2

THE
NECESSITY
OF
ZAKAT
AND THE PROHIBITION
OF FUNERAL FEASTS

By
Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi

Translated by
Dr. Maulana Abdul Naim Azizi

Courtesy:
RAZA ACADEMY

www.alahazratnetwork.org

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THE NECESSITY OF ZAKAT

Question: What is the verdict of the learned scholars of

Islam if a person does not pay Zakat on his wealth but
spends the money in good deeds i.e. he distributes money
and grain among the poor in charity, builds a mosque and
gives a village as a gift with the money from Zakat so that
he will employ its profit in good deeds for the whole of his
life. On this subject one person says that no kind of charity
is justified with money which has not been paid in Zakat.
Daily charity, the construction of a mosque and the gift of
the village are in vain.

And so we request your verdict on whether the

money whose Zakat has not been paid, is allowed to be
used in deeds of welfare in Islam or is not allowed. Perhaps
the gift of the village should be taken back and it should be
further endowed so that its profit may be used to pay the
unpaid Zakat of the past? May Allah Ta’ ala reward you!

Answer:- Zakat is one of the greatest obligations

(Fard) and important fundamentals of Islam and so it has
been mentioned along with the ritual prayer (Salat) thirty-
two times in the Holy Quran and Allah Ta’ ala has called
His slaves to this important obligation in various ways and
declared clearly that whatever you paid as Zakat doesn’t
decrease your wealth but your wealth is increased due to
this.
Allah Ta’ ala says:

“Allah Ta’ ala destroys the interest (Riba) and

increases the charity”. (2.276).

Harmful growths affect some trees so that they

check their blooming. The foolish will not prune them

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because they think that so much will be taken from the

plant, but a wise person knows that pruning them will help
a tree to bloom. The same is the case with Zakat wealth.

Hadith 1. Bazzaz and Baihaqi report from Ummul

Momineen (The mother of the believers) Hazrat Ayisha
Siddiqa (Radi Aliahu Ta’ala Anha) that the Holy Prophet
(Sail Aliahu Ta’ ala Alaihi wa Sallam) says:

“Zakat money will not destroy wealth but it will

be added to it”.

Hadith 2. Tabrani quotes in ‘Ausat’ with reference

to Hazrat Abu Hurairah and he reports from Amirul
Momineen Umar-Farooque (Radi Ailahu Ta’ala Anhuma)
that the Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi Wa
Saliam) says:

“Whatever wealth goes to waste in land and sea is

destroyed due to non payment of Zakat”.

Hadith 3. Ibn Khuzaima in his ‘Sahih’, Tabrani in

‘Ausat’ and Hakim in ‘Mustadrick’ report from Jabir bin
Abdullah (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) that the Holy Prophet
(Sail Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi Wa Sallam) says:

“Undoubtedly Allah Ta’ala removed the evil of

his wealth from him who paid Zakat”.

Hadith 4. Bahaiqi reports from a group of

Companions (Radi Aliahu Ta’ ala Anhum) that the Exalted
Prophet (Sail Aliahu Ta’ ala Alaihi Wa Sallam) states:

“Protect your wealth as though in a strong fort by

paying its due Zakat and treat your sick with
charity”.

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See how an unwise villager who has no wheat seed,

gets it with many difficulties through debt and then sows it
in the earth. At that time he mixes it into the dust with his
hands but he hopes that Inshallah this loss will be turned
into much grain. Haven’t you the same sense as that
villager, with the result that you rely on outward means,
and do not believe in Allah Ta’ala’s saying and do not sow
the seed of Zakat to increase your wealth and so turn every
grain of yours into a tree. He says that if you pay Zakat,
your wealth will be increased. If you do not completely
believe this, this is definite infidelity. Who is more foolish
than you, who sacrifices such great worldly and religious
gain and invites the trouble of the loss of both Worlds?

Hadith 5. Bazzaz reports from Alqama that the

Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam) says:

“The completion of your Islam is that you pay

Zakat on your wealth’

Hadith 6. Tabrani reports in ‘Kabeer’ from Hazrat

Abdullah Ibn Umar (Radi-Allahu Ta’ ala Anhuma) that the
Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ala wa Sallam) says:

“To pay Zakat on his wealth is a duty for him who

believes in Allah Ta’ala and His Messenger i.e. It
is the demand of Iman that Zakat has to be paid.”

Hadith 7. ‘Bukhari’ and ‘Muslim’ quote from

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) that the
Holy Prophet (Sail Alaihi wa Sallam) says:

“He who has gold or silver and does not pay

Zakat, will be punished in such a manner that on
the Day of Judgement this gold and silver, shaped

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into plates, will be heated in the fire of Hell and

his forehead, side and back will be branded with
them and when those plates go cold again they
will be heated again and he will be branded with
them, and this will go on the whole day until the
account of every creature is cleared. Note that the
Day of Judgement is equal to fifty thousand years
of this World.”

