Isaali Thawaab vs. Tahlil/Fatihah

THE PERMISSIBILITY OF ISAALI THAWAAB (COSIGNING REWARD)

In principle, it is permissible to send Isaali Thawaab (cosigning reward) for the alive as well as the dead. Almighty Allah has favoured us through the acceptance of Isaali Thawaab. The action is Mustahab (recommended in Deen) and is Sunnah.

Generally, we know that a person should be rewarded only for his own deeds and actions. However, as human beings, Allah has put in us the feelings for one another. We feel for our deceased parents, family and friends. Thus, Allah has permitted us to do good deeds and pass the reward to them.

Furthermore, the deceased must have done something good to the living person for him/her to be remembered. When the living person does a good deed and passes the reward to the deceased, the deceased is indirectly drawing from his own actions.

There are innumerable number of Ahadith expounding the virtues of reciting the Qur'an and making Du'a. There are also many Ahadith on Isaali Thawaab. Surely, the deceased eagerly await for rewards from his beloved wife, parents and friends by them performing the various deeds and the cosigning the reward to them.

On numerous occasions, Nabi Muhammad SAW advised the Sahabah RA to give charity on behalf of the deceased.


HADITH 01

One specific incident is of Abu Talha RA - when the Ayat:

"You cannot attain virtue until your spend what is beloved to you." (Surah An-Nisaa: Ayat 4)

- was revealed - Abu Talha gave his most valuable well and garden, the "Bir Haa" - as charity on behalf of his deceased mother.


HADITH 02

Another Hadith comes to us as the following, as narrated from Ibn Majah:

Aas ibn Waai (a Kaafir) passed away and bequeathed that after his death, a hundred slaves should be freed on his behalf. One of his sons, Hisham, freed fifty slaves on his father's behalf. The other son, Amr - intended to free the other fifty slaves.

He (Amr) asked Rasulullah (SAW).

Rasulullah (SAW) replied:

"If only your father was a Muslim, then the reward of freeing slaves, giving charity and performing Hajj on his behalf would have reached him."

From the above, we can see and be thankful to Allah that Islam is a wonderful religion which grants its followers the ability to benefit one's loved one who have passed away.


HADITH 03

Another narration comes from Sa'd RA who said:

"Umm Sa'd (mother of Sa'd) passed away. What should I do?"

Rasulullah SAW said:

"Dig a well (in order to provide water)."

Sa'd RA dug a well and said:

"This (the water of the well) is for the reward of Umm Sa'd." (Mishkaat: Chapter of Sadaqah)


HADITH 04

Anas bin Malik RA eports that Rasulullah SAW said:

"Whomsoever reads Yaseen at anybody's grave, Allah will decrease their punishment."

This proves that reading the Qur'an and conveying the rewards to the deceased, benefits the deceased. (Umdatul Qaari, Ahsanul Fataawa, Volume 4, Page 206)


TYPES OF ISAALI THAWAAB

There are basically two forms of Isaali Thawaab:

a) The conveying of the reward of charitable deeds

b) The conveying of the reward of physical deeds that do not entail wealth, e.g. Solat, Fasting, Dhikr, recitation of the Holy Qur'an, Tawaf of the Ka'abah, etc.

The first form is unanimously acceptable by the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah.

The second form is correct according to the Hanafi and Hanbali Madhab and several Shafi'i and Maliki Ulama as well.

As for the reward of Du'a - which has been separated from the above - there is also unanimity of the scholars in its reward reaching and benefiting the deceased. This fact may be referred to in Kitab-ul-Azkaar of Imam Nawawi RA.

Infact, there are grand Ulama who has prepared rebutals against those who object the cosigning of Amals to others.

Hafiz Ibn Qayyim RA states (mafhum):

"If one accepts the charitable form of Isaali Thawaab and refutes the physical form, it would be said to him: "What is the proof to show that the recitation of the Holy Qur'an does not reach the deceased?" "

Al-Qurtubi RA states in Al-Tazkirah, Page 71:

"Just as the reward of charitable deeds benefit the deceased - (then)similarly - the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, Du'a and Istighfaar also do the same - because all of these are regarded as Sadaqah (charity) in Shari'ah."

Al-Qurtubi RA thereafter mentioned two narrations recorded in Sahih Muslim which prove that even Solat and Zikr of Allah (i.e. Tasbih, Takbir and Tahlil) were all classified as Sadaqah by Rasulullah SAW. Hence, there remains no dispute in whether the reward of Qur'anic recital benefits and deceased or not.

