Can We Attend the Funeral of a Person Who Has Wronged Us?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Recently, a Muslim we know passed away. This person has wronged us and others, lied, cheated people regarding money, and was not a practicing Muslim. My father told me that if any member of his family (meaning my mother, my brother, or my husband and myself) attended the funeral, he would be very upset with us.
My question is, are we permitted to attend the funeral of such a person, or should I have obeyed my father?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Either way, If you had obeyed your father or attended the funeral would have been fine. You can apologize to your father for attending the funeral if you did. However, we should not stoop to the level of another person’s ill actions; we should hate sin, not the sinner.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, and withholds for the sake of Allah, then he has attained complete faith.” [Abu Dawud]
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I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
Related:
Death and Funerals: SeekersGuidance Reader
Do We Hate the Sinner or the Sin for the Sake of Allah?
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
