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Women visiting the funeral home

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftionline.co.za

Q: I wish to inquire what is the mas’ala with regards to women attending the funeral home of the deceased on the day of the janaazah. Please enlighten us with regards to the following:

1. Is it permissible for the general women of the community who are not the close family of the deceased to attend the home of the mayyit on the day of the janaazah as is the practise nowdays.

2. The mayyit house gets pact to capacity with women of the community (not necessarily the close family members but the general women). Will this be considered as causing takleef to the berieved women of the house or not?

3. Is it permissible for the women to attend the house of the mayyit even if the house is going to be full? (i.e. She will be adding to the number of women)

4. Which women are regarded as the close family members of the deceased?

5. Please explain the proper shar’i procedure for women to follow with regards to attending funeral homes?

Bismillaah

A:

1. Yes. Ta’ziyat (consoling the bereaved) is sunnah.

2. The purpose of ta’ziyat is to share condolences with the bereaved and give them moral support at the time of a calamity. Hence it is permissible for the women to remain with the bereaved for a little while. Each person should engage in individual zikr, recitation of Qur’an etc and covey the reward to the deceased. However, if one feels that the bereaved will be inconvenienced by the crowds of people in the house, then he/she may meet the bereaved and thereafter leave.

3. As above.

4. The sunnah of ta’ziyat is not confined to the immediate family, even the extended family and those who are not the family of the deceased should make ta’ziyat.

5. There should be segregation between the non mahram males and females at the funeral home and they should refrain from unfounded practices e.g. making a collective dua (faatiha), women viewing the face of a non mahram male deceased or vice versa, partaking of meals at the funeral home, engaging in futile talks and discussions, etc.

And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.

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