Besides the above, let us now, mention further proofs that substantiate both forms of Isaali Thawaab:


HADITH 05

Rasulullah (SAW) slaughtered 100 sheep during his (SAW) farewell Hajj and made intention for himself (SAW) and all those (alive, deceased and to come) who bring faith on his Prophethood. (Sahih Bukhari & Nasbur Raaya, Allamah Zailee RA)


HADITH 06

Imam Bukhari RA has reported on the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas RA that Sa'ad ibn Ubaadah RA was away when his mother passed away.

When he returned, he asked Rasulullah:

"Will it be of any benefit if I give charity on her behalf?"

Rasulullah (SAW) replied in the affirmative. (Sahih Bukhari: Hadith 2762)

With regards to the above, the grand scholar - Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani RA states in his monumental commentary of Sahih Bukhari entitled - Fathul Baari:

"This Hadith proves the permissibility of charity on behalf of the deceased and that the reward will reach him." (Fathul Baari: Volume.5: Page 477: Hadith 2761)

HADITH 07

Abdullah ibn Abbas RA reports a man once asked Rasulullah SAW:

"O Prophet of Allah! My father has passed away and he did not perform Hajj, can I perform Hajj on his behalf?"

Rasulullah (SAW) enquired of him:

"If your father had any debt, would you have paid it?"

The man replied:

"Yes."

Upon this, Rasulullah (SAW) said:

"In that case, the Deen of Allah has more right." (Sunan Nasa'i: Hadith 26331)


HADITH 08

A separate incident of a similar nature has been recorded by Imam Bukhari in his Sahih: Hadith 6698.

Hafiz Ibn Qayyim RA - the famous student of Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah RA, after quoting the above Ahadith, states:

"These quotations all concur with the fact that when the living carry out any deed on behalf of the deceased, the reward will reach him (benefit him)." (Kitab-ar-Ruh: Page 161)


HADITH 09

Al-Lajlaaj RA, a companion of Rasulullah SAW, had bequested his son - that after he leaves this world, he should recite the beginning and end of Surah Al-Baqarah at the head side of his grave. Al-Lajlaaj RA then mentioned that he heard this from Rasulullah SAW. (Al-Mu'jam-ul-Kabir of Imam Tabrani RA: Hafiz Haythami RA has regarded the narrators of this tradition as reliable in Majma-uz-Zawaa'id, Volume 3, Page 44)


HADITH 10

Such has also been recorded to be the practice of the companion - Abdullah ibn Umar RA. (Sunan Al-Kubra of Imam Bayhaqi RA: Volume 4, Page 56)

This narration has been classified as Hasan (sound) by Imam Nawawi RA and Hafiz Ibn Hajar RA. (Al-Azkar, Page 212, Hadith 493; and Al-Futuhaat Al-Rabbaniyyah, Volume 3, Page 194)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar RA has mentioned in a reply to a query of whether the reward of recitation of the Qur'an reaches the deceased, that:

"It is Mustahab (meritorious) for one to do this form of (Isaali Thawaab) abundantly."

(Tawdehul Bayaan Li Wusuli Thawaabil Qur'aan of Shaykh Abdullah Siddiq Al-Ghumari: Page 2)

Besides these there are numerous other narrations of this nature. It thus becomes abundantly clear through the abovementioned Ahadith that Isaali Thawaab is totally permissible in all its forms and is in fact a very virtuous deed.

This is the view of the overwhelming majority of the classical scholars - the Muhadditheen and the Fuqahaa of Islam.

Further reference can be made to:

- Kitab-ar-Ruh of Ibn Qayyim RA, Page 153;
- Fathul-Baari of Ibn Hajar RA, Volume 5, Page 477, Hadith 2761;
- Sharhus-Sudur of Allamah Suyuti RA, Page 402-403;
- Dar Ibn Kathir;- Al-Hidayah, Volume 1, Page 296-297;
- Fathul Qadeer, Volume 3, Page 65-66; and
- Shaami, Volume 2, Page 243


HOW TO PERFORM ISAALI THAWAAB

So to recap, Isaali Thawaab is an action whereby one gives the reward of his action to someone else. A person can read Nawafil Solat, make Nawafil Fast or give out money for the sake of Allah with the intention of another person gaining the reward. There are many optional acts a person can do which can be the medium of another person gaining reward.

However, it should be noted that when a person wants to send Isaali Thawaab, he must not put himself /herself in difficulty; e.g. one wants to give charity but does not have the money resulting in borrowing, etc.

