03. MAUT KI KHABR SUNKAR [After Hearing the News of Death]

AFTER HEARING THE NEWS OF DEATH:

 

 

AL-ISTIRJAA:

 

Umm Salamah رضى الله تعالىٰ عنهاreported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ ) said,

“For any Muslim who is afflicted with a misfortune and says :

“إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا ‏”

 

“ Inna lil-laahi wa inna ilayhi raaji‘oon, Allahumma ajirnee fee museebatee wakh-lif lee khayran minhaa,

“Verily! we belong to Allah and verily to Him we must return. Allah will replace it with something better.”

 

[Sahih Muslim: 1999, Sunan Abu Dawud: 3113, Sunan Ibn -E- Majah: 1598]

 

 

PRAISING THE DEAD:

 

It is recommended that righteous Muslims who knew the deceased well, and were among his or her neighbours, should testify to others about the good qualities of the deceased. This is a means of reminding others of righteousness and spurring them on to good deeds. The Prophet (ﷺ) personally encouraged this practice and pointed out that such praise is of benefit to the dead person.

“Abul-Aswad(رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) related that he came to Madeenah during the time of an epidemic and he sat next to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab(رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه). When a bier passed by, the people praised the person and ‘Umar(رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) said, “It has been affirmed.” Another bier passed by and the people praised the person and ‘Umar ( رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) said, “It has been affirmed.” When a third bier passed by, the people spoke badly of the deceased and ‘Umar (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه ) said, “It has been affirmed.” Abul-Aswad (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) asked him what was affirmed and he replied, “I said what the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Allah will put in paradise any Muslim for whom four have testified to his goodness.”

[Sahih Al-Bukhari: 449]

 

 

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF SOMEONE’S DEATH:

 

It is forbidden in Islam to make a big affair about announcing anyone’s death, such as proclaiming it from the minarets of the masjids, announcing it in the market streets etc ;

However, a calmly expressed general act is allowed and proved by sunnah.

“If someone died, Huthayfah ibn al-Yamaan(رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) used to say:

“Do not proclaim his death to anyone, for I fear that it may be a death announcement and I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) with my own two ears forbid the death announcement.”

[Collected by At-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn-i-Majah :1476]

 

“ Abu Hurayrah(رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه ) reported that Allah’s Messenger ( ﷺ) announced the death of the . Najaashi to his companions on the very day that he died, then he stepped forward and they lined up behind him and he made [a funeral prayer consisting of] four takbeers.”

[ Sahih Al-Bukhari: 404, Sahih Al- Muslim: 2077 & 2078, Sunan Abu Dawud : 3198]

 

 

WAILING:

 

The Prophet (ﷺ) strictly forbade wailing and screaming, or the hiring of mourners. Furthermore, he identified such practices as acts of Kufr (disbelief), because they indicate displeasure with what Allah has decreed. Emaan (faith) includes the belief that Allah is the source of all good and all of His actions are wise. Proper Emaan would never allow those who possess it to commit such acts of ignorance.

Abu Hurayrah (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) quoted the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying,

“There are two practices found among people, both of which indicate Kufr: ridiculing the ancestry (of others) and wailing over the dead.”

[Sahih Muslim: 128]

 

“‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه ) also reported that Hafsah (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنها) cried when ‘Umar (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) died and he said to her

“Take it easy. Don’t you know that the Messenger of Allah ( ﷺ) said:

“Verily the dead are punished in their grave by the wailing of their family over them.”

[Sahih Al-Bukhari: 379, Sahih Muslim: 2015, Sunan Abu Dawud: 3123, Sunan Ibn-i-Majah: 1593]

 

 

THE DEAD WILL SUFFER DUE TO THE WAILING OF RELATIVES IN TWO CASES :

 

 

When the deceased requested mourning prior to his death.
If the deceased knew that it was the practice of the people and he did not request that they do not do so over him.
Patience:
Relatives of the deceased are obliged to be patient, practice self restraint, and gracefully accept Allah’s decree because Allah has already promised mankind that He would test them.

وَلنبْلُونَّكُمْ بِشيْء مِّن الْخوْف وَالْجُوع وَنقْص مِّن اْلأمْوال وَاْلأنْفُس وَالثَّمرات وَبشِّر الصَّابرین

“Verily! I will test you with some fear, hunger and a loss of wealth, life

and the fruit (of your labor) so, give glad tidings to the patient ones.”

[Surah Al-Baqarah: 155]

 

Among the glad tidings for those who are patient when loved ones are lost is a home in paradise. Abu Moosa al-Ash‘aree (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) quoted Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

“If a child of [Allah’s] slave dies, Allah will say to His angels: You took My slave’s child. They will reply: Yes. He will then say: You took the love of his life, and they will reply: Yes. He will then ask: What did My slave say? and they will reply: He praised you and said, ‘Surely, we belong to Allah and to Him we will return.’ Allah will then say: Build a house in paradise for My slave and call it the house of praise.”

[Sunan At-Tirmidhi: 814]

 

CRYING:

 

Those present and the relatives of the deceased are allowed to cry for a maximum period of three days.

It was reported by ‘Abdullah ibn Ja‘far (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه):

The Prophet (ﷺ) delayed coming to visit Ja‘far’s family for three days after his death, then he came to them and said,

“Do not cry for your brother after today.”

[Sunan Abu Dawud: 4180]

 

In the previous hadeeth of ‘A’ishah ( رضى الله تعالىٰ عنها) concerning ‘Uthmaan ibn Math‘oon (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) she mentioned that the Prophet (ﷺ) cried until tears over flowed from his eyelids.

“Anas ibn Maalik (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) also reported that they went with the Prophet (ﷺ) to visit Abu Sayf(رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه), the husband of Ibraheem’s wet nurse, and the Prophet (ﷺ) took Ibraaheem, cuddled him and kissed him. When they later went back to visit him, Ibraheem was breathing his last and the Prophet’s (ﷺ) eyes became filled with tears. ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) asked, “Even you, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied,

“O son of Awf, verily it is a mercy.”

His (ﷺ) eyes again became filled with tears and he said:

“Verily the eyes become filled with tears and the heart feels sorrow, but we only say that which pleases our Lord. Indeed, we are sorrowful at your parting, O Ibraheem.”

[Sahih Al-Bukhari: 390, Sahih Muslim: 5733, Sunan Abu Dawud: 3120, Sunan Ibn-i-Majah: 1589]

 

 

UNCOVERING THE FACE AND KISSING IT:

 

Those present at the individual’s death or those who come to see the dead person for the last time are allowed to uncover the face and kiss it. Kissing the face of the dead is considered a part of the sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ ) and his companions.

“ Aa’ishah (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنها) reported that when the Prophet (ﷺ) came to see ‘Uthmaan ibn’ Math‘oon (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) after he had died, he uncovered his face, bent over him and kissed him.

[Sunan Abu Dawud: 3157, Sunan Ibn-i-Majah: 1456]

 

Aa’ishah (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنها) said, “Abu Bakr (رضی الله تعالىٰ عنه) came riding on his horse from his home in Sunh. He’dismounted and entered the masjid without saying anything to the people until he entered ‘Aa’ishah’s house. He then went to the Prophet (ﷺ ), who was covered in his striped yemeni cloak, uncovered his face, then bent over and kissed him [between his eyes] and cried.”

[Sahih Al-Bukhari: 333]