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​​Can a Menstruating Person Sit in the Room Where the Deceased Lies?

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Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah

Question: Assalamu alaykum

Can a menstruating person sit in the room where the deceased lies?

Answer: Wa’alaykum assalam, I pray you’re well.

In regards the presence of a menstruating woman, there is a difference in ruling between her being present when a person is dying and being in the presence of a deceased person.

A Dying Person

The fuqaha have stated that is disliked for a menstruating woman, as well as any person in a state of janaba (major ritual impurity) to be present while a person is dying, meaning at the point of death, when the soul is departing. This is based on the hadith, ‘The angels do not enter a house where there is an image, a dog or a person in a state of major ritual impurity [junub].’ [al Nasa’i]

[Tuhfat al Muhtaj, Mughni al Muhtaj]

However, there is some discussion on what is meant by junub in the hadith, many scholars holding that it refers to a person in a state of major ritual impurity who does not out take the ritual bath, or purposely delays having a bath, out of bad habit or religious complacency. [Hashiyat al Suyuti ‘ala al Nasa’i]

Our teachers elaborated that if there is a need for the menstruating woman to be present such as a close family member whose presence will provide comfort to the dying person then there is no harm in her being present. However, if it becomes apparent that the parting of the soul is prolonged or with difficulty, a menstruating woman should leave the room, as should a person in a state of janaba. And Allah knows best.

A Deceased Person

In regards a menstruating women being in the presence of a deceased person then there seems no objection to her being present, as the soul has left the body, and as long as the general etiquette of mourning are observed.

Warmest salams,

[Shaykh] Jamir Meah

Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.

What Is the Ruling on Shaving Pubic Hair for the Deceased?

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Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Assalamu alaykum

What is the ruling on shaving pubic hair for the deceased?

Answer:  Walaikum assalam,

I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah.

The body hair and nails of the deceased are not cut, because such cutting is for worldly appearance—and the deceased has no need for that. Furthermore, the sunna with cut hair and nails is burial, as is the duty with the body, so cutting them would be redundant. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Quduri, Tajrid]

And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a scholar and researcher of Islamic law and Executive Director of SeekersHub Global After ten years overseas, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in the Summer of 2007. In May 2008 he founded SeekersHub Global to deal with the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge—both online and on the ground—in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He has been repeatedly listed as one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims (The Muslim500).

Is It Permissible to Travel and Perform Umra for a Deceased Relative Without Performing Umra for One’s Self on the Same Journey?

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Answered by Shaykh Salim Ahmad Mauladdawila

Question: Assalamu alaykum

Is it permissible to travel and perform Umra for a deceased relative without performing Umra for one’s self on the same journey?

Answer: Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim

It is permissible to travel and perform Umra for a deceased relative without performing Umra for one’s self on the same journey; however it is recommended that one perform multiple Umras during their time in Makkah to make the most of the Holy Mosque and the sacred precinct.

Imam al-Nawawi says in al-Iydhah fi Manasik al-Hajj that one should make the most of their time staying in Makkah and perform Umra in plenty, and in Ihya Ulum al-Deen Imam al-Ghazali says, “The one staying in Makkah should perform Umra and Tawaf abundantly”.

It should be noted that if a person staying in Makkah has completed Umra and wishes to perform another, they should first travel to outside of the sacred precinct to enter Ihram before performing their next Umra. One should travel to, in order of preference, either al-Ji’ranah, al-Tan’im, or al-Hudaibiya. Al-Tan’im is the closest of the three to the Holy Mosque in Makkah, and Masjid Aisha there is well known and clearly indicated. It was the place where Sayyida Aisha entered into Ihram as she was instructed to do so by the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

[Shaykh] Salim Ahmad Mauladdawila

Does the Deceased Know What Is Happening to His Living Relatives?

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Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum,

I often think if my late father, God rest his soul, knows what is going on in the lives of my family. Does a deceased person know what is happening in his family’s life, the good and the bad?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

The deceased moves into another realm of being termed the inter-world (barzakh). Such a world and its details are from the unseen and we do not know what that life is like except what has come to us from revelation.

However, it is unlikely that a person knows what is happening in the lives of the family they left behind, and in reality, it will not affect anything in their own lives as their book of deeds has been closed– except for the good works that people send the reward of.