Family members, friends and acquaintances of the deceased can perform as much Tilawat of the Qur'an, Sadaqah, Zikr, and perform Du'a for Maghfirah for the deceased. With such actions, Allah SWT may accept them as means for the deceased to be forgiven.

Thus, passing the reward to the deceased can be done in any form according to the capacity of the person passing on the reward; and it should be borne in mind that whichever action is performed with more sacrifice, then the reward is also multiplied.

In addition, for those who are able, one should be aware that the most virtuous deed any person can do is - the Hajj.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"Whosoever perform Hajj and guards himself from sin and shameful acts, he returns back (cleansed) as the day he was given birth to." (Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)


REMOVING DOUBTS ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF ISAALI THAWAAB

If after understanding the above, one still doubts the validity of the physical form of Isaali Thawaab, then the following method can in no circumstance be refuted:

That is that after one carries out a physical form of worship (e.g. Solat, Fasting, Tilawat of the Qur'an etc.) - then he/she should make a Du'a to Almighty Allah that Allah, firstly, accepts this noble deed and he/she should thereafter ask Allah to grant the reward to so and so person. In this way, if Allah accepts the Du'a, the reward will automatically be conveyed to that specific person alive or deceased.

The above method has been prescribed by great Ulama like Imam Nawawi RA and Hafiz Ibn Hajar RA so as to remove all differences of opinion. We have already mentioned that there is no doubt in the deceased benefiting from the Du'a of the living.

In a narration of Sahih Muslim, Rasulullah (SAW) has mentioned that one of the three things that will benefit the deceased is the Du'a of his pious children. (Sahih Muslim: Page 4199)


BUT IF I COSIGN MY REWARD TO OTHERS, WOULDN'T THAT BE SILLY. WHAT DO I GET?

People may say:

"Yeah - I've read a lot of Qur'an - which goes to others? Wouldn't that be a waste of time."

In explaining this - let us clarify that InshaAllah the reciter, or the person performing the deed or any other good deed will also obtain the reward. The concept is similar to a father who makes his children Huffaz. The father will get the reward of all his children InshaAllah, but the children will also obtain the reward for their toils and effort, without deminishing any at the least. Allah is Most Bountiful. Distribution of reward here is not like cutting a cake into smaller pieces. Allah can give, if Allah wants. We just have to follow the prescribed from Rasulullah SAW. Intensify our efforts to perform the virtuous, the encouraged, and to not be reluctant to perform the permissibles.

The next question goes - if we get the full Thawaab of our deeds can we still get the bonus for passing on the reward as well? The Ulama have answered this question by explaining that - the person performing the deeds will get the full rewards, and by the Mercy of Allah SWT, He may award the cosigner with another separate reward for the charitable act of kindness.

Some people are concerned that if they ask Allah SWT to give Thawaab of their good deeds to several people then this Thawaab will be divided and hence reduced. This is incorrect. Fact is - Allah SWT with all His Bounty will give each person full reward, including the cosigner himself/herself.

The final question goes - since the performer will always get full Thawaab, and others may benefit fully as well, then shouldn't we make it a habit to pass on the reward of every single good deed we perform? The simple answer to this is - Yes! This would be ideal - and we should try and pass on the reward of each deed we perform. Infact, we ought to make intention to pass it on to the souls of all deceased Muslims as well.


THE CONCEPT OF TAHLILS / FATIHAHS

All Muslims must know and understand that Tahlils/Fatihahs, and other similar ceremonies is not proven from Hadith. These are customs and rituals practiced in the South Asian Subcontinent, as well as the Malay Peninsular and the Indo-Malay Archipelago.

Contextually Tahlil/Fatihahs refers to the recitation of a few Ayats of the Qur'an followed by a Du'a for the deceased.

To have the belief that it is a part / injunction of Deen for people to gather at the house of the deceased to recite Qur'an for a specific number of days is incorrect and an act of Bid'ah.

Rasulullah SAW condemned Bid'ah and stated the person who practices on Bid'ah is astray and deviation.


IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC DU'A FOR THE DECEASED DURING MOURNING AND AFTER THAT

All Muslims must understand that there is no specific prayer to be performed during the mourning period after burial, and later.

If a person would like to indulge in any form of Du'a or worship, then he/she must be informed and aware that such actions are not compulsory.


