CHAPTER Death and Burial Our snarl' ah (Islamic Law), than k Allah is SO perfecl an d comprehensive that it all mans arrJirs ubtw to his as wel l as hu do:ath Among the iSSUd that our Shllrl 'Qh are the rulings OIl deathbW and death, starting from ones last ill ness aoo dath, until one's burial Our Sharl 'nlr also the ruli ngs on visiting a dying perwn and instructing him 10 "y, u no deity bUI lI/1alr." washing the body of the dectas.ed, enshrouding his body, )laring him for mttting Allah Exalted be He, in his besl form and m ,le, standing in rows whil e performi ng the Funeral Prayer over him, praisi ng Allah and n tollin g Him while praying ovu the deceased, and asking Allah to confe r His blt";ng upon the Prophet (PBU H) IQ the deceaKd, 10 mm:r upon him and p;ardon his sins Among tM acts of the Sunnah is funding on the side of the deceased person's grave asking steadfastness for him (when questionni by the Two Angds), visi tin g his grave invoking Allah for him, bei ng good 10 hi5 family and rel.tive$, and 50 on." I It is worlh mnlioning that it i, an acl of the $u,,,,aJr 10 mention death I"" ("mlawfully acqlLired) rightS to their rightful owners and hastening to good dffiis lest one dies unexpectedly, The Prophet (PBUH) ">id: "Mention the pleasure destroyer (i t death) jrtquemly.· (Related by the Five Compilers of Had!lh' with au thentk chains of transmiUen, and dttmed (authentic ) bDdlth by Ibn HibMn, Al-.w.ldm, and otMrcompllers of fladith ) MOreQ\Tr, AI ·Tirmidhl and other co mpilers of Hadith related on the authority of Ibn Mas 'i1d the following marf · (traceable) hadith: Messenger (PBUH) sa ,'d, 'Show due bashfu lness to Allah.' We (the said, '0 Messenger of Allah! We $how INuhfulntn, ,hank Allah.' He (PBUH) said, 'I' iJ "0' ,hal (Qj)"'u ,hi"") Trlle bashfll/nm 10 Allah is 10 kup the head and wh"t ;1 cOI1laillS (i.t to kup Ihe eyes ears lo"pe, ttc" "way from sillS) ""d to leeep Ihe abdomen (away fro m unlawful food) and whal is rd"/td to it (i.e 10 kup tht privalt P stated in a laUib (authenti c) iladit!lthat the Prophet (PBUH) said: "May Allah "me the Jews and Christians, for they built t!le pltlces of worship at t!le gmws of their prophets."'" This is also consecrating grav by means of building structures over them and the Iiko is the origin of polytheism It is pr1 the (implicaliO>ls of) the Prophets prohibition of sitting on the graves lea/ling on them, and treadillg upon them, we would come to kHOW thnt the Prophet (PB UH) instructs us to venemte tlw inhabitant5 of the graves from their head, being trodden on with footwear: Seventhly: Rulings on Condolence and Visiting Graves It is an act of the Sunnah to conwle the bereaved person and advise h im to be and to pray for the deceased , for' Amr Ibn Hazm narrated that the Prophet (l'BUH) said, "No believer consoles his (berea\'ed M1151im) brother (by advi5ing him 10 show patimce) but Allah, Almightyand Ever-Maje5tic be He, will dreOj himfmm the garment5 of digllity 011 the Day ofResumxlion: (A marf" (traceable) lJad frh wilh a trustworthy chain oftrammitters related by Tbn Majahj'" l'h also various /!adiths having the same When consoling a berea""done is to be: make YOllrreward comfort y ou with a bettrr forgive YOllr It is impermissible to have a silting place for and dedaring condolences, as m istakenly done by rome people today Yet , it is desirabl e for the Prophet to prepare some food