ANSWERED: Reciting the Fatiha on the deceased - an innovation?

[AbuZayd]

Asalamu alaykum,

We all recite the Fatiha at graves, and at talks and so on for the deceased but after reading some Wahabi site I would like to know if it is a reprehensible bid'ah or a Sunnah? Could you provide any relevant textual information.


JazakAllah khair.

[Raeesa]

Hope this helps inshallah


Fatiha is the name commonly ascribed to Eissal-e-Sawaab. IT is neither Far’z nor Wajib. Eisal-e-Sawaab (donating its Sawaab to a deceased after doing a good deed like reciting Qur’an and Darood or feeding the hungry) is only Mustahab ( a good deed which is not obligatory), according to all scholars of repute. Those who insist upon others joining in Eisaal-e-Sawaab, convert a good deed into Bid’at (making those things obligatory in Deen which were not made compulsory by Shariah). Bid’at is a grave sin. Even an extremely virtuous act can become a Bid’at by transgression. Imam Malik never put on shoes in Madina, and he always used to go out of Madina to relieve himself. It was his gesture of respect for the land, where the holy Prophet (Pbuh) once lived. This great act of devotion and love for the Prophet (Pbuh) would become a Bid’at and a sin if a group of people start insisting that walking barefoot in Madina is a necessary sign of love for the Prophet (Pbuh). On the other hand, those who oppose Eisaal-e--Sawaab also commit transgression as a number of Sahih (authentic) Hadiths explicate its importance for the benefit of the deceased at the stage of Barzakh (the transitionary stage of the deceased before the Last Day).

http://www.islamicvoice.com/september.98/dialogue.htm

[AbuZayd]

It certainly does.

However, could anyone elaborate on what was mentioned here:


On the other hand, those who oppose Eisaal-e--Sawaab also commit transgression as a number of Sahih (authentic) Hadiths explicate its importance for the benefit of the deceased at the stage of Barzakh (the transitionary stage of the deceased before the Last Day).

JazakAllah khair.

[salman]

Sallamu Alaikum

Shaikh Albani stated that reciting the Quran over the dead was an innovation in his Mukhtasar Ahkam al Janaiz. The position of the Ulema is that it is allowed. Ibn Abidin said in his Hashiyat that a person may recite Surah Al Fatiha on the dead, and at his grave. Further, Imam Suyuti cites in his Sharh Al Sudur that the majority of the Salaf did agree that the reward for reciting Quran over the deceased reaches them.

Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Marwazi said:

-- I once heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal say, 'Whenever you enter a cemetary, recite the Opening Chapter of the Book, the Two Refuge-taking Chapters, and Say: He is God, the One. Make the reward of all this over to the people of the cemetary, for it will reach them.'

The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife," translation by T.J. Winter.

Similarly Imam NAwawi says in his Sharh of Muslim:

-- The scholars have declared desirable -- mustahabb -- the recitation of the Qur'an over the grave....

Similar Fatwas can be found in Imam Nawawis Adhkar, Ibn Taymiyyas Majmu, Ibn Al Jawzis Mukhtasar Minhaj Al Qasidin etc.

‏حدثنا ‏ ‏أبو بكر بن أبي شيبة ‏ ‏حدثنا ‏ ‏علي بن الحسن بن شقيق ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏ابن المبارك ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏سليمان التيمي ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏أبي عثمان ‏ ‏وليس ‏ ‏بالنهدي ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏أبيه ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏معقل بن يسار ‏ ‏قال ‏
‏قال رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏اقرءوها عند موتاكم ‏ ‏يعني ‏ ‏يس

-- The Prophet of Allah Said: Recite It (Iqarahu) on ('Inda) the deceased/dying that means (Ya'ani) Surah Yaseen.

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Al Janaiz #1438)

The commentator of Sunan Ibn Majah further states:

‏قوله ( عند موتاكم ) ‏
‏أي على من حضره الموت أو بعد الموت أيضا

-- His saying : On the deceased/dying -- That is to say on the dying or (Aw) after (Ba'ad) death Also.

