Allah commands His Messenger to disown the hypocrites, to abstain from
praying the funeral prayer when any of them dies, from standing next to his
grave to seek Allah's forgiveness for him, or to invoke Allah for his benefit.
This is because hypocrites disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died as
such. This ruling applies to all those who are known to be hypocrites, even
though it was revealed about the specific case of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul,
the chief hypocrite. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Umar said, "When `Abdullah
bin Ubayy died, his son, `Abdullah bin `Abdullah, came to the Messenger of Allah
and asked him to give him his shirt to shroud his father in, and the Messenger
did that. He also asked that the Prophet offer his father's funeral prayer, and
Allah's Messenger stood up to offer the funeral prayer. `Umar took hold of the
Prophet's robe and said, `O Allah's Messenger! Are you going to offer his
funeral prayer even though your Lord has forbidden you to do so' Allah's
Messenger said,
«إِنَّمَا خَيَّرَنِي
اللهُ فَقَالَ:
(I have been given the choice, for Allah says:
[اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ
أَوْ لاَ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن
يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ]
(Whether you ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites), or do not ask for
forgiveness for them. Even though you ask for their forgiveness seventy times,
Allah will not forgive them.)
وَسَأَزِيدُهُ عَلَى
السَّبْعِين»
(Verily, I will ask [for forgiveness for him] more than seventy times).'
`Umar said, `He is a hypocrite!' So Allah's Messenger offered the funeral prayer
and on that Allah revealed this Verse,
[وَلاَ تُصَلِّ عَلَى
أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَداً وَلاَ تَقُمْ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ]
(And never (O Muhammad) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites)
who dies, nor stand at his grave.)'' `Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated a similar
narration. In this narration, `Umar said, "The Prophet offered his funeral
prayer, walked with the funeral procession and stood on his grave until he was
buried. I was amazed at my daring to talk like this to the Messenger of Allah ,
while Allah and His Messenger have better knowledge. By Allah, soon afterwards,
these two Ayat were revealed,
[وَلاَ تُصَلِّ عَلَى
أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَداً]
(And never (O Muhammad ) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites)
who dies.) Ever since this revelation came, the Prophet never offered the
funeral prayer for any hypocrite nor stood on his grave until Allah, the Exalted
and Most Honored, brought death to him.'' At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith in
his Tafsir [section of his Sunan] and said, "Hasan Sahih''. Al-Bukhari also
recorded it.
[وَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ
أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَأَوْلَـدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا
فِى الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـفِرُونَ ]
(85. And let not their wealth or their children amaze you. Allah only wants
to punish them with these things in this world, and that their souls shall
depart (die) while they are disbelievers.) We mentioned before the explanation
of a similar Ayah, all the thanks and praises are due to Allah.
[وَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ
سُورَةٌ أَنْ ءَامِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَجَـهِدُواْ مَعَ رَسُولِهِ اسْتَأْذَنَكَ
أُوْلُواْ الطَّوْلِ مِنْهُمْ وَقَالُواْ ذَرْنَا نَكُنْ مَّعَ الْقَـعِدِينَ -
رَضُواْ بِأَن يَكُونُواْ مَعَ الْخَوَلِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لاَ
يَفْقَهُونَ ]
(86. And when a Surah is revealed, enjoining them to believe in Allah and to
strive hard and fight along with His Messenger, the wealthy among them ask your
leave to exempt them and say, "Leave us (behind), we would be with those who sit
(at home).'') (87. They are content to be with those who sit behind. Their
hearts are sealed up, so they understand not.)
ICTruth.info