Can Muslims attend non-Muslim funeral at the church?
Question
We are a muslim owned company and unfortunately a senior Christian staff has passed away. Some of our muslim male and female staff members are going to attend the service which will be held in a church. Please advise the shar’ee ruling on the above
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
We should express regret and unfortunateness upon a person dying without Ieman.It is not permissible for a Muslim to attend the funeral of a non-Muslim. If one attends such a funeral, one risks compromising or losing his Ieman due to showing respect to the polytheistic recitals at the funeral apart from the other unislamic activities at such funerals. Whilst it is permissible to deal with non-Muslims and display good conduct, that should not be to the level of مُوَالاَت (close bosom relationship) that leads one to compromise his Islamic beliefs and values. [1]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ibn Jibran Kadarkhan
Student Darul Iftaa
Mauritius
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
[1] ( مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ { سورة التوبة، 9/113}
لايجوز لاحد يومن با لله ورسوله واليوم الاخر ان يصلى على كافر او مشرك لان الله تعالى نهى نبيه والمومنين عن الاستغفار للمشركين حيث قال ، ماكان للنبى والذين امنوا ان يستغفروا للمشركين ولو كانوا اولى قربى من بعد ما تبين لهم انهم اصحاب الجحيم. والصلاة علي الميت هى الدعاء والاستغفارله. { كفاية المفتى، كتاب الجنائز، ج 4، ص 190، مكتبه حقانيه }
اسْتَلْزَمَ عِنْدَهُ النَّهْيُ عَنِ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ تَرْكَ الصَّلَاةِ فَلِذَلِكَ جَاءَ عَنْهُ فِي هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةِ إِطْلَاقُ النَّهْيِ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ وَلِهَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ اسْتَنْكَرَ إِرَادَةَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُبَيٍّ هَذَا تَقْرِيرُ مَا صَدَرَ عَنْ عُمَرَ مَعَ مَا عُرِفَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ صَلَابَتِهِ فِي الدِّينِ وَكَثْرَةِ بُغْضِهِ لِلْكُفَّارِ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ (فتح الباري لابن حجر (8/ 335).
فتاوي محموديه ج 9، ص 187، ادارة الفاروق كراتشي
کفایت المفتی جلد 3 ص 201
امداد الفتاوی جلد 1 ص 562
- Answered by
- Ibn Jibran Kadarkhan
- Checked & approved by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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