Back to search
The question

Is it permissible to pray over the deceased without being certain of their Islam, especially if the mosque prays over everyone who uttered the Two Testimonies, even if they never prayed at all?

Share this answer

Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The fundamental principle is to offer the funeral prayer (Salat al-) for every Muslim who pronounces "La ilaha illa Allah" (there is no god but Allah), unless it is known that they committed an act that nullifies their Islam. The one who abandons prayer is considered a disbeliever according to the soundest opinions of scholars. If it is known that the deceased abandoned prayer, then it is not permissible to offer the funeral prayer for them, based on the words of Allah Almighty: (And never offer a prayer for anyone of them who has died, nor stand by his grave). If you are in doubt about the state of the deceased, then the funeral prayer should be offered for them, with a conditional supplication, such as: "O Allah, if he was a believer, then forgive him and have mercy on him." This is what Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen stipulated, citing as evidence the verse of li'an (mutual imprecation), the of the leper, the bald man, and the blind man, the Istikhara supplication (prayer for guidance), and Ibn Taymiyyah's saying: "You must include the condition, O Ahmad." However, if it is known with certainty that the person did not pray, then it is not permissible to offer the funeral prayer for them.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported

Read the full answer on Ftawy
Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
18028
Imported
Translation status
Source text, unreviewed
Read the full ruling
Read the full answer on Ftawy