Shaykh ibn Baaz رحمه الله was asked:

What is the ruling concerning what is known as al-ma`tim, in which people gather for three days after the burial in order to recite the Quran?

He Responded:

The gathering in the house of the deceased to eat, drink and recite the Qur'aan is an innovation. Similarly, their getting together to pray for the person and make supplications for him are also innovations. There is no source for it. All that should be done is that, people come to pay condolences, pray for the person, ask for mercy for them, console their grieving and encourage them to be patient. To gather for what they call al- ma'tim, to make particular supplications, particular prayers or reading of the Quran has no basis whatsoever. If that were a good act, our pious predecessors would have done it.

The Messenger of Allaah صلي الله عليه و سلم did not do it. When Jaafar ibn Abee Taalib, Abdullaah ibn Rawaaha and Zaid ibn Haaritha were killed at the Battle of Mu'tah and the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم received the news through revelation, the Prophet announced that to the Companions and told them their news. He supplicated for them and asked Allaah to be pleased with them. He did no make a gathering. He did not prepare a meal or have a ma'tim. All of that he did not do even though the three who died were from the most virtuous of the Companions.
When Abu Bakr died, also no one made a ma'tim, even though he was the best of the Companions. When Umar was killed, no one made a ma'tim. The people did not gather to pray or read the Qur'aan for him. Uthman and Ali were killed and the people did not gather after a specific time to pray for them, ask mercy for them or prepare food for them. It is, however, recommended for the relatives or neighbors of the deceased to prepare food for the deceased's family and to send that food to them. This is similar to what the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم did when the news of Jaafar's death came to him. He said to his family,

"Prepare food for the family of Jafar as something has occurred to them that is preoccupying them."'

The family of the deceased are preoccupied with their loss. To prepare food for them and send it to them is what is legal sanctioned. However, to add to their affliction and to put more responsibilities on their shoulders by making them prepare food for the people goes completely against the sunnah. In fact, it is an innovation.

Jareer ibn Abdullaah al-Bajali said, "We used to consider gathering with the family of the deceased and preparing food after the burial as a kind of lamentation." And lamentation is forbidden. This is to raise one's voice, while the deceased is punished in the grave due to the wailing over him. One must avoid such practices. However, there is no harm in crying with tears.

sadaqt

Jazaak Allahu khayran for this @Bimpe29. Alhamdulillah, we Yorubas especially that like burial parties where we buy aso ebi and contribute both money and effort. We gather for 3 days, 7 days, etc Firdau prayer. And so many evils comes from this kind of gathering like Tabaruj, saying of kufr words in grief/agony, consuming alchohol, Music/dancing, Israf, Neglecting Solah, etc. May Allah forgive us our past and guide us more and more to the truth. Aamin.

Rashduct4luv:
Jazaak Allahu khayran for this @Bimpe29. Alhamdulillah, we Yorubas especially that like burial parties where we buy aso ebi and contribute both money and effort. We gather for 3 days, 7 days, etc Firdau prayer. And so many evils comes from this kind of gathering like Tabaruj, saying of kufr words in grief/agony, consuming alchohol, Music/dancing, Israf, Neglecting Solah, etc. May Allah forgive us our past and guide us more and more to the truth. Aamin.

Ameena Yaa Allah.

Innovation brings about hardship. Alhamdulillah

Bimpe29:
Shaykh ibn Baaz رحمه الله was asked:

What is the ruling concerning what is known as al-ma`tim, in which people gather for three days after the burial in order to recite the Quran?

He Responded:

The gathering in the house of the deceased to eat, drink and recite the Qur'aan is an innovation. Similarly, their getting together to pray for the person and make supplications for him are also innovations. There is no source for it. All that should be done is that, people come to pay condolences, pray for the person, ask for mercy for them, console their grieving and encourage them to be patient. To gather for what they call al- ma'tim, to make particular supplications, particular prayers or reading of the Quran has no basis whatsoever. If that were a good act, our pious predecessors would have done it.

The Messenger of Allaah صلي الله عليه و سلم did not do it. When Jaafar ibn Abee Taalib, Abdullaah ibn Rawaaha and Zaid ibn Haaritha were killed at the Battle of Mu'tah and the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم received the news through revelation, the Prophet announced that to the Companions and told them their news. He supplicated for them and asked Allaah to be pleased with them. He did no make a gathering. He did not prepare a meal or have a ma'tim. All of that he did not do even though the three who died were from the most virtuous of the Companions.
When Abu Bakr died, also no one made a ma'tim, even though he was the best of the Companions. When Umar was killed, no one made a ma'tim. The people did not gather to pray or read the Qur'aan for him. Uthman and Ali were killed and the people did not gather after a specific time to pray for them, ask mercy for them or prepare food for them. It is, however, recommended for the relatives or neighbors of the deceased to prepare food for the deceased's family and to send that food to them. This is similar to what the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم did when the news of Jaafar's death came to him. He said to his family,

"Prepare food for the family of Jafar as something has occurred to them that is preoccupying them."'