WHAT THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD S.A.W DID DURING THE OCASSIONS OF DEATH

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, many deaths occurred. It was the Prophet SAW's noble habit to comfort the bereaved families and widows. Many Sahabah RA enquired from the Prophet SAW about Isaali Thawaab. Having said that, it still cannot be proven on any one occasion that the Prophet SAW himself practised or ordered the customary practise of Tahlil/Fatihahs. Had such practices been of any significance, the Prophet SAW surely would have at least practised it or ordered its practise at least once in his (SAW) lifetime.

Any human being knows that the loss of a loved one is very traumatic experience. The Prophet Muhammad SAW himself cried at the loss of his (SAW) own children.


THE IMPLICATIONS OF PERFORMING WHAT IS NOT PRESCRIBED

Muslims must understand that - to emphasise and carry out a particular practise not proven in Shari'ah, for example, Tahlil/Fatihah leads to distortion of Deen. Many people would regard the practise as necessary and an integral part of Deen as is the case among many unwary people today. Any practise which leads to a possible distortion of Deen is prohibited and a major sin. Obviously, such a practise leading to sin invokes the anger of Allah. How can such a practise benefit the deceased?


THE PURPOSE OF SOLAT-UL-JANAZAH - THE ISLAMIC FUNERAL PRAYER

Most Muslims around the world in this day and age are totally unaware of the purpose of the Solat-ul-Janazah i.e. Funeral Prayer performed for the deceased. What is intended in Tahlils/Fatihahs is infact the objective of Solat-ul-Janazah i.e. to make Du'a for the deceased.

There are four Takbirs in Solat-ul-Janazah. After the first Takbir, After the third Takbir, a du'a of forgiveness is made for the deceased. This is the way of du'a established by Shari'ah for a deceased. Rasulullah SAW and the Sahabah RA made du'a for the deceased in this way. We must understand that there is no other way that is more blessed and beneficial to the deceased than the Sunnah way of Rasulullah SAW.

When a person passes away, it is an act of worship and great reward to attend his/her Solat-ul-Janazah. The moral obligation to attend to his/her funeral and console his/her family, will be according to our relationship with the deceased.


AFTER THE BURIAL

When our beloved leaves this World, we should take great opportunity to contribute whatever we can, which may be beneficial for the deceased in the Hereafter.

It is established from the Hadith that after burial, we should make Du'a for the deceased's steadfastness in the grave i.e. so that he/she can well answer the question forwarded by the Angels - Munkar and Naakir. Thus we should make Du'a to Allah so that Allah gives our beloved steadfastness and ease in the grave. We can also make whatever Du'a we want for the deceased.

THE MOURNING PERIOD

In Shari'ah the period of mourning is only three days. It is not permissible to mourn for more than three days. One may console and express condolences to the bereaved family. The practice of mourning the death by reciting the Qur'an as a custom on Thursdays, on the 3rd day, 40th day etc. has no basis in the Shari'ah.

Rasulullah SAW said:

"None should mourn the death of a person but for three days." (Sahih Bukhari)

It is clear from the above-mentioned Hadith that it is not permissible to mourn the death of a person after three days. The only exception is a widow. It is permissible for her to mourn the death of her husband until her Iddat (waiting period after death) - which is four months and ten days if she is not pregnant. If she is, her Iddat is till the birth of the child.


GATHERINGS AFTER A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF DAYS?

The Tahlil/Fatihah culture proclaims necessity of ritual recital of the Qur'an and Du'a after certain periods. This usually vary from country to country, state to state and culture to culture; but usually it manifests in the form of repetitions on the 3rd Day, 7th Day, 10th Day, 40th Day, 100th Day after the death of the deceased, and then annually, year after year.

One of the main reasons for selecting certain days is because of the deviant belief that the Ruh of the deceased visits the house after 3 days, 40 days, and so on.

This also includes the specification of visiting graves on specific days. One must understand that visiting graves (for male Muslims) is a meritorious act, and the act of Isaali Thawaab too is a meritorious act; but to define, fix and make it an injunction to perform certain acts on certain days after someone's death, and to believe that it is meritorious is Bid'ah, and a sin.

Some people contend and say that it is a small matter. The fact is - the Ulama of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah inclusive of the four grand Imams of Fiqh have all elaborated on the issue, and thus this proves that such actions is no small matter. All Muslims must know how about to go around performing Deeds and good actions for themselves as well as for other Muslims.

Almighty Allah Ta'ala states in the Noble Qur'an:

"O Ye who Believe! Obey Allah and His Rasul."