Allah Ta’ala says: “And those who hoard gold and

silver and spend not in the path of Allah Ta’ala, give them
the good tidings of painful torment. The day when their
wealth shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and their
foreheads, sides and backs shall be branded with it. This is
what you have hoarded for yourselves. Now taste the
hoarding!”

And do not think this branding will be merely a

touch of the fire or will only be enough to make the
forehead, back or side sweat, and no more. But listen to its
description in the Hadith.

Hadith 8. ‘Bukhari’ and ‘Muslim’ quote with

reference to Ahnaf bin Qais that Hazrat Abu Zar (Radi
Allahu Ta’ ala Anh) says:

“The hot stone of Hell will be kept on their nipples

and will burst the chest, and then will be held to
their sides and their bones will burst the chest”.

He further reports that the Holy Prophet (Sail

Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam) says: “The stone, after breaking
the back will emerge from the side and break the nape of
the neck and will emerge from the forehead”. This Hadith
has been reported by ‘Sahih Muslim’.

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Hadith 9. Tabrani reports in ‘Kabeer’ from Hazrat

Abdullah bin Masood (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh): “Neither
will any penny rest on another nor any gold coin touch
another but rather the body of the person who didn’t pay
Zakat will swell so much that if there were millions of
pennies, every penny would brand separately.”

Do you consider the Commandments of Allah

Ta’ala and His Messenger (Sail Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam)
merely a joke and fun or think that the suffering of heart
breaking pains for fifty thousand years will be easy. For a
while just keep a heated coin on your body and compare
this little heat with that fire of anger, and this one minute’s
pain, with thousands of years of catastrophe, and this light
touch with that anger which breaks bones. May Allah
Ta’ala guide the Muslims. Amen!

Hadith 10. Ibn Maja, Nisai and Ibn Khuzaima

report from Ibn Masood (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) that the
Chosen Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam)
says:
“The wealth whose Zakat will not be paid will be
shaped into a bold dragon and fall on the neck of
the person who hasn’t paid Zakat. Further, the
leader of the Universe (Sail Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi
wa Sallam) confirmed it with the Holy Quran
where Allah Ta’ala says: “What they were mean
with, will be their necklace on the Day of
Resurrection”. (Ale Imran. 180)

Hadith 11. ‘Muslim’ reports from Hazrat Jabir

(Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) that the Holy Prophet (Sail
Ailahu Ta’ ala wa Sallam) says:
“A dragon with an open mouth will run after him.
He will escape. Allah Ta’ala will say to him,

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‘Take the treasure which you concealed and about

which I don’t care.’ When he sees that there is no
refuge from the dragon, helpless, he will put his
hand in its mouth arid it will chew it as a camel
chews.”

Hadith 12. Bazzaz, Tabrani, Ibn Khuzaima and Ibn

Habban quote with reference to Sauban (Radi Allahu
Ta’ala Anh) that the Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ala
Alaihi wa Sallam) says:

“When the dragon will run after him, he will ask,

‘Who are you?’ It will say, ‘I am your unpaid
Zakat which you left after your death.’ When he
sees that it goes on following him, he will put his
hand in its mouth. It will chew his hand and then
his whole body.”

Hadith 13. Bukhari and Nisai report from Hazrat

Abu Hurairah (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) that the Holy
Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ ala Alaihi wa Sallam) says:-

“The dragon taking his hand in its mouth will say,

‘I am your wealth, I am your treasure!”

Hadith 14. Tabrani reports from Hazrat Au (Karam

Allahu Ta’ala Wajh) that the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu
Ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam) says:

“The poor will suffer hunger and nakedness in the

World only because of the rich. Listen! Allah
Ta’ala will judge the rich’s account very harshly
and punish them in a heartbreaking way.”

Hadith 15. Ibn Khuzaima, Ahmad, Abu Yala and

Ibn Habban report from Abdullah bin Masood (Radi Allahu

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Ta’ala Anh), “A person who fails to pay Zakat is cursed as

the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam)
described.”

Hadith 16. Asbahani reports that Maula Ali (Karam

Allahu Ta’ala Wajh) says:

“The Messenger of Allah (Sall Allahu Ta’ala

Alaihi wa Sallam) said that usurers, persons
encouraging usury, witnesses to usury and writers
of the documents of usury are cursed on the Day
of Resurrection.”

Hadith 17. Tabrani and Abu Shaikh report from

Anas (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) that the Messenger of Allah
Ta’ ala (Sail Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam) says,

“There is an evil for the rich which is brought by

the poor on the Day of Resurrection. The poor will
ask. ‘Our Lord! They usurped our rights which
you made obligatory for them towards us.’ Allah
Ta’ ala will say, ‘I swear by My Honour that I will
grant you nearness to Me and keep them very far
from Me.”

Hadith 18. Bazzaz reports from Hazrat Abu

Hurairah (Radi Allahu Ta’ ala Anh):

“The Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam)

saw some people who were wearing dirty rags on
their front and back sides and were eating, like
animals, the hot fire of Hell, and stone, and cactus
and hard, sour, burning and evil smelling grass.
He asked Hazrat Gabriel (Alaihi Sallam), who
they were? He replied that they were defaulters on
Zakat and Allah Ta’ ala had not been unjust to

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them. Allah Ta’ala does not tyrannise over His

slaves.”