The family of the deceased are preoccupied with their loss. To prepare food for them and send it to them is what is legal sanctioned. However, to add to their affliction and to put more responsibilities on their shoulders by making them prepare food for the people goes completely against the sunnah. In fact, it is an innovation.

Jareer ibn Abdullaah al-Bajali said, "We used to consider gathering with the family of the deceased and preparing food after the burial as a kind of lamentation." And lamentation is forbidden. This is to raise one's voice, while the deceased is punished in the grave due to the wailing over him. One must avoid such practices. However, there is no harm in crying with tears.

Thank for the enlightenment. However my question is, was it wrong because it was not done by our predecessor or because it is not good to be done?

Alhamdulillah. Barakallu fik.
This bidi'ah is not just in yoruba lands, it's in the north as well. There's 3rd, 7th and 40th fidau prayers, and after the wife/wives have finished their iddah (mourning period), there's some kind of ceremony as well, yet no ayah or hadith to back it up.

Yinkame123:


Thank for the enlightenment. However my question is, was it wrong because it was not done by our predecessor or because it is not good to be done?

Is wrong because Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessing of Allah be on him) did not do it.

zaboy:
Alhamdulillah. Barakallu fik.
This bidi'ah is not just in yoruba lands, it's in the north as well. There's 3rd, 7th and 40th fidau prayers, and after the wife/wives have finished their iddah (mourning period), there's some kind of ceremony as well, yet no ayah or hadith to back it up.

Yes, is not peculiar to Yoruba alone.

This bidia or innovation of a thing still remain a topic I found difficult to comprehended fully.

According to the op we should not do anything that our predecessor didn't do but come to look at it we do a lot of things that the new age brought... Is it that its bad because they didn't do it or the idea is bad.

Salam.. Lol, why the pledge? I am a muslim, and do i have to take that?

Jummah Mubarak, this is a wonderful insight, and it made a lot of sense when the statement "having people preoccupied with their loss cook food...", na we Yoruba people this thing follow talk... party party party, money wey dem suppose to use to take care of themselves after person die, na to flex, like say dem happy as e die self... Health tips here. Ma salam

Bimpe29:
Shaykh ibn Baaz رحمه الله was asked:

What is the ruling concerning what is known as al-ma`tim, in which people gather for three days after the burial in order to recite the Quran?

He Responded:

The gathering in the house of the deceased to eat, drink and recite the Qur'aan is an innovation. Similarly, their getting together to pray for the person and make supplications for him are also innovations. There is no source for it. All that should be done is that, people come to pay condolences, pray for the person, ask for mercy for them, console their grieving and encourage them to be patient. To gather for what they call al- ma'tim, to make particular supplications, particular prayers or reading of the Quran has no basis whatsoever. If that were a good act, our pious predecessors would have done it.

The Messenger of Allaah صلي الله عليه و سلم did not do it. When Jaafar ibn Abee Taalib, Abdullaah ibn Rawaaha and Zaid ibn Haaritha were killed at the Battle of Mu'tah and the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم received the news through revelation, the Prophet announced that to the Companions and told them their news. He supplicated for them and asked Allaah to be pleased with them. He did no make a gathering. He did not prepare a meal or have a ma'tim. All of that he did not do even though the three who died were from the most virtuous of the Companions.
When Abu Bakr died, also no one made a ma'tim, even though he was the best of the Companions. When Umar was killed, no one made a ma'tim. The people did not gather to pray or read the Qur'aan for him. Uthman and Ali were killed and the people did not gather after a specific time to pray for them, ask mercy for them or prepare food for them. It is, however, recommended for the relatives or neighbors of the deceased to prepare food for the deceased's family and to send that food to them. This is similar to what the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم did when the news of Jaafar's death came to him. He said to his family,

"Prepare food for the family of Jafar as something has occurred to them that is preoccupying them."'

The family of the deceased are preoccupied with their loss. To prepare food for them and send it to them is what is legal sanctioned. However, to add to their affliction and to put more responsibilities on their shoulders by making them prepare food for the people goes completely against the sunnah. In fact, it is an innovation.