Let us realign our minds and recap that the life of the Prophet Muhammad SAW is indeed the best example for us to follow. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, many of his family members, his wives, daughters, uncles and his illustrious companions left the world whilst engaged in the most noble work and effort of uplifting the religion of Islam. Despite the Prophet SAW's deep love for them, never did he (SAW) - on any single occasion - commemorate the innovative custom of 7 days, 40 days, 100 days, etc. The Hadith is clear, in that, the immediate family should mourn for three days only.


PROHIBITED ACTIONS DURING TAHLIL/ FATIHAH

Typical Tahlil/Fatihah ceremonies include many prohibited acts in Shari'ah e.g. the intermingling of sexes, the lack of provision of Hijab facility for women, vain talk, excessive / unnecessary / extravagant expenditure on food and many more. Thus, when such functions possess such qualities, they become prohibited in Islam.

It is incorrect and Bid'ah to believe that for the cosigning of reward to parents - if their children recite the Kalimah 100,000 times - then the Maghfirah (forgiveness) of the deceased is inevitable. Fact is, there is no Wazifah or Kalimah that guarantees the Maghfirah of the deceased. It is all in Allah's decision whether to forgive or not.


DEVIANT ACTIONS TO COMMEMORATE DEATH

Thera are people who cover up the mirrors in their houses after a member of the family has passed away. Common sense relates this to the fact that such people are signifying that they are in the period of mourning. Let them be for 40 days or less, or more - all Muslims must understand that such practices is a corrupt innovation and must be shunned.

How Believers Treat Death

Multitudes of men have walked on the surface of this Earth. They all belonged to different nations and cultures. A few of them made history for which they were remembered, whereas others, were never to be mentioned again. Although each one was personally different from another; and their habits, thinking and tastes differed; but they all had two things in common - first, they were all delivered from their mother's womb, and second, they all tasted death. Who can claim that he has lived a thousand years?

We all admit the honourable rank of the Holy Prophet Muhammad SAW and his position in the eyes of Allah SWT. It is also undisputed that he is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah whose message will survive until the Day of Judgement. We also place his Companions RA superior to others.

The day the Prophet Muhammad SAW passed away, it was hard for his Companions RA to believe such a thing could happen to such a highly ranked Prophet who remained active until his last breath.

Saiyidina Umar ibn Al-Khattab RA ascended the pulpit and addressed: (mafhum)

"Anyone who says that the Prophet Muhammad SAW has passed away, I will slit his throat."

It was not a strange thing to address; for the Prophet Muhammad SAW held an honourable rank before him. He was a Prophet whose miracles were numerous. Of which one is the living miracle - the Holy Qur'an. How can the Messenger of Allah SAW leave his Companions RA behind?

Suddenly Saiyidina Abu Bakr As-Siddiq RA, ordered Umar RA to descend the pulpit, but Umar RA remained on it, fully convinced that he was right in what he was saying.

Abu Bakr RA started his speech, and recited the following Ayat of the Qur'an:

"Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns his back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful." (Surah 144: Ayat 3)

On hearing this, Umar RA and other companions were astonished that they had recited this verse many a time but on this occasion it did not come in their mind. They felt as if the Ayat was being revealed to Abu Bakr RA and all agreed that Muhammad SAW had passed away. Such a great personality experienced death, should we be unmindful of it as if we will never experience it?

Allah SWT states in the Qur'an:

"Every soul shall have a taste of death. And only on the Day of Judgement shall you be paid your full recompense." (Surah Al-Imran: Ayat 185)


The grand Imam, Shaykh Jalaluddin Suyuti RA has recorded the verdict of the Ulama that death is not mere annihilation but a type of metamorphosis where the soul (Ruh) is separated from the body like the movement from one dwelling to another. (As described in his kitab - Sharhus-Sudur).

A Believer's death has been explained analogously by many Ulama as the transference from a world of hardship to that of peace and luxury. May Allah grant us such death. Ameen.


THE ORIGIN OF DEATH

In Kitab-ul-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal RA has included the narrations of Hasan Basri RA that, when Allah created the Prophet Adam AS and his progeny, the angels expressed much concern about the world being insufficient to accommodate all of them. Allah SWT assured them by declaring:

"I shall create death!" (Riwayat Ibn Abi Shaybah)

Hearing this, the angels became disturbed and when they remarked that it would instil fear and remove the pleasure of life, Allah declared:

"I shall create hope and ambitions."

