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:

Assalaamaleykum brother,

I want to ask when a muslim person passes away we should say INNAILLAHI WAINNALILLYHI RAJIOON.and i heard from my friend that i we see a non-muslims death body or heard the death news we should say FINAARI JAHANNUM.Brother i want to know is this true?

jazakallah

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Answer:

What to say when one dies

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 155-157:

155 Be sure We shall test you with something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods, or lives, or the fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.

156 Who say when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return." (Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajeoon)

157 They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

Your Statement: I want to ask when a muslim person passes away we should say INNAILLAHI WAINNALILLYHI RAJIOON.

When a believer is afflicted with any (and we repeat ‘any’) calamity, be it some sort of fear, or hunger, or some loss in one’s property, or health, or life, or absolutely anything else and the believer declares: ‘To Allah we belong and to Him is our return’…. the person who puts his trust and belief in Allah and declares this statement of patience and forbearance, blessings and mercy from the Lord Most Merciful will descend upon such believing and patient slave of Allah.

Thus my respected sister, it is not only at death, but at any affliction of calamity where Allah Subhanah and His Messenger (saws) have guided the believers to declare this statement of fact and truth: ‘Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajeoon’.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1760 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "When (something as seemingly insignificant as) the thong of someone's sandal breaks, he should say, 'We belong to Allah and to Him do we return,' for it is one of the calamities."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2216 Narrated by Imran ibn Husayn

When Imran ibn Husayn came upon a story-teller who was reciting the Qur'an and then asking for payment, he (Imran) first uttered the words, "We belong to Allah and to Him do we return" and then told that he had heard Allah's Messenger (saws) say, "When anyone recites the Qur'an, let him ask a reward for it from Allah, for people will arise who will recite the Qur'an and ask a reward for it from men."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3105 Narrated by Jabir ibn Atik

The Messenger of Allah (saws) came to visit Abdullah ibn Thabit who was ill. He (saws) found that he (Jabir (r.a.)) was dominated (by the Divine Decree). The Messenger of Allah (saws) called him loudly, but he did not respond. He (saws) uttered the Qur'anic verse " To Allah we belong and to Him is our return" and he (saws) said: ‘We have been dominated against you, Abur-Rabi'. Then the women cried and wept, and Ibn Atik began to silence them. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘Leave them, when the Divine Decree is made, no woman should weep.’ They (the people) asked: ‘What is necessary happening, O Messenger of Allah (saws)?’ He (saws) replied: ‘Death!’

Your Question: i heard from my friend that i we see a non-muslims death body or heard the death news we should say FINAARI JAHANNUM.Brother i want to know is this true?

Dear and beloved sister in Islam, it is Allah Subhanah Alone Who will Decide with Justice on the Day of Judgment of who amongst His creations of men (and jinn) will deserve His Mercy and thus Paradise, and who amongst them will deserve Hell Fire.

Allah Subhanah has not given the human being or the believers the authority to decide when someone dies, whether that person is worthy of Paradise or of Hell Fire; neither does it behove and befit a believing slave to make or announce such decisions from himself without any right whatsoever!

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4883 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: ‘There were two men among Banu Isra'il, who were striving for the same goal. One of them would commit sin and the other would strive to do his best in the world. The man who exerted himself in worship continued to see the other in sin. One day he found the other in sin and said to him: ‘Refrain from it.’ He replied: ‘Leave me alone with my Lord. Have you been sent as a watchman over me?’ He said: ‘I swear by Allah, Allah will not forgive you, nor will he admit you to Paradise.’ Then their souls were taken back (by Allah), and they met together with the Lord of the worlds. He (Allah) said to this man who had striven hard in worship: ‘Had you knowledge about Me or had you power over that which I had in My Hand?’ He said to the man who sinned: ‘Go and enter Paradise by My Mercy.’ He said about the other: ‘Take him to Hell.’ Abu Hurayrah said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, he spoke a word by which this world and the next world of his were destroyed!’

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.577 Narrated by Abu Huraira

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise." (i.e., None can enter Paradise through his good deeds.) They (the Prophet's (saws) companions) said, "Not even you, O Allah's Messenger (saws)?" He said, "Not even myself, unless Allah bestows His Pardon and Mercy on me."

Thus my respected, when one hears the news of the death of a believer, one may indeed say the factual statement: ‘Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajeoon’, and further only beg, beseech and humbly implore the Lord to forgive their believing brethren, have Mercy upon them, and grant them Paradise.

But when one hears of the death of a non-believer, one may very well say if they wish: ‘Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajeoon’ for that is indeed a statement of Truth that ‘to Allah we belong and to Him Alone is our return’….but the believers are forbidden by Allah Subhanah to even approach or beseech Him to bestow His Mercy and His Forgiveness on those who have tasted death in a state of disbelief. Thus one, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, should not even supplicate Allah Subhanah at the death of or for a deceased disbeliever.

But one should be very careful and never ever make or give a judgment regarding the deceased guaranteed entry into either Paradise or Hell, regardless of whether the deceased is a believer or a disbeliever; for that is a Decision which Allah Subhanah Alone Can and Will make Himself.

Thus in conclusion, when a believer dies, one may beseech and implore their Lord Most Merciful to have Mercy upon their believing brethren, but never never ever say something like ‘they are in Paradise’, ‘or they deserve Paradise’, or ‘Paradise is guaranteed for them’, etc.

And when a non-believer dies, one should neither condemn nor guarantee them the Hell Fire, nor should one implore Allah to bestow His Mercy and Forgiveness upon them.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 113:

It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe, that they should pray for forgiveness for pagans (after their death) even though they be of kin, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire!

But as long as the non-muslim is alive, it is absolutely permissible and considered a good deed in Islam for a muslim to supplicate Allah Subhanah to guide his non-muslim friend to the Truth of Al-Islam.

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