Practically, this is the best thing that you can do for them. For details, please see: Donating Reward to the Dead: A Detailed Answer

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,
Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Photo: Chongkian

Learn A Comprehensive Dua For The Deceased (30 Deeds, 30 Days), by Shaykh Walead Mosaad

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:24 — 15.7MB)

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Learn A Comprehensive Dua For The Deceased, by Shaykh Walead Mosaad

30 Days, 30 Deeds
Sacred Acts to Transform the Heart

Every night, our scholars in residence explore one simple deed that could have far reaching spiritual impact on our lives – and the lives of others. Every day we’ll make the intention to put that teaching into practice. Whether it’s forgiving someone who’s wronged us or putting service to others at the top of our list of priorities, these powerful lessons will remind us of the great gift the Prophet ﷺ‎  gave us: the best of character.

Daily at 8:10 pm EST. Attend in person at SeekersHub Toronto or watch live.

Let’s #GiveLight to Millions More

We envision a world in which no one is cut off from the beauty, mercy and light of the Prophetic ﷺ example. A world where the dark ideology of a few is dwarfed by radiant example of the many who follow the way of the Prophet ﷺ. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support. This Ramadan, we need you to help us #GiveLight to millions more. Here’s how.

 

Photo by Md. Mafizul Hasan Hawlader.

Can You Put a Turban on the Deceased?

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Answered by Shaykh Umer Mian

Question: Assalam aleykum,

Can you put a turban on the deceased and bury him with it?

Answer: Wa alaikum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

The most correct opinion in the Hanafi madhab (al-qawl al-asahh) is that it is makruh (disliked) to place an ‘imamah (turban) on the deceased. This is reported in the following relied-upon texts of the madhab: Maraqi al-Falah, al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Radd al-Muhtar (known in the subcontinent as al-Fatawa al-Shamiyyah), and Majma’ al-Anhur. The reason it has been deemed disliked is because it is contrary to the sunnah, which is as follows:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كُفِّنَ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ يَمَانِيَةٍ بِيضٍ سَحُولِيَّةٍ مِنْ كُرْسُفٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِنَّ قَمِيصٌ وَلَا عِمَامَةٌ (متفق عليه)

Sayyida A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was shrouded in three Yemenite white Suhuliya (pieces of cloth) of cotton, and in them there was neither a shirt nor a turban [Bukhari and Muslim].

Wassalam,

Umer

مراقي الفلاح

( وتكره العمامة في الأصح ) لأنها لم تكن في كفن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم واستحسنها بعضهم لما روي أن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما كان يعممه ويجعل العذبة على وجهه

حاشية الطحطاوي

قوله ( وتكره العمامة في الأصح ) كذا في المجتبى لأنها لم تكن في كفن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وعللها في البدائع لأنها لو فعلت لصار الكفن شفعا والسنة أن يكون وترا

قوله ( واستحسنها بعضهم ) وهم المتأخرون وخصه في الظهيرية بالعلماء والإشراف دون الأوساط كما في النهر وغيره

مجمع الأنهر

( واستحسن بعض المتأخرين العمامة ) بالكسر لحديث ابن عمرو رضي الله تعالى عنهما أنه كان يعمم الميت ويجعل ذنب العمامة على وجهه هذا إذا كان عالما معروفا أو من الأشراف وأما من الأوساط فلا يعمم كما في المعراج وقيل : إذا لم يكن في الورثة صغار والأصح أنها تكره كما في المجتبى

الدر المختار

( وَيُسَنُّ فِي الْكَفَنِ لَهُ إزَارٌ وَقَمِيصٌ وَلِفَافَةٌ وَتُكْرَهُ الْعِمَامَةُ ) لِلْمَيِّتِ ( فِي الْأَصَحِّ ) مُجْتَبَى وَاسْتَحْسَنَهَا الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ وَالْأَشْرَافِ وَلَا بَأْسَ بِالزِّيَادَةِ عَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ وَيُحَسَّنُ الْكَفَنُ لِحَدِيثِ ” { حَسِّنُوا أَكْفَانَ الْمَوْتَى فَإِنَّهُمْ يَتَزَاوَرُونَ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَيَتَفَاخَرُونَ بِحُسْنِ أَكْفَانِهِمْ } ” ظَهِيرِيَّةٌ