According to Mujahid RA, when Adam AS was sent to Earth, Allah SWT said to him:

"O Adam! Construct buildings destined for destruction and ruination; and beget for death." (Riwayat Abu Nu'aim)

"O dweller of lofty mansions, very soon you will be buried in the sand (a lowly station). Allah has an Angel calling daily: 'Beget for death and create buildings for destruction'. "


REMEMBRANCE OF DEATH

We are so engrossed in our worldly pursuits that the remembrance of death rarely or does not occur to us.

Rasulullah SAW said:

"The most intelligent person is the one who often remembers death."

Constant remembrance of it prevents one from evil and sin and motivates him towards good morals.

The Holy Prophet SAW said:

"The remembrance of death defeats joy."

The above narration clearly indicates that we are in this world for a purpose and not just for pleasure and entertainment.

The Holy Prophet SAW says:

"Live in the world as though you are a wayfarer."

Concerning this, the Prophet Isa AS has said:

"This world is like a bridge, cross it and do not build on it."


Life in this world is very short which everyone has to surpass, until he/she meets his death.

Allah SWT explains in the Qur'an:

"For every Ummah (nation) there is a term appointed, when their term is reached, not an hour (nor a moment) can they cause to delay, nor (an hour nor a moment) can they advance (it)." (Surah 10: Ayat 49, Tafsir Al-Qurtubi)


HOW MUCH DO WE REMEMBER DEATH?

Nowadays, when a person dies, the family and close relatives grieve over the deceased. After some time all is forgotten and much attention is given to the inheritance, so much so they begin to have disputes over it. The wealth of the deceased is valued more than the lessons to be taken from the person's death. If we remembered death frequently, we would certainly prepare for it. This is only common sense.


PREPARE FOR DEATH !

Intelligent students always prepare for their examinations. It is also a matter of intelligence to prepare for the account to be given after death.

The Holy Prophet SAW has mentioned in Hadith:

"Intelligent is the one who prepares for life after death."

The Prophet Muhammad SAW also said:

"Take importance of life before death." (Riyadhus Salihin)

Once, the Holy Prophet SAW entered the Masjid for Solat, when he noticed some people laughing and giggling.

The Prophet SAW remarked:

"If you remembered death, I would not see you like this. Think of your death often. Not a single day passes when the grave does not call out: 'I am a wilderness, I am a place of dust, I am a place of worms'. When a believer is placed in the grave, it says: 'Welcome. It is good of you to have come to me. Of all the people walking on the Earth, I liked you best. Now you have come in to me, you will see how I entertain you.' It then expands as far as the occupant can see. A door from Paradise is opened for him in the grave and through this door he gets fresh and fragrant air of Paradise.

However, when an evil man is laid into the grave, it says: 'You are not welcome here. Your coming into me is very bad for you. Of all the people walking on the Earth, I disliked you the most. Now that you have been put into me, you will see how I treat you!' It then closes upon him so much that his ribs of one side penetrate into the ribs of the other. As many as seventy serpents are then set upon him, to keep biting him until the Day of Resurrection. These serpents are so venomous that if one of them happen to spurt its venom upon the earth, not a single blade of grass would grow."


DIE AS A MUSLIM !

It is stated in a Hadith that a person will be raised in the state he dies.

The Prophet Yusuf AS who had been given the Leadership of Egypt, prayed so that Allah gives him death in the state of being Muslim and be raised amongst the righteous. Although being a Prophet of Allah, yet the Prophet Yusuf AS feared that Allah would raise him amongst the leaders, as he was the Leader of Egypt. This was the extreme humbleness of the Prophet Yusuf AS.

How lucky are those souls who after finding out about the signs of their death, turn towards Allah, ask His repentance for any previous sins and prepare for it by doing good deeds. Such people are the ones who are truly gifted with the Kalimah Shahadah at the time of death, or a good outcome before departing from this world.


THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM DEATH !

There is no doubt that there is a cure for every disease. If anyone is infected with a disease then it may be cured through medicine, and his/her life may prolong to some extent. But one day that same person will experience something with no cure at all. That thing is - Death.

Allah SWT says:

"Wherever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high."

The Holy Prophet SAW said:

"When Allah decides for a person to pass away at a certain place, he makes a need for that person at that place." (Riwayat Tirmidhi)

Another tradition has been narrated on the authority of Kuthaima RA that once the Angel of Death, Izraeel AS appeared in the form of a human being in the court of the Prophet Sulaiman AS and gazed continuously at a person present there for some time.

That person asked the Prophet Sulaiman AS:

"Who was that person?"

