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:

Are women allowed to follow a funeral procession?  

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Women follow burial procession

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.

The majority of the scholars of all the major thoughts of school in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that it is severely disliked for a believing woman to follow a funeral procession, but they do not consider it unlawful or a prohibition.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 4.59

Umm 'Atiyah reported: "We were forbidden to accompany funeral processions, but this prohibition was not mandatory for us."

Related by Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim & Ibn Majah.

Muhammad ibn Al-Hanafiyyah reported that 'Ali said: "The Prophet (saws) went out and saw a group of women sitting outside. When he (saws) asked them why they were sitting there, they told him that they were waiting for the funeral procession. He (saws) asked them: 'Are you going to wash the body?' They said: 'No.' The Prophet (saws) asked them: 'Are you going to carry the coffin?' They said: 'No.' He (saws) asked them: 'Will you place the body in the grave?' They said: 'No.' At this he (saws) said to them: 'Then go back to your homes with your sins and without gaining any reward."

Related by Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim.

Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Umar, Abu Amamah, 'Aishah, Masruq, Al-Hasan, An-Nakh'i, Awza'i, Ishaq, and the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools all disapprove the participation of women in funeral processions. According to Imam Malik of the Maliki school of thought, it is not disliked for an old woman to leave her home to attend a funeral. In his opinion, a young woman afflicted by the death of a dear one may also accompany a funeral procession without any disapproval, provided she is well covered and her presence does not cause any temptation.

The scholars who opine that it is permissible for a woman to accompany a funeral cite this narration as their evidence:

Narrated by Shu'bah on the authority of Waki', who in turn narrated it from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, who heard it from Wahab ibn Kaysan, who heard it from Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn 'Ata who reported it from Abu Hurairah that once when the Prophet (saws) attended a funeral, 'Umar saw a woman there and yelled at her. The Prophet (saws) said: "Leave her, O 'Umar! Verily her eyes shed tears, the soul feels the pangs, and the promised Hour is near."

And Allah Alone Knows Best.

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