#428: Why We don`t Pray for the Deceased Kāfir
QUESTION
” Assalamun Alaykum! Ya admin needs a clarification on why a Muslim can not pray for a deceased Christian. JazakAllahu khairan”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum salaam warahmatullaah wabarakaatuh
Alhamdulillaah!
We do not pray for them after their death because Allāh has warned us not to and mentioned to us that if we do, it would not be granted.
It is not a small thing for someone to not believe in the Messenger ship of the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – and to reject Islam.
Allāh – ta’aala – said:
ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻟﻠﻨﺒﻲ ﻭﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﺁﻣﻨﻮﺍ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺴﺘﻐﻔﺮﻭﺍ ﻟﻠﻤﺸﺮﻛﻴﻦ ﻭﻟﻮ ﻛﺎﻧﻮﺍ ﺃﻭﻟﻲ ﻗﺮﺑﻰ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻣﺎ ﺗﺒﻴﻦ ﻟﻬﻢ ﺃﻧﻬﻢ ﺃﺻﺤﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺠﺤﻴﻢ ) [ ﺍﻟﺘﻮﺑﺔ : 113
“It is not for the Prophet or for those who believe to seek forgiveness for those who are Mushrikin after it has become apparent to them that they are of the People of the Jaheem (Hell)”
And in the Hadīth, the Rasūl – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:
ﻭﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﻧﻔﺴﻲ ﺑﻴﺪﻩ ﻻﻳﺴﻤﻊ ﺑﻲ ﺃﺣﺪ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻷﻣﺔ ، ﻭﻻﻳﻬﻮﺩﻱ ﻭﻻﻧﺼﺮﺍﻧﻲ ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﻤﻮﺕ ﻭﻟﻢ ﻳﺆﻣﻦ ﺑﺎﻟﺬﻱ ﺃﺭﺳﻠﺖ ﺑﻪ ﺇﻻ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺻﺤﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ ) ﺭﻭﺍﻩ ﻣﺴﻠﻢ
“I swear by He in whose hands my soul lies that no one of the people of this nation, nor the Jews nor the Christians will hear of me and then pass away without believing in that with which I have been sent unless that he is of the People of the Fire.”
Transmitted and Recorded by Imām Muslim.
This forbiddance is so pronounced that Imām An-Nawawi – rahimahullāh – said:
“To pray over the dead Kāfir and to make du’aa for him to be forgiven is Haraam by the clear cut evidences of the Qur’an and by Ijmaa (consensus)”
Al-Majmuu 9/119
Shaykhu Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – rahimahullaah – said:
“To seek forgiveness for the Kaafir is not permissible by the Book, the Sunnah and the Ijmaa”
Majmu’atu Al-Fataawah 12/489
This is different from making du’a for them while they are alive. It is permissible to pray for them to be guided while they are alive.
Allāhu A’alam
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.
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