Is the Deceased Punished for Improper Burial or the Wailing of Relatives?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Question: If a Muslim is, for whatever reason, not buried according to proper Islamic rituals, does he or she face repercussions because of this in the grave, even if it was not his or her fault?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

No, the deceased is not punished for the sinful actions of others after his/her death, such as improper burial, wailing or the like.

Allah Most High states, “No bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another.” (6:164)

Those hadiths that would seem to indicate otherwise — such as “The deceased is punished in his grave due to the wailing done over him,” [Bukhari] — are understood by most scholars to refer to someone who gave a bequest before death for his relatives to do so on his behalf after death. Therefore, he is punished for commanding others to sin. [Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim]

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani