Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

dear mr. Burhan

assalamo alaikum

subject; janazah salah in other countries after few days of a person`s burial

pls. let me know as per sunnah is it right to have a special prayers (janazah salah) after 3 to 4 days aftter the burial for the late king Fahad in many bahrain mosques across the country after jummah. (although he died and buried in saudi arabia. )

my husband was also confused whether he did right by praying and following the imam as many people didnot pray. they said it is wrong.

so pls. guide us

thanks 

a sister

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Answer:

Janaza Burial Prayer Absentia

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.337 Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (saws) informed (the people) about the death of An-Najashi (the King of Abyssinia) on the very day he died. He (saws) went towards the Musalla (praying place) and the people stood behind him in rows. He (saws) said four Takbirs and led the funeral prayers (in absentia for An-Najashi).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.403 Narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah

Allah's Messenger (saws) offered the funeral prayer for An-Najashi and I was in the second or third row.

In light of the above authentic narrations, when An-Najashi who was the King of Abyssinia and died as a believer in Abysinnia (Ethiopia, Africa), the Messenger of Allah (saws) led and offered his funeral prayers in absentia in Madinah.

The scholars and jurists in Islam have differed in their opinion whether or not it is permissible for one to offer funeral prayers in absentia or in a place different and away from where the burial took place.

The scholars who hold it permissible for funeral prayers to be held in absentia quote the above evidence that the Messenger of Allah (saws) offered the funeral prayers of An-Najashi in absentia in the city of Madinah when the Najashi had died in Abysinnia.

The jurists who hold it impermissible to offer funeral prayers in absentia say that in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (saws) many amongst his noble companions died in distant lands and never ever did he (saws) offer funeral prayers for them in absentia. They opine that the funeral prayers in absentia of the An-Najashi was a special and specific case, because An-Najashi was a Christian King and although he had professed belief in his heart, he had not declared his belief for fear of revolt in his Christian kingdom of Abysinnia, and thus he was given a Christian burial by his court. Since no believers had offered burial prayers of the Najashi, the Messenger of Allah (saws) offered his burial prayers in absentia in Madinah.

Thus in our humble opinion, if one wishes to offer burial prayers in absentia for their deceased brother or sister who has died in a distant land, there is no harm because there is evidence for burial prayer in absentia in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

And if one accepts the arguments of the jurists who hold it impermissible to offer burial prayers in absentia and abstain from it with the contention that some believers have offered the burial prayers of their deceased brother or sister in the place where the deceased was buried, there is absolutely no harm….

The deen of Islam is vast and there is enough room and evidence to accommodate both opinions. Neither should the ones who wish to offer the burial prayers in absentia fight or ridicule those who have abstained, nor should the ones who have abstained from offering the burial prayers in absentia fight or ridicule the ones who wish to offer the prayers in absentia….for there is equal and weighty arguments and evidence for both opinions in light of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan