The prohibition of prayer for the funeral of hypocrites

I take refuge with Allaah from the accursed devil.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Welcome to my blog and praise the Magnificent Lord as you enter: Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest .

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah Azza wa Jal, our Lord Glorified and Praised be He, be upon our beloved  Prophet, his Family, and Companions.

The prohibition of prayer for the funeral of hypocrites

فَرِحَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَـفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَكَرِهُواْ أَن يُجَـهِدُواْ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَالُواْ لاَ تَنفِرُواْ فِى الْحَرِّ قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا لَّوْ كَانُوا يَفْقَهُونَ

(81. Those who stayed away (from Tabuk expedition) rejoiced in their staying behind the Messenger of Allah; they hated to strive and fight with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah, and they said: “March not forth in the heat.” Say: “The fire of Hell is more intense in heat;” if only they could understand!)

 فَلْيَضْحَكُواْ قَلِيلاً وَلْيَبْكُواْ كَثِيرًا جَزَآءً بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ

(82. So let them laugh a little and (they will) cry much as a recompense of what they used to earn (by committing sins).)

Surah 9 At Tawba Verse 81-82

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hypocrites rejoice because They remained behind from Tabuk.

Allah admonishes the hypocrites who lagged behind from the battle of Tabuk with the Companions of the Messenger of Allah , rejoicing that they remained behind after the Messenger departed for the battle,

(they hated to strive and fight), along with the Messenger ,

(with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah, and they said), to each other,

(“March not forth in the heat.”) Tabuk occurred at a time when the heat was intense and the fruits and shades became delightful. This is why they said,

(“March not forth in the heat”) Allah said to His Messenger ,

(Say) to them,

(“The fire of Hell…), which will be your destination because of your disobedience,

(“. ..is more intense in heat;”), than the heat that you sought to avoid; it is even more intense than fire. Imam Malik narrated that Abu Az-Zinad said that Al-A`raj narrated that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(The fire that the son of Adam kindles is but one part of seventy parts of the Fire of Jahannam.) They said, “O Allah’s Messenger! This fire alone is enough.” He said,

((Hellfire) was favored by sixty-nine parts.) The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith. Al-A`mash narrated that Abu Ishaq said that An-Nu`man bin Bashir said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(On the Day of Resurrection, the person who will receive the least punishment among the people of the Fire, wears two slippers made from the Fire of Jahannam causing his brain to boil, just as a pot boils. He thinks that none in the Fire is receiving a more severe torment than he, when in fact he is receiving the least torment.) The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith. There are many other Ayat and Prophetic Hadiths on this subject. Allah said in His Glorious Book,

(By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell. Taking away (burning completely) the scalp!) (70:15-16),

(Al-Hamim (boiling water) will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt (or vanish away) what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins. And for them are hooked rods of iron (to punish them). Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein, and (it will be said to them): “Taste the torment of burning!” (22:19-22), and,

 (Surely, those who disbelieved in Our Ayat, We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment.)(4:56) Allah said here,

(Say: “The fire of Hell is more intense in heat;” if only they could understand!) meaning, if they have any comprehension or understanding, they would have marched with the Messenger of Allah during the heat, so as to save themselves from the Fire of Jahannam, which is much more severe. Allah, the Exalted, then warns the hypocrites against their conduct,

(So let them laugh a little…) Ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented, “Life is short, so let them laugh as much as they like in it. But when life ends and they are returned to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, they will start crying forever without end.”

فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ اللَّهُ إِلَى طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ فَقُلْ لَّن تَخْرُجُواْ مَعِىَ أَبَدًا وَلَن تُقَـتِلُواْ مَعِىَ عَدُوًّا إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُمْ بِالْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَاقْعُدُواْ مَعَ الْخَـلِفِينَ

(83. If Allah brings you back to a party of them (the hypocrites), and they ask your permission to go out (to fight), say: “Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me; you were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion, then you sit (now) with those who lag behind.”)

Surah 9 At Tawba Verse 83

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hypocrites are barred from participating in Jihad.

Allah commands His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him,

(If Allah brings you back), from this battle,

(to a party of them) in reference to the twelve (hypocrite) men, according to Qatadah,

(and they ask your permission to go out), with you to another battle,

(say: “Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me…”) as an admonishment and punishment for them. Allah mentioned the reason for this decision,

(“You were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion…”) Allah said in a similar Ayah,

(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time. ) (6:110) The recompense of an evil deed includes being directed to follow it with another evil deed, while the reward of a good deed includes being directed to another good deed after it. For instance, Allah said concerning the `Umrah of Hudaybiyyah,

(Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils.)(48:15) Allah said next,

(“…then you sit (now) with those who lag behind.”) in reference to the men who lagged behind from (Tabuk) battle, according to Ibn `Abbas.

وَلاَ تُصَلِّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَداً وَلاَ تَقُمْ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ فَـسِقُونَ

 (84. And never (O Muhammad ) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave. Certainly they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and died while they were Fasiqun.)

Surah 9 At Tawba Verse 84

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of Prayer for the Funeral of Hypocrites.

Allah commands His Messenger to disown the hypocrites, to abstain from praying the funeral prayer when any of them dies, from standing next to his grave to seek Allah’s forgiveness for him, or to invoke Allah for his benefit. This is because hypocrites disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died as such. This ruling applies to all those who are known to be hypocrites, even though it was revealed about the specific case of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, the chief hypocrite. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Umar said, “When `Abdullah bin Ubayy died, his son, `Abdullah bin `Abdullah, came to the Messenger of Allah and asked him to give him his shirt to shroud his father in, and the Messenger did that. He also asked that the Prophet offer his father’s funeral prayer, and Allah’s Messenger stood up to offer the funeral prayer. `Umar took hold of the Prophet’s robe and said, `O Allah’s Messenger! Are you going to offer his funeral prayer even though your Lord has forbidden you to do so’ Allah’s Messenger said,

(I have been given the choice, for Allah says:

(Whether you ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites), or do not ask for forgiveness for them. Even though you ask for their forgiveness seventy times, Allah will not forgive them.)

(Verily, I will ask ﴿for forgiveness for him﴾ more than seventy times).’ `Umar said, `He is a hypocrite!’ So Allah’s Messenger offered the funeral prayer and on that Allah revealed this Verse,

(And never (O Muhammad) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave.)” `Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated a similar narration. In this narration, `Umar said, “The Prophet offered his funeral prayer, walked with the funeral procession and stood on his grave until he was buried. I was amazed at my daring to talk like this to the Messenger of Allah , while Allah and His Messenger have better knowledge. By Allah, soon afterwards, these two Ayat were revealed,

(And never (O Muhammad ) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies.) Ever since this revelation came, the Prophet never offered the funeral prayer for any hypocrite nor stood on his grave until Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, brought death to him.” At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith in his Tafsir (section of his Sunan) and said, “Hasan Sahih”. Al-Bukhari also recorded it.