(Sharh Sunan Ibn Majah Al Sanadi , Ibid)

In the commentary of Sunan Abu Dawud, entitled Awn Al Ma'bud Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud it states:

‏وعند النسائي من حديث ابن عباس " أنه صلى على جنازة فقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب وسورة وجهر فلما فرغ قال سنة وحق

-- And in NAsai the hadith from Ibn Abbas: He prayed the funeral prayer and read the Fatiha...

In Kitab Al Ruh by Ibn Qayyim it states:

قال الخلال وأخبرني الحسن بن أحمد الوراق حدثنى على بن موسى الحداد وكان صدوقا قال كنت مع أحمد بن حنبل ومحمد بن قدامة الجوهرى في جنازة فلما دفن الميت جلس رجل ضرير يقرأ عند القبر فقال له أحمد يا هذا إن القراءة عند القبر بدعة فلما خرجنا من المقابر قال محمد بن قدامة لأحمد بن حنبل يا أبا عبد الله ما تقول في مبشر الحلبي قال ثقة قال كتبت عنه شيئا قال نعم فأخبرني مبشر عن عبد الرحمن بن العلاء اللجلاج عن أبيه أنه أوصى إذا دفن أن يقرأ عند رأسه بفاتحة البقرة وخاتمتها وقال سمعت ابن عمر يوصي بذلك فقال له أحمد فارجع وقل للرجل يقرأ

-- Ali ibn Musa Haddad said: "I was once with Ahmad ibn Hanbal at a funeral in the company of Muhammad ibn Qudama al-Jawhari. After the dead was interred a blind man came up and recited [from the Qur'an] beside the grave. 'O So-and-so,' Ahmad said to him, 'Recitation at the graveside is an innovation (bid`a)!' But when we left the cemetary Muhammad ibn Qudama asked Ahmad, 'Oh Abu Abdullah, what is your opinion of Mubashshir ibn Ismail al-Halabi?' 'A sound authority,' he said, 'have you written anything down from him ?'... 'Yes,' he replied, 'Mubashshir ibn Ismail related to me on the authority ofhis father, on the authority of Abdul Rahman ibn Al Ala, on the authority of his father, that he had requested that upon his death the opening and closing verses of the Chapter of the Cow should be recited over his grave, saying: I heard Ibn Umar requesting that this be done.' Thereupon, Ahmad said to him, 'Return to the man, and bid him recite'."

In al Adhkar by Imam Nawawi it is stated:

4 / 420 وروينا في سنن البيهقي بإسناد حسن؛ أن ابن عمر استحبَّ أن يقرأ على القبر بعد الدفن أوّل سورة البقرة وخاتمتها‏. ‏‏(‏ البيهقي 4/56 وقال الحافظ‏:‏ هذا موقوف حسن‏.‏‏ ) ‏

-- We also narrated in Bayhaqi's Sunan (4:56-57) with a fair (hasan) chain that Ibn Umar liked for the beginning and the end of Surat al-Baqara to be recited over the grave after burial.

Inshallah akhi that should be sufficient.

Wallahu A'lam

[salman]

Sallamu Alaikum

وذكر الخلال عن الشعبي قال كانت الأنصار إذا مات لهم الميت اختلفوا إلى قبره يقرءون عنده القرآن

-- Al Shu`bi said: "The Ansar, if someone died among them, would go to his grave and recite the Quran there.

(Kitab Al Ruh, Ibn Qayyim)

وقال الحسن بن الصباح الزعفراني سألت الشافعي عن القراءة عند القبر فقال لا بأس بها

-- Za`farani said: "I asked Shafii about reciting Qur'an at the graveside and he said: la ba'sa bihi -- There is no harm in it.

(Ibid)

السنّة لمن كان على القبر أن يحثي في القبر ثلاث حثيات بيديه جميعاً من قِبل رأسه‏.‏ قال جماعة من أصحابنا‏:‏ يُستحبّ أن يقول في الحثية الأولى‏:‏ ‏{‏مِنْها خَلَقْناكُم‏}‏ وفي الثانية‏:‏ ‏{‏وفِيها نُعِيدُكُمْ‏}‏ وفي الثالثة‏:‏ ‏{‏وَمِنْها نُخرِجُكُمْ تارَةً أُخْرَى‏}‏ ‏[‏طه‏:‏56‏]‏‏.‏ ويُستحبّ أن يقعد عنده بعد الفراغ ساعة قدر ما يُنحر جزور ويُقسم لحمُها، ويشتغل القاعدون بتلاوة القرآن، والدعاء للميت، والوعظ، وحكايات أهل الخير، وأحوال الصالحين‏.‏

-- A large group of our companions [in the Shafi`i school] said: "It is desirable -- mustahabb -- that one recite upon throwing the first earth into the grave: minha khalaqnakum and upon throwing the second: wa fiha nu`idukum and upon throwing the third: wa minha nukhrijukum taratan ukhra :

"From it (the earth) We created you // and into it We return you // and from it We shall bring you out once more" (20:55).

