Tafsir

The Prohibition of Prayer for the Funeral of Hypocrites

Allah commands His Messenger to disown the hypocrites, to abstain from praying the funeral prayer when any of them dies, from standing next to his grave to seek Allah's forgiveness for him, or to invoke Allah for his benefit. This is because hypocrites disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died as such. This ruling applies to all those who are known to be hypocrites, even though it was revealed about the specific case of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, the chief hypocrite. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Umar said, "When `Abdullah bin Ubayy died, his son, `Abdullah bin `Abdullah, came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and asked him to give him his shirt to shroud his father in, and the Messenger did that. He also asked that the Prophet offer his father's funeral prayer, and Allah's Messenger ﷺ stood up to offer the funeral prayer. `Umar took hold of the Prophet's robe and said, `O Allah's Messenger!

Are you going to offer his funeral prayer even though your Lord has forbidden you to do so' Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,«إِنَّمَا خَيَّرَنِي اللهُ فَقَالَ:(I have been given the choice, for Allah says:اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لاَ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ(Whether you ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites), or do not ask for forgiveness for them. Even though you ask for their forgiveness seventy times, Allah will not forgive them.)وَسَأَزِيدُهُ عَلَى السَّبْعِين»(Verily, I will ask for forgiveness for him more than seventy times).' `Umar said, `He is a hypocrite!' So Allah's Messenger offered the funeral prayer and on that Allah revealed this Verse,وَلاَ تُصَلِّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَداً وَلاَ تَقُمْ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ(And never (O Muhammad) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave.)" `Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated a similar narration.

In this narration, `Umar said, "The Prophet offered his funeral prayer, walked with the funeral procession and stood on his grave until he was buried. I was amazed at my daring to talk like this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, while Allah and His Messenger have better knowledge. By Allah, soon afterwards, these two Ayat were revealed,وَلاَ تُصَلِّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَداً(And never (O Muhammad ) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies.) Ever since this revelation came, the Prophet never offered the funeral prayer for any hypocrite nor stood on his grave until Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, brought death to him." At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith in his Tafsir section of his Sunan and said, "Hasan Sahih". Al-Bukhari also recorded it.

Commentary

Once again, the present verses carry the description of hypocrites who had avoided participating in the battle of Tabuk under one or the other pretext. Among such hypocrites, there were some rich people as well. Their affluent life could have made Muslims ask, ` when these people are so unacceptable with Allah, why did they have to get all those blessings in this world?'In response, it was said that a little thinking would unfold the reality behind what they possess in the form of wealth and children. These are no mercy and blessing for them. Instead, these are their trial and punishment in this world - not to say much about the additional punishment due in the Hereafter. It is not difficult to understand the reason. They love wealth, guard it and keep worrying as to how they can go on increasing it. They are never at peace. They collect things of comfort around them but genuine peace and comfort never knock at their doors, for they are things of the heart.

And since this engrossment in the pursuit of wealth makes them heedless towards the concerns of the Hereafter, they indulge in acts of disobedience to their Creator that in turn becomes the cause of their punishment. So, whether a cause or its effect, it remains a punishment. This is the reason why the Qur'an has used the words: لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا (to punish them with these) in the sense that Allah Ta` ala wants to punish them by and through these very possessions.

ولا تعجبك -أيها الرسول- أموال هؤلاء المنافقين وأولادهم، إنما يريد الله أن يعذبهم بها في الدنيا بمكابدتهم الشدائد في شأنها، وبموتهم على كفرهم بالله ورسوله.

يقول تعالى لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم " فلا تعجبك أموالهم ولا أولادهم " كما قال تعالى " ولا تمدن عينيك إلى ما متعنا به أزواجا منهم زهرة الحياة الدنيا لنفتنهم فيه ورزق ربك خير وأبقى " وقال " أيحسبون أن ما نمدهم به من مال وبنين نسارع لهم في الخيرات بل لا يشعرون " وقوله " إنما يريد الله ليعذبهم بها في الحياة الدنيا " قال الحسن البصري بزكاتها والنفقة منها في سبيل الله وقال قتادة هذا من المقدم والمؤخر تقديره: فلا تعجبك أموالهم ولا أولادهم في الحياة الدنيا إنما يريد الله ليعذبهم بها في الآخرة.واختار ابن جرير قول الحسن وهو القول القوي الحسن.وقوله " وتزهق أنفسهم وهم كافرون " أي ويريد أن يميتهم حين يميتهم على الكفر ليكون ذلك أنكى لهم وأشد لعذابهم.عياذا بالله من ذلك وهذا يكون من باب الاستدراج لهم فيما هم فيه.