QUESTION:

What do the Scholars of the mighty sharī’ah say regarding this case: Is it allowed to repeat the ghusl and read two funeral prayers for the deceased? In England when a Muslim passes away, he/she is given ghusl there and the funeral prayer is read. Afterwards, having been brought to Pakistan the same deceased person is given ghusl and the funeral prayer is read again. Is it allowed to do this?

Questioner: Nisarat from Stoke

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

The deceased should be given ghusl once. In any situation, giving the deceased ghusl again is not needed and according to the Hanafī school repetition of the funeral prayer (i.e. reading the funeral prayer again) for the deceased is not allowed. However, when a non-walī (next of kin from the inheritors) outsider, who did not have more right, has read the funeral prayer without the permission from the walī, then the walī can repeat the funeral prayer, and this scenario is very rare.

It is seen in England that in the first funeral prayer, the deceased’s close relatives are participants or the funeral prayer is read with their permission. Also the very same people, openly have the second funeral prayer read, and out of ignorance they act against their own madhab and consider a non-legislated act as rewarding. We seek refuge with Allah against that.

With regards to giving the deceased a ghusl a second time, Sayyidī A’lā Hazrat, Imām of the Ahl al-Sunnah, Imām Ahmad Ridā Khān (may Allah shower him with mercy) replied in an answer to such a question that one ghusl will be given. In another reply to a question, he states that in any situation, there is absolutely no need to give the ghusl again, if impurity becomes present then it should be washed.

[Fatāwā Ridawiyyah, vol 9, pg 97]

Regarding the repetition of the funeral prayer over the deceased, Imām Ajall Burhan al-Millah wa al-Dīn Abū Bakr, author of al-Hidāyah, states in his book al-Hidāyah,

“ان صلی غیرالولی والسلطان اعادالولی ان شاء لان الحق للاولیاء وان صلی الولی لم یجز لاحدٍ ان یصلی بعدہ لان الفرض یتادی بالاول والتنفل بہا غیر مشروع ولہذا رأینا الناس ترکوا من اٰخرھم الصلٰوۃ علی قبرالنبی صلی اﷲتعالٰی علیہ وسلم وھوالیوم کماوضع”

“If people other than the walī or Islamic ruler read the funeral prayer, then the walā has the choice to repeat it, as it is the right of the next of kin. However if the walī has already read the prayer then no one is allowed to repeat it after him as the obligation is delivered by the first funeral prayer and delivering this prayer as a supererogatory act is not legislated. Thus we observe that all the Muslims of the whole world left performing of the funeral prayer at the blessed resting place of the Prophet ﷺ, yet our master ﷺ is today the same as he was when he was placed into the blessed grave.”

[al-Hidāyah 1/160]

In the commentary of this, the absolute exacting research scholar [Imām Kamāl ibn al-Humām] states in Fath al-Qadīr,

” لوکان مشروعالمااعرض الخلق کلھم من العلماء والصالحین والراغبین فی التقریب الیہ علیہ الصلٰوۃ والسلام بانواع الطرق عنہ فھذادلیل ظاھر علیہ فوجب اعتبارہ”

“If the repetition of the funeral prayer was prescribed, then the whole world would not withhold from reading the prayer at the blessed resting place of the Prophet ﷺ. This includes the scholars, the righteous and those people who in many ways seek to gain nearness in the court of the Prophet ﷺ. Hence this is an open proof upon it  [its repetition being non-prescribed] and it is necessary to take this into consideration.”

[Fath al-Qadīr, 2/84]

In al-Durr al-Mukhtār it is stated,

“تکرارھا غیر مشروع”

“Repeating the funeral prayer is not legislated.”

[Durr Mukhtār, 1/123]

In Ghunyah Sharh Munyah it is written,

“تکرار الصلٰوۃ علٰی میّت واحد غیر مشروع”

“Repetition of the funeral prayer over the same deceased is not allowed.”

[Ghunyah al-Mutamallī Sharh Munyah al-Musallī, pg 59]

Sayyidi A’lā Hazrat Imām of the Ahl al-Sunnah Imām Ahmad Ridā Khān (may Allah shower him with mercy) in his booklet Nahī al-Hājiz states that the repetition of the funeral prayer according to our noble Imāms is absolutely not allowed and not legislated, however if a non-walī outsider, who does not have more right, without permission and instruction of the walī reads it, then the walī can repeat it.

[Fatāwā Ridawiyyah, vol 9, pg 249]

واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم

کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری

Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri

Translated by Hamza Hussain

Read the original Urdu answer here – [Q-ID0330] Performing the Janazah prayer in England and then in Pakistan, is this allowed?

Also see:

[Q-ID0713] How is to take the body of a deceased to Pakistan?

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