40 day Mourning Period
Question
Q: Aslm Mufti, hope you well, I wanted to find out what the significance of the 40 day Mourning Period is?
Firstly is this allowed, and if it is what are we supposed to do?
Answer
There is no Islamic significance to the 40 day mourning period.
Among the religions that hold to this practice, perhaps the most prominent is the Eastern Orthodox Church.
“The mourning period for Eastern Orthodox Christians can vary with each family, but generally lasts for forty (40) days. Within the forty day mourning period, the third day, the ninth day, and the forty (40th) day have special significance.”
http://www.orthodoxcustomstraditionsandpractices.com/mourning-after-burial/
“The 40th Day concludes the 40-day memorial period and has a major significance in traditions of Eastern Orthodox. It is believed that the soul of the departed remains wandering on Earth during the 40-day period, coming back home, visiting places the departed has lived in as well as their fresh grave.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40th_Day_after_death
These beliefs and practices are alien to Islam. It is not permissible for Muslims to observe these practices.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
- Answered by
- Mufti Moosa Salie
Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Jamiatul Ulama KZN. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.