Jareer ibn Abdullaah al-Bajali said, "We used to consider gathering with the family of the deceased and preparing food after the burial as a kind of lamentation." And lamentation is forbidden. This is to raise one's voice, while the deceased is punished in the grave due to the wailing over him. One must avoid such practices. However, there is no harm in crying with tears.

Sahih! barakallahu fikum

Kingharzyz:
This bidia or innovation of a thing still remain a topic I found difficult to comprehended fully.

According to the op we should not do anything that our predecessor didn't do but come to look at it we do a lot of things that the new age brought... Is it that its bad because they didn't do it or the idea is bad.

We are allowed to do a lot of things they didn't do, but when talking about worship and its act, we are not allowed to add anything from our desire or imagination, why we follow the predecessor's action is because they lived with the prophet and witness Islam firsthand, I'm sure it's rather safer to follow their acts than innovative which could bring regret.

Bimpe29:


Is wrong because Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessing of Allah be on him) did not do it.

Are we saying all what prophet muhammad peace be upon him did not do is forbideen for us to do? Are we saying prophet muhammad peace be upon him has done everything and nothing is left. Remember prophet muhammad did not pray taraweeh in jamat and we did. Is that not innovation as well?. Similarly, how do we place the hadeeth that says ' when human dies all his/her deeds has ended except of any of these three, zadakat jariya, al-hilm yan fahu bi, or waladu soliha yadihu bia?

Yinkame123:


Thank for the enlightenment. However my question is, was it wrong because it was not done by our predecessor or because it is not good to be done?

You really can't separate the two..any act of worship done to seek a reward that wasn't prescribed,done or encouraged by the pious predecessors is to be considered an innovation and therefore worthless.In many cases it might even bring about Allah's wrath upon the doer.May Allah guide us

The so called scholars do this Bid'aa everywhere

Yinkame123:


Are we saying all what prophet muhammad peace be upon him did not do is forbideen for us to do? Are we saying prophet muhammad peace be upon him has done everything and nothing is left. Remember prophet muhammad did not pray taraweeh in jamat and we did. Is that not innovation as well?. Similarly, how do we place the hadeeth that says ' when human dies all his/her deeds has ended except of any of these three, zadakat jariya, al-hilm yan fahu bi, or waladu soliha yadihu bia?

The hadith u mentioned doesn't relate with the gatherings the OP mentioned. Doing firdau prayer, 40days prayer, the burial ceremony is quite different from the deeds the prophet (S.A.W) mentioned.
Salam alaykum

NabeelAbu:
The so called scholars do this Bid'aa everywhere

Yeah u are right some of Alfa does that. But majority of them knows the truth but because of worldly gain, they hide the truth

Thank you for this good piece Another fact just learned

GreenNegro:


The hadith u mentioned doesn't relate with the gatherings the OP mentioned. Doing firdau prayer, 40days prayer, the burial ceremony is quite different from the deeds the prophet (S.A.W) mentioned.
Salam alaykum

What's different between the two? Will a dead man organize prayer for himself? Is it not the children or relatives that will do that? Don't forget Niyat l- mhari hiru min amalihi. Even the gathering is to seek the mercy of Allah for the dead how does that constitute bidiah? Please point to me any hadith that expressly forbid gathering of fellow Muslims to seek Allahs' mercy for the death.

Liberal85:

You really can't separate the two..any act of worship done to seek a reward that wasn't prescribed,done or encouraged by the pious predecessors is to be considered an innovation and therefore worthless.In many cases it might even bring about Allah's wrath upon the doer.May Allah guide us

Who are the pious?/And why do we think after those we considered as pious anything outside there doing is bad? I still stand to be corrected that not everything related to life was covered by the predecessor hence the fatwa been given by scholars on issue to covered in the past.

GreenNegro:


The hadith u mentioned doesn't relate with the gatherings the OP mentioned. Doing firdau prayer, 40days prayer, the burial ceremony is quite different from the deeds the prophet (S.A.W) mentioned.
Salam alaykum

Can you please mention the deeds meant by the hadith? How does a walad soliha remember his or her parents? So if I gather people to pray as remembrance for my dead parents it has constituted bidiah? Please quote any hadith that expressly forbade this

gaffig:

We are allowed to do a lot of things they didn't do, but when talking about worship and its act, we are not allowed to add anything from our desire or imagination, why we follow the predecessor's action is because they lived with the prophet and witness Islam firsthand, I'm sure it's rather safer to follow their acts than innovative which could bring regret.