رد المحتار

( قَوْلُهُ وَتُكْرَهُ الْعِمَامَةُ إلَخْ ) هِيَ بِالْكَسْرِ مَا يُلَفُّ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ قَامُوسٌ قَالَ ط : وَهِيَ مَحَلُّ الْخِلَافِ ، وَأَمَّا مَا يُفْعَلُ عَلَى الْخَشَبَةِ مِنْ الْعِمَامَةِ وَالزِّينَةِ بِبَعْضِ حُلِيٍّ فَهُوَ مِنْ الْمَكْرُوهِ بِلَا خِلَافٍ لِمَا تَقَدَّمَ أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ فِيهِ كُلُّ مَا كَانَ لِلزِّينَةِ . ا هـ .

( قَوْلُهُ فِي الْأَصَحِّ ) هُوَ أَحَدُ تَصْحِيحَيْنِ قَالَ الْقُهُسْتَانِيُّ : وَاسْتَحْسَنَ عَلَى الصَّحِيحِ الْعِمَامَةَ يُعَمَّمُ يَمِينًا وَيُذَنَّبُ وَيُلَفُّ ذَنَبُهُ عَلَى كُورَةٍ مِنْ قِبَلِ يَمِينِهِ ، وَقِيلَ يُذَنَّبُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ كَمَا فِي التُّمُرْتَاشِيِّ وَقِيلَ هَذَا إذَا كَانَ مِنْ الْأَشْرَافِ ، وَقِيلَ هَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْوَرَثَةِ صِغَارٌ ، وَقِيلَ لَا يُعَمَّمُ بِكُلِّ حَالٍ كَمَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنَّهُ تُكْرَهُ الْعِمَامَةُ بِكُلِّ حَالٍ كَمَا فِي الزَّاهِدِيِّ . ا هـ .

( قَوْلُهُ : وَلَا بَأْسَ بِالزِّيَادَةِ عَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ ) كَذَا فِي النَّهْرِ عَنْ غَايَةِ الْبَيَانِ ، وَنَقْلُهُ قَبْلَهُ عَنْ الْمُجْتَبَى الْكَرَاهَةُ لَكِنْ قَالَ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ عَنْ الذَّخِيرَةِ مَعْزِيًّا إلَى عِصَامٍ : أَنَّهُ إلَى خَمْسَةٍ لَيْسَ بِمَكْرُوهٍ وَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ . ا هـ .

ثُمَّ قَالَ : وَوُجِّهَ بِأَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ كَفَّنَ ابْنَهُ وَاقِدًا فِي خَمْسَةِ أَثْوَابٍ قَمِيصٍ وَعِمَامَةٍ وَثَلَاثِ لَفَائِفَ وَأَدَارَ الْعِمَامَةَ إلَى تَحْتِ حَنَكِهِ رَوَاهُ سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ (1). ا هـ .

قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ بَعْدَ نَقْلِ الْكَرَاهَةِ عَنْ الْمُجْتَبَى وَاسْتَثْنَى فِي رَوْضَةِ الزَّنْدَوَسْتِيِّ مَا إذَا وَصَّى بِأَنْ يُكَفَّنَ فِي أَرْبَعَةٍ أَوْ خَمْسَةٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَجُوزُ بِخِلَافِ مَا إذَا أَوْصَى أَنْ يُكَفَّنَ فِي ثَوْبَيْنِ فَإِنَّهُ يُكَفَّنُ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ ، وَلَوْ أَوْصَى أَنْ يُكَفَّنَ بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ كُفِّنَ كَفَنًا وَسَطًا ا هـ .

قُلْت : الظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ الِاسْتِثْنَاءَ الَّذِي فِي الرَّوْضَةِ مُنْقَطِعٌ ؛ إذْ لَوْ كُرِهَ لَمْ تُنَفَّذْ وَصِيَّتُهُ كَمَا لَمْ تُنَفَّذْ بِالْأَقَلِّ تَأَمَّلْ

(1) التعليق من نسخة رد المحتار لدار الثقافة والتراث بتحقيق د. حسام الدين فرفور 227/5:

Is It Permissible to Perform the Sacred Pilgrimage for a Deceased Person?

