mercy for him, and for Paradise and salvation from the Fire, and other good and beautiful du’aa’s (prayers).
Prayers for forgiveness offered by both sons and daughters of the deceased bring great benefits, as the Prophet ﷺ said: "A man’s status will be raised in Paradise and he will ask, ‘How did I get here?’ He will be told, ‘By your son’s du’aa’s (prayers) for forgiveness for you." (Ibn Maajah)
Sadaqah (charity) given on his behalf, because ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) reported that a man said to the Prophet ﷺ: "My mother has passed away, and if she could have spoken, she would have given something in charity. Will she receive a reward if I give something on her behalf?" He said, "Yes." (Sahih Bukhaari)
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the mother of Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) died when he was away from her. He said: "O Messenger of Allaah, my mother has died and I am away from her. Will it benefit her anything if I give in charity on her behalf?" He said, "Yes."He said, "Then I ask you to be my witness that I am giving my garden al-Mikhraaf (so called because it bore so many dates) in charity on her behalf." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, 2756)
Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah said: "I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, my mother has died. Should I give charity on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘What kind of charity is best?’ He said, ‘Providing water.’" (Reported by al-Nisaa’i)
4. Hajj & Umrah on their behalf, after the living person has first performed it on his or her own behalf.
‘Abdullaah ibn Buraydah reported that his father (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "While I was sitting with the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, a woman came to him and said: ‘I gave my mother a slave-woman in charity, and now my mother has died.’ He said: ‘You have got your reward, and your right of inheritance has brought your gift back to you.’ She said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, she still had one month to fast – can I fast it on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Fast it on her behalf.’ She said, ‘She never went to Hajj – can I perform Hajj on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Perform Hajj on her behalf.’" (Sahih Muslim)
5. Fulfil their Nadhr (Vow), because Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that a woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "My mother made a vow to perform Hajj but she died before she could do it. Can I perform Hajj on her behalf?" He said, "Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Don’t you think that if your mother owed a debt you would pay it off?" She said, "Yes." He said, "Then pay off what is owed to Allaah, for Allaah is more deserving of having vows fulfilled." (Sahih Bukhaari)
6. Devoting a Share to him of a Sacrifice you offer. When the Prophet ﷺ offered a sacrifice, he ﷺ said: "In the name of Allaah, O Allaah, on behalf of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad" (Sahih Muslim) – and the family of Muhammad included both the living and the dead.
Read details about Benefitting the Dead : https://learn-islam.org/class-9-benefitting-the-dead
Please join our free online certificate course “DEATH”, to learn more about Death & Funeral rights, How to benefit the dead etc. https://learn-islam.org/benefiting-the-dead (available online now, register and learn)
Note these are not part of the ongoing course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.
TIPS OF TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
There will be no questions from the extra links provided, they are for those who want more details.
Remember the Sunnahs
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
Implement any 3 of the sunnahs taught in the last 5 classes. 5 Marks
Talk about any 3 topics/Sunnahs/deeds and their great rewards covered in this week’s classes with atleast 3 people. 5 Marks.
Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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