for the family of the (PBUH) said: "Prepare some food for the family of !ajar, for it has happened to them that which occupied them (i.e the deClth 0/10 jar): (Related by Imam Ahmad and At· Tirmid hi; bawn (good) nodi/hi' latter it a Some of the family OrlM deceased nowadays specify a place (or people to gather for offering their condolenCe< prepa, , food for them and hire reciters Ch.pto,3O: De,," nd Bu".1 of Qur'3.n, speod so much 00 that occasion Such acts are undoubtedly prohibited bid'ahs (matters innovated in religion) for Imilm Ahmad narrated with a trustworthy chain of transmitters that Jarir rbn Abdullah said: "We (the Companions) used to consider gathering with tile family DJ the: deceased and the preparation of food (by tile family oJ the dead persan) after lIis burial a kind of (prohibited) wailing"" Shaykhu]·\sltm Ibo Taymiyah (may AII.h have mercy on him) said: ' Gathering people by the bereaved family, offering them food and reciting the to grnnt him (the deceased) the reward oJrecitatioll were ne""r practiced in the time oJ the Salaf (early Muslim schola rs;' Such ct, were deemed detestable by some groups of scholMS bewII5e oJ many proofo:" A!·Iur:to.shi said: "As ffJr the funernl ceremanies, they are prohibited as unanimously agreed upon by scholars; such gatherings on occasions 0/ calamiries are legally denied bid'ah,_ 'they ha¥e ne -er been reported to have been previously obser -ed (by the Prophel or his Companions or thei r successors) The same applie, 10 Ihose gatherings on the 5Ccond, third Jourth and >ellenth day oJthe dealh o//he decl) to visit the groves, but you may visit them now: (Related by Muslim and At· Tirmidhi) According to At -Tirmidhl's narration the Prophet (PBUH) added: " for it (i.e ¥isiting graves) will ",mind you a/the Herea/ler,'''' Yet, it is not is desirable on to travel SO as to visit graves , Generally visiting graves conditions: " L1: PRAYER visitor mUSI AlIal, should 110t mln nOl a woman, fur the Prophd (PBUH) "id: WO," " wlro visit tlrt grows," SO distant th.t th ey rNJu i re trlv.:li ng or setting out On a jou rn 1im (S061S) [713671 _ AI-Bukh1r1 (747()) IJJ/S461 Ch.pt., No 112 of the Qur '1m 10 Chapte, No liJ of the Qudn I1 Chapler No 11 of the Q"r'i.n, i.e the I.'t Ch.pt., of the Qui.n 12 AI- Bukhl.,1 (2738) 15/4361 nd Mrnlim (4183) [6177] 13 Qud,1 (Divine) lwdlrh: Divine WOfw., other than the Glorio Qur'in, re ltd to the Prophet (PSUH) fmm Allah, Unlike th Qut·l.n, the words of the Qud,j (Divine ) badllh are neithet ukd fo, wo.-.hip no, mi,.cul"" •• 14 AI· SuWri (7405) 113/46910nd Muslim (6Il87) 19/631 _ 15 Muslim (2110, 2122) 1314 58 4591 16 Abfi Nw6d (3tI6) 13/3181 17 Chapt" No, 36 of the Qu r'An 18 Ab(! (3121) 131320 I, lbn M1j.h (t448) 12/)95J, nd Ibn Hil>Wn (3002) 171269] 19 Mu.lim (21 27) 131461 ] 20 Al-BukMrl (!;814) 110/3401 and Muslim (2180) HID ] 21 AM NWlld (3159) 13/333] 22 A,hmad (9642) [214401, At_T,rmidhl (1079) 131389) and [bn M1joh (2413) [3/145] 23 Sidr The utuct of th lot< le " H AI_BukhArl (1265) 1311 74 ond Mu,lim (2SA)) [4/3(5), 25 Al-Bukhirl (31161]ond M",lim 14151 , 26 Abu O)w(ld (3141) (313281 nd Ibn ([ Ok to OIhe.-.; mal., aW1'ah ; from the ".",,1 to the k""" wh.", • • in notoo view it ; id to b< the ext nal organs I>f kX and A, for r.male', • """h, it includ •• I II het body in on view where • • in onoth.,,- it i .1I h body with the "eption of her face and hands 32 Sjd" Th