The Prophet Sulaiman AS told him:

"That was the Angel of Death."

The person remarked:

"The Angel of Death had gazed at me in such a manner as if he was determined to take my life."

Sulaiman AS asked him:

"What do you want?"

The person requested the Prophet Sulaiman AS to take him to India. Sulaiman thus commanded the cloud to pick him up and drop him in India. Consequently the cloud carried him to India.

The Angel of Death then came to Sulaiman AS.

Sulaiman AS asked him:

"Why did you fix your gaze at that person?"

The Angel of Death said:

"I wondered why Almighty Allah had commanded me to take the life of this person in India whereas he was sitting here in your presence."


A DISCRIPTION OF THE THROES OF DEATH

There is a bind between the body and the soul. This can be explained by portraying the attraction between two magnets. It is hard to pull them apart. Likewise, the attraction of the soul to the material body is more due to the love of the materialistic world. In other words, the more the magnetic field in both the magnets, the greater the attraction will be. Similarly, the more the love towards the worldly life, the greater the pain of pulling apart of the soul from the body will be.

Imam Ghazzi RA explains, that the soul is removed from the body in stages, as mentioned in the Holy Qur'aan.

It is first taken out from the feet, followed by the shin and then the thighs after which the chest is affected and at that moment the power of speech is lost. When the soul is taken from the throat, the faculties of sight and hearing are exterminated. There are two things here. Firstly, the pain felt at the introduction of death. Secondly, the pain felt at the extraction of the soul. Here the latter is implied.

The severity of death varies from person to person. A Believer feels the pain similar to the hair that is taken out from flour by a finger. Whereas, the disbeliever feels so much pain that it is impossible to describe.

The severity of death has been mentioned in numerous Ahadith, some of which are as follows:

Anas bin Malik RA has reported that Rasulullah SAW had mentioned: that the grasp of Mala'ikatul Maut is more severe than one thousand hacks (cuts) with a sword. Sharhus-Sudur)

There is a narration regarding the Prophet Musa AS that he was questioned by Allah after death about how he had undergone the experience of dying. The Prophet Musa AS replied that it could be described as the case of a live bird being put into a hot boiling pot of bubbling oil.

In another narration, the Prophet Musa AS is reported to have replied that the experience was like that of a goat being skinned alive by a butcher. (Sharhus Sudur)

It is narrated from Shaddad ibn Aus RA that there is not as much pain, torture in being split by a saw, shredded by scissors or scalded by fiercely boiling water than in experiencing death.

Abu Qatadah RA reports that Rasulullah SAW said that all distress, displeasure and agony at the time of death can be likened to that of an ant-bite.

The Prophet Ibrahim AS asked the Angel of Death to show him in which form he visits an evil person. The Angel of Death replied, "You will not be able to tolerate the sight." The Prophet Ibrahim AS insisted, and so the Angel of Death told him to turn around, while he transformed himself, after which he told Ibrahim AS to look. Upon seeing the physique of the Angel of Death he fell unconsciousness due to the pitiful sight. Thereafter, the Prophet Ibrahim AS remarked that the sight was so horrifying that just by looking at him was enough punishment for the evildoer.

It is a pity for us today that we are attentive enough to remember our worldly matters but forget to remember death.

Death 101

In a day and age when the world is gripped with dispute; and disagreement is at its peak, there remains one fact that is undisputed, moreover is accepted by each and everyone:

Death.

No matter what religion, group or sect one may be attached to, the fact of dying is not refuted.

In the Holy Qur'an, we see that Allah SWT has described death; and that there remains no doubt in the matter of death.

So after having realising that death is inevitable, one has to turn his / her attention to the eternal life which awaits him / her after death. But sadly, we see today that instead of preparing for the Hereafter, we have turned our attention to this futile and worthless world which too will one day come to an end.

Allah says in the Qur'an in Surah Al-A'laa:

"You give preference to the worldly life whereas the life of the Hereafter is better and eternal."

After establishing that death is inevitable, and life which succeeds is better and everlasting; then we have to live a life which pleases our Lord till the day we die. All Praise is for Allah Almighty who gave us the perfect example to gain His everlasting bounties, by sending to us the best of mankind: Muhammad SAW.

If we mould our lives around the life of the Holy Prophet SAW, then we can look forward to death and meeting our Lord. Otherwise, death will find us when we will be trying to avoid it.

