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:

Assalam alikum wa rehmatullahe wa barakatuhu!

May Allah`s support make you have prosperity i neveyr walk of your life!

My Question:-
I just read one of ur answered question. sorry i don`t know the no. anyway... you wrote "Celebrating birthdays or anniversaries, or commemorating death-days is a culture of and specific to the pagans….and it would not behove and befit one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to copy, imitate, or be a witness or accomplice to an act which is specific to the disbelievers."

Please let me know is it not an Islamic way to commemorate death days as in Pakistan its a "MUST". we hold "hutum" and special "dua" on the death days of our relatives (who have died) and also people here hold hutums and duas on death days of personalities like the Hazrat Ali (RA) Umar (RA) and their companions u know like everyone of that time...

how should we celebrate the death days of our relatives and our beloved Propeht (Peace be upon him) and His (Peace be upon him) noble companions?

reply soon
Allah hafiz 

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Answer:

Commemorate death deceased anniversaries

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 6 Surah Anaam verse 164:

Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is toward Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed.

Abu Hurairah reported that The Prophet (saws), said, 'When a person dies all his good deeds cease except for three:

1.      a continuous act of charity,

2.      beneficial knowledge, and

3.      a righteous offspring who prays for him'.''

Related by Muslim and Abu Dawood.

In light of the above guidance of the Quran it is absolutely clear that every soul will draw the meed or merit of its own deeds; and in light of the absolutely clear guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) all the deeds of a deceased are ceased except for three:

1. continuous act of charity: ie. the charity done by the deceased like building a school, or a hospital, or a mosque, or a well, etc. which is still being utilized for the good of man even after his death….the deceased shall earn a reward for such continuous deeds of charity even after his death.
2. beneficial knowledge: ie. if the deceased strove and exhorted someone to believe and obey their Lord Creator, or the deceased gave someone a copy of the Glorious Quran, or some good advice, etc….then he will continue to receive the rewards of every good that person did on his advice.
3. righteous offspring: ie. the near and loved ones who constantly supplicate their Lord to forgive their deceased loved one.

For absolutely all acts of worship, it is absolutely imperative that the believers always follow what is Declared by Allah and practiced by His Messenger (saws). There is absolutely no evidence that the Messenger of Allah (saws), his noble family, or any of his noble companions ever gathered people at the house of the deceased after a certain number of days (1,3, 9, 10, 11, 40, etc.) to collectively make dua, or recite the Glorious Quran, or perform the ‘fatihah’, or recite the ‘qull’, or perform the ‘tasbeeh’, or enjoy a feast in the name of the deceased! Without an iota of a doubt, such commemorations are no more than innovations which have unfortunately crept into the pure and perfect deen of Islam; and the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day must strive to absolutely abstain from all such innovations.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida) is an error.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (bida in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation (bida) or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (bida), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people!”

But what one can and must do is make constant supplication for his deceased brother/sister in faith to the Merciful Lord, and beseech Him to be Merciful on the departed soul, forgive his/her sins and grant them an honorable place in Paradise. This was the practice and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Instead of visiting, consoling, helping, and assisting the family of the deceased to come to terms with their grief, the ignorant amongst the people burden them with such innovations as ‘fatihah’, and ‘qull’, and ‘tasbeeh’, etc., where the deceased’s family are made to run around to accommodate the gatherers, buy or borrow copies of the Quran which would be read over the deceased, and prepare an enormous amount of food as a feast for those who gather for such self-invented rituals!! Not satisfied with putting this physical and financial burden upon the bereaved family, some amongst the most ignorant even go to the extent of repeating this innovated ritual on the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 9^th, 10^th, 30^th and 40^th day of the death of the deceased! Allah is our witness, this innovated ritual of what is known today as ‘fatihah’ or ‘qull’ over the deceased neither helps the deceased in any way whatsoever, nor does it help console nor lightens the burden of the bereaved family!

But the ‘deen’ of mercy and the one who was sent as a ‘mercy to the worlds’, Prophet Mohamed (saws) guided the believers to earnestly supplicate the Lord Most Merciful to have mercy on their deceased brother or sister, help and assist the bereaved family in any and every which way they can, feed them during these trying days, share their grief, and help them to bring their lives back to normal as soon as possible.

Your Question: Please let me know is it not an Islamic way to commemorate death days as in Pakistan its a "MUST". we hold "hutum" and special "dua" on the death days of our relatives (who have died) and also people here hold hutums and duas on death days of personalities like the Hazrat Ali (RA) Umar (RA) and their companions u know like everyone of that time...
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 79-80:

We have sent you (O Mohamed) as a Messenger to mankind, and Allah’s witness suffices for this. Whoever obeys the Messenger, in fact obeys Allah, and whoever turns away from him, he will be accountable for his deeds. Anyhow, we have not sent you (O Mohamed) to be a guardian over them.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 31-32:

O Prophet, tell the people, “If you sincerely love Allah, follow me. Then Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for He is All Forgiving, All Merciful.” Also say to them, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” And if, in spite of this, they do not accept your invitation, warn them that Allah does not love those, who refuse to obey Him and His Messenger.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21:

There is indeed the best example for you to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

Beloved brother, a deed or act or rite or ritual will only be considered ‘Islamic’ only if, and we reiterate again, only if it is endorsed by Allah and His Messenger (saws); and we absolutely assure you in the Name of Allah that the Messenger of Allah (saws) or his noble companions never never ever commemorated the death days or anniversaries of anyone with any such rites or rituals whatsoever!

Right will always remain right, regardless if no one does it; and wrong will remain wrong, regardless if the whole world is doing it!!! Thus the determination of right and wrong is never based upon who or how many people are practicing a deed or act or rite or ritual….but right and wrong is determined by what is endorsed by the Lord in His Glorious Quran and by His Messenger (saws) in the authentic and established Sunnah.

Your Question: …..how should we celebrate the death days of our relatives and our beloved Propeht (Peace be upon him) and His (Peace be upon him) noble companions?
If one celebrates or commemorates the death anniversary of their deceased loved ones, or of the noble Prophet (saws), or of any of his companions, or anyone in the annuls of mankind for that matter, with a religious connotation, rite, or ritual (qull, fatihah, tasbeeh, hutum, feast, etc.), assuming that such self-invented rites and rituals are a part of the deen of Islam, or that they would bring any benefit to the deceased, or assuming that such rites and rituals would earn them the Pleasure of their Lord…..without an iota of a doubt, they would be guilty of inventing and following a ‘bidah’ or innovation….and every single innovation in the pure and perfect deen of Islam is an error and a grave sin in the Sight of the Lord Most High.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida) is an error.”

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

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