(Kitab Al Adhkar)

قال الشافعي والأصحاب‏:‏ يُستحبّ أن يقرؤوا عنده شيئاً من القرآن، قالوا‏:‏ فإن ختموا القرآن كلَّه كان حسناً‏.‏

-- Shafii and his companions said: "It is desirable -- yustahabb -- that they recite something of the Quran at the graveside," and they said: "If they recited the entire Quran it would be good."

[AbuZayd]

JazakAllah khair Akhi, that was very helpful. Would it be possible to quote the entire version of the second Hadith?


The Prophet of Allah Said: Recite It (Iqarahu) on ('Inda) the deceased/dying that means (Ya'ani) Surah Yaseen.

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Al Janaiz #1438)

-- And in NAsai the hadith from Ibn Abbas: He prayed the funeral prayer and read the Fatiha...

[UmmIbrahimIsa]

Assalamu alaikum wr wb

jazakuAllahkhairun.

[eat-halal guy]

:salam:

I'm teaching at a masjid these days, and while talking about death to the kids, one of the kids related a story to me that went something like this:


When I was in Pakistan, my grandma's brother passed away, and we didn't read fatiha, thus his rooh (soul) got stuck on the roof. We then got everyone together and read fatiha, and then the rooh left.


Of course, if one has beliefs such as these, then they are clearly false, and if someone reads fatiha with the intention of releasing the soul and other nonesense that is common in the sub-continent (which btw stems mainly from Hinduism), then for sure it's bid`ah.

I think the problem these days is that it is commonly very tough to differentiate between something that's good in itself but not fardh or wajib when it has been associated with false beliefs. So even if one is aware of the false beliefs and doesn't do it with that intention, it can be perceived to be so by others, which can fuel their following of the bid`ah. If this is the case, then in my opinion, it is better to abstain.

In the same way, sometimes there are actions which are mubah or mustahab, but because of those actions being done commonly, it becomes a sort of "social fardh/wajib", and the original importance of the actions or lack thereof evaporates from society, and it ends up becoming a fardh/wajib of sorts, and thus a new bid`ah is born.

For example, it is very common for people to celebrate a "bismillah" or "ameen" when their child begins to recite or completes a recitation of the Quran. While there is nothing wrong (mubah) in celebrating such an event by holding a party (i.e. feeding others...it's a form of charity), it has turned into the norm, and has become a sort of wajib or mustahab which it isn't. This often causes the 2nd generation who is not aware of the actual reasoning behind these events to think that holding a "bismillah" or "ameen" for a kid is somehow a part of deen and is mustahab or even wajib, which it isn't. A new bid`ah is born.

For this reason, even if an action is good in itself, but it has the potential to mislead others and to be perceived in the wrong way by others (i.e. to make them believe that it's fardh, wajib, sunnah. mustahab, etc., when it isn't), it is better to abstain, because the sin for helping create a bad precedent, and the sins recieved by each person who follows that action (for doing do) fall on the shoulders of each person who helped in maintaining it and passed it on.

Allah knows best.

[eat-halal guy]

Also, from the quotations above, it's interesting to note that they are about reciting Quran in general and other surahs, but there is nothing specifically limiting them to only surah fatihah each and every time.

Allah knows best.

[eat-halal guy]

JazakAllah khair Akhi, that was very helpful. Would it be possible to quote the entire version of the second Hadith?


أنه صلى على جنازة فقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب وسورة وجهر فلما فرغ قال سنة وحق



He prayed on the janazah (i.e. the funeral prayer) and read (in it) the Fatiha and a surah, and he read it loudly, and when he finished, he said that it is sunnah and the truth.