And Allah SWT states:

"Wherever you may be, death will reach you even though you may be in fortresses built up high and strong." (Surah An-Nisaa)

It is through the infinite blessings of Allah that he has made us Believers and not from amongst the disbelievers, Alhamdulillah; and Inshallah through the blessing of this Imaan, we will one day enter Paradise. Whereas those who die as non-believers will never enter Paradise.

One may raise an objection here as to why the foundation of the eternal life lies on a mere sixty to seventy years. The answer is quite simple because death merely underlines the INTENTION of a believer or a disbeliever to remain as he or she would if they were to remain forever.

After having been given the blessing of being from amongst the believers, we have to spend our lives in obeying Allah which means doing all those good deeds which will please Allah SWT and avoid all those evil deeds which incur Allah's wrath and displeasure.

As we look into the lives of our pious predecessors, we see many narrations, describing about them, while they were lying waiting for death.

The Prophet SAW's Muazzin: Bilal bin Rabah RA was on his death bed. His wife was crying. Bilal RA says to his wife:

"Why are you crying? Tomorrow I am going to meet the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his companions (RA)."

Why shouldn't every Muslim be lying in wait for death as this is the bridge to meeting his or her Creator?

This yearning however does not come without effort - as with everything in life.

We have to lead our lives in such a way that when death comes, we receive it with open arms.

Death is inevitable. There is no hiding and the life that succeeds it is eternal. So why not give up the temporary pleasures of this world for the eternal bounties of the Hereafter?

Verily the Prophet Muhammad SAW has taught us on the method to achieve this desire. All we need to do is increase our remembrance of death, as this will make us turn our intentions towards the Hereafter. And this in turn will make it easy for us to live our lives accordingly and perform those actions which will make death easy upon us and make the day that we meet Him the happiest day ever.

Shaving the Head To Mourn Death ?

To mourn the death of a person by shaving the hair was the practise of the pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah era.

Rasulullah SAW prohibited this practise. The mourning of Muslims is a peaceful one with plenty of invocations for the deceased enveloped in the characteristics of patience and perseverance.

Amals After A Muslim Passes Away

Upon the death of a person, it is a common practice to make recitation of a few Ayats of the Qur'an followed by a Du'a for the deceased. There are many Ahadith expounding the virtues of recitingthe Qur'an and making Du'a.

There are also many Ahadith describing the sending of the reward of a certain action to the deceased. Surely, the deceased eagerly await for rewards from his beloved wife, parents and friends by them making du'a forhis forgiveness, giving charity, etc. on his behalf.

However, in order for the deceased to benefit from the gifts of his beloved, they must be channelled to him in the correct way, i.e. by the way of our beloved Prophet SAW.

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, many deaths occurred. It was his noble habit to comfort the bereaved families and widows. Many Sahabah RA enquired from the Prophet SAW about sending Sawaab to their deceased.

It is not proven on anyone occasion that the Prophet SAW himself practised or ordered the customary practise of any ritual e.g. Tahlil in Malaysia and Fateha in the Indian-Subcontinent.

Had the customary practise of these rituals been of any significance, Rasulullah SAW would have surely practised it at least once in his lifetime, or ordered its practice at least once in his lifetime.

To emphasise and carry out a particular practice not proven in Shari'ah, for example, Tahlil and Fateha leads to distortion of Deen. Many people may regard the practise as necessary and an integral part of Deen as is the case among many unwary people today.

Any practise which leads to a possible distortion of Deen is prohibited and a major sin.

Obviously, such a practise leading to sin invokes the anger of Allah. How can such a practice benefit the deceased?

The only way to benefit the deceased is to send Thawaab (reward of actions) to him by carrying out acts of virtue, for example, reciting The Qur'an, making Du'a for him, giving charity, etc. as advised by our beloved Rasulullah SAW.

Death Of A Non-Muslim Mother

Would It Be Permissible To Attend Her Funeral / Burial?

The Fuqaaa (jurists) have ruled that if a non-Muslim passes away and there is no one to attend to the burial proceedings besides a Muslim relative, then the Muslim relative will be excused for this attendance.

Hence, if there are people to attend to the burial proceedings, then thereis no excuse for the Muslim relative to attend.

However, due to circumstances, there could be an exemption to the prohibition. Consultation should be made with the local Ulama in such situations.

Throes Of Death vs Evil ?

Let it be known that pain during the throes of death is not a sign of evil.

Whilst Rasulullah SAW was in the throes of death, he commented:

"Verily there are difficulties at the time of death."

The above narration is indicative that every person experiences the pain of death. And as previously described, the pain of death is not a sign of any evil in that person.