I think we need to be rightly guided on what we termed as bidia. Their are set rules in islam and any addition to it should be termed as bidia. For example if someone tell us today that solat subuhi that us two rakat should be increase to four then that is bidia. If someone tell us today that there is another mount somewhere that we can climb in alternative to Harafat then that is bidia. Anything outside the core worship or doing of the prophet that are not expressly forbidden and is carried out with the intention of seeking Allah's mercy then we can't termed it as bidia. Wa lahu alam

there are many ways of seeking Allah's mercy which rasul has taught us.if u try to bring in something new, it's either u are saying d rasul didn't convey some massages or u are not satisfied with Wat he brings.

Kingharzyz:
This bidia or innovation of a thing still remain a topic I found difficult to comprehended fully.

According to the op we should not do anything that our predecessor didn't do but come to look at it we do a lot of things that the new age brought... Is it that its bad because they didn't do it or the idea is bad.

*Whenever the topic of Bid`ah comes up, to counter the argument many come up with questions like:*

"Did the Prophet ﷺ travel in a ship?

Did the Salaf travel in cars and planes?

Prove from the Sunnah that it is permissible to eat fried chicken?"

One has to understand that vehicles, planes and ships are used only as a means to reach the destination, they are not part of `Ibaadah in themselves.

When we talk about Bid`ah, we are referring to innovations in the Deen only. We are not referring to innovations in Science and Technology.

Anyways, to get to the point, if the people would commit to memory these two principles, they would protect their Deen and save themselves from doubts and confusion.

The First Principle:
In the matters of `Ibaadah (Worship), everything is Haraam/not allowed unless proven from the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

And the evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: ❝whosoever does an action which we have not commanded then it will be rejected.❞

And also: ❝whosoever introduces into this religion of ours that which is not part of it then it must be rejected.❞

And there are many more Ahaadeeth.

The Second Principle:
And in the matters of customs (food, clothing etc.), everything is allowed unless prohibited in the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

And the evidence for this is the saying of Allaah تعالى :
{Say: "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allaah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?"} [Surah al-A`raaf]

And Allaah is the One who Grants success.
- *Ilm4All*


↗ *Share this*, Baarakallaah Feekum: [ *“One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer”* - �Saheeh Muslim vol.3, no.4665]

Yinkame123:


Who are the pious?/And why do we think after those we considered as pious anything outside there doing is bad? I still stand to be corrected that not everything related to life was covered by the predecessor hence the fatwa been given by scholars on issue to covered in the past.

Because of the hadith that clearly states all innovations(acts of worship) are a misguidance

Yinkame123:


Are we saying all what prophet muhammad peace be upon him did not do is forbideen for us to do? Are we saying prophet muhammad peace be upon him has done everything and nothing is left. Remember prophet muhammad did not pray taraweeh in jamat and we did. Is that not innovation as well?. Similarly, how do we place the hadeeth that says ' when human dies all his/her deeds has ended except of any of these three, zadakat jariya, al-hilm yan fahu bi, or waladu soliha yadihu bia?

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever innovates something into this matter of ours which does not belong to it will have it rejected.”

In another narration, the Prophet said, “Whoever performs a deed that is not in accordance with our matter will have it rejected.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2550, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1718

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

Al-Irbad ibn Sariya reported: One day the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stood up among us and he admonished us so eloquently that it moved our hearts and made tears come to our eyes. It was said, “O Messenger of Allah, you have given us a farewell sermon, so what do you commit us to?” The Prophet said, “You must fear Allah, listen to and obey your leaders, even if an Abyssinian slave is put in charge over you. Whoever lives among you will see many disputes, so beware of newly invented matters for they are misguidance. Whoever sees them must adhere to my tradition and the tradition of the upright, guided successors. Bite onto it with your back teeth.”

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2676

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to At-Tirmidhi

The prophet (S.A.W.) was the first who made praying the Taraweeh in congregation Sunnah (recommended), and then he left it fearing that it may become obligatory upon his Ummah. Imams Bukhari and Muslim have reported that A’eeshah (R.A.) said that the prophet (S.A.W.) prayed once in the Masjid in one of the night of Ramadan. People joined him, and then more people joined him in the next night. Then more people waited for the prophet (S.A.W.) in the third and the fourth (night), but the prophet (S.A.W.) did not come out to them. In the next morning, the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "I have seen what you did, nothing had prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared that it may become obligatory upon you."