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Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: As salam alaykum,

Is it permissible to perform the sacred pilgrimage for a deceased person if they did not leave money and instructions to do so? And if they did is it still a valid Hajj for the deceased?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray that this message finds you well, insha’Allah.

The basis is that the sacred pilgrimage (hajj) is due from a person if they met the conditions of necessity (wujub), even if they did not fulfil the conditions of it actually being obligatory upon them (ada’).

Thereafter, there are two cases [if such a person is unable to go themselves]:

(a) if the person is alive, they must send somebody to perform the hajj on their behalf;
(b) if deceased, they should have left a bequest (wasiyya) for it to be fulfilled on their behalf.

If neither of these happened, then another person can perform the hajj and donate the reward to the deceased, and insha’Allah, it will be accepted by Allah Most High out of His Tremendous Mercy and Generosity.

[Qari, al-Maslak al-Mutaqassit]

Please also see: Donating Reward to the Dead: A Detailed Answer and: Appointing Someone to Perform Hajj on Someone’s Behalf and: Can One Perform Hajj on Behalf of Others?

And Allah alone knows best.

wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Should I Support Financially the Illegitimate Child of My Deceased Father?

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Answered by Shaykh Shuaib Ally

Question: Assalam alaykum,

My father has passed away. I came to know that he fathered an illegitimate child with another woman.

Should I inform my family of the situation? Is there any financial obligation on me towards this woman and her child?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

May God have mercy on your father and keep your family together.

Financial Obligations to this Family

The son is not legally considered your father’s son, in that he is not attributed to him for purposes of inheritance and marriage. It follows that you do not have any legal obligation of financial support towards him, or his mother.

Beyond strictly legal obligations, however, it would remain a praiseworthy act to provide financial support if you are able to, especially if your father had been doing so, as cutting off a person’s livelihood is blameworthy.

It is reported that Abu Bakr took an oath to cut off the support he had previously provided for Mistah, a companion who he understood to have participated in spreading rumours about his daughter, ‘Aisha (may Allah be be pleased with them). However, he understood the verse that was subsequently revealed, “Those who have been graced with bounty and plenty should not swear that they will no longer give to kinsmen, the poor, those who emigrated in God’s way; let them pardon and forgive. Do you not wish that God should forgive you? God is most forgiving and merciful [Qur’an; 24.22], as enjoining him to keep up the financial support, despite the transgression.

Moreover, one does not know the reason for the many ways in which God provides for a person. It may be that the reason that God continues to bless you financially because of the support you offer this family. This is the advice that the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave to a man who used to work to support both himself and his unemployed brother [Tirmidhi].

Finally, even though this family isn’t legally recognized for specific purposes, many people still consider there to be some qualitative affinity or relationship between the two families. This can afford you, or others in similar circumstances, to continue to provide assistance if able to do so.

Exposing the Misdeeds of another Person

You are not obligated to inform anyone about your father’s affair, unless there are foreseeable ramifications arising out of this that directly involve others. One needs to assess their family and social and legal circumstances to ascertain whether informing others is necessary.

Generally speaking, if one is not required to, exposing another’s faults is blameworthy. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Whoever covers up the faults of another, God will cover up his faults on the Day of Resurrection” [Bukhari, Muslim].

Shuaib Ally

How To Make Expiatory Payments (Fidya) To Compensate For the Missed Fasts and Prayers of a Deceased?

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Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
I know that if the deceased has missed fard fasts or prayers, their family (or friends) should make expiatory payments (fidya) to compensate for this, according to the rules of fiqh.
Would you kindly elaborate further on how the family can go about handling this?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
The expiation for one missed fast is the monetary equivalent of approximately 2kg of wheat. The same applies for each missed prayer, including the Witr. [`Ala’ al-Din `Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]
Thus, one day’s worth of missed prayers and one missed day of fasting would require the equivalent of approximately 14kg of wheat in expiation.
As for the specific monetary equivalent of wheat in your country, consult your local mosque or Islamic centre. At the present time, a rough estimate of the figure would be between two and three dollars per missed prayer or fast.
For details on how to pay, please see: Sickness and Expiation (Fidya) for Missed Prayers
And Allah alone gives success.
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.