Hadith 19. Tirmizi, Darqutni, Ahmed, Abu

Dawood and Nasai report from Abdullah bin Umar (Radi
Allahu Ta’ ala Anhuma):

“Two women wearing gold bracelets attended to

the Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ ala Alaihi wa
Saliam). He asked them if they had paid their
Zakat? They replied humbly that they hadn’t. He
asked them if they’d like Allah Ta’ ala to make
them wear bracelets of fire. They replied humbly,
‘No!’ He then ordered them to pay Zakat on
them.”

Hadith 20. Abu Dawood and Darqutni report from

Ummul Momineen (Mother of the Believers) (Radi Allahu
Ta’ ala Anha):

“A lady was wearing silver rings. The Holy

Prophet (Sail Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam) asked,
‘Will you pay Zakat on them?’ She refused to pay
more than a little. He said that this was enough to
carry her to Hell.”

Hadith 21. Tabrani reports from Hazrat Anas (Radi

Allahu Ta’ ala Anh) that his Honour the Holy Prophet (Sail
Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam) says,
“A person who fails to pay Zakat will be in Hell
on the Day of Resurrection”.

Hadith 22. Ibn Khuzaima and Ibn Habban report

from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) that
the Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Ta’ala Alaihi wa Saliam)
says:

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“First of all three types of persons will go to Hell.

Amongst them one will be that rich person who
does not pay Allah Ta’ala’s due from his wealth.”

In short, heart breaking disasters for failure to pay

Zakat are such as cannot be tolerated. A person who fails to
pay Zakat should expect to be involved in these heart
breaking torments for thousands of years. A weak man
couldn’t bear this. If these were inflicted on mountains,
they would be turned into fine powder and dust. Then who
is more foolish than he who uses his wealth in all sorts of
charity and lets Allah Ta’ala’s due remain unpaid? This is a
great deception of Satan who destroys a man under the
guise of virtue. The fool thinks that he is doing good deeds
but does not understand that the Nafil without Fard is
merely a false pretence. There is no hope of its acceptance
but torment is inflicted for failure to pay it properly.

How sad! Fard is a Royal debt and Nafil is like a

gift and offering. If you do not pay the due and offer
excessive and useless gifts, how can they be accepted
particularly in the court of that Emperor Who has no need
of the entire Universe? If you do not believe this, imagine
the men who are called the rulers of the World. Imagine if
any landlord stops the payment of the land revenue and
uses it to send presents of fruit etc. See if he is found
guilty or if his presents of fruit bring any good result. For a
while a man should do a little heart searching. Suppose
there is a contract of sugar cane juice between the dealers
and a sugar cane crusher owner Imagine if, when the time
to supply comes, they do not supply the juice but instead
present mango and musk melon. Will the cane crusher
owner agree with these dealers and hold back the harm he
can inflict on them for defaulting, and give up the juice in
return for those mangos and musk melons?

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Praise be to Allah Ta’ala! When this is what a

crusher owner will demand, how can we expect to avoid
severe torment for debts to the King of Kings and the
Greatest of all Rulers? There can’t be any doubt!

Muhammad bin Mubarak bin Tabbakh in his ‘Juzil

Imla’, Usman bin Abi Shaiba in his ‘Sunan’, Abu Naim in
‘Hilyatul Awliya’, Hannad in ‘Fawaid’ and Ibn Jareer in
‘Tahzibul Asar’ report from Abdur Rahman bin Sabit, Zaid
bin Zubaid bin Hans and Mujahid:- “At the last breath
Sayyidina Siddique Akbar, the Caliph of Allah Ta’ala’s
Messenger (Sail Allahu Ta’ ala Alaihi wa Sallam) called
Amirul Momineen Farooque Azam (Radi Allahu Ta’ ala
Anhum) and said: ‘Umar! Always fear Allah Ta’ ala and
know that there are some duties due to Allah Ta’ ala by
day, but if you perform them by night, He will not accept
them. Some are due by night. If you perform them in the
day, they will also not be acceptable.”

Allama Ibrahim bin Abdullah Yemeni-Madni-Shafii

has mentioned this incident in the 13th chapter of his book
‘Al Qaul us-Sawab Fi Fadle Umar bin ul Khattab’. (On
the excellence of Umar bin Khattab) and in the 19th chapter
of the book ‘Attahqiq Ti Fadl as-Siddique’ (On the
excellence of Siddique) and this is in the first part of the
book ‘A1-Iktifa Fi Fadlil Arbatul Khulfa’ (On the
excellences of Four Caliphs). Imam Suyuti (Rahmatullahi
Alaih) has also reported this in ‘Jami al Kabeer’ through
the statements of Abdur Rahman bin Sabit, Zaid bin Zubaid
bin Hans and Mujahid that they made which begin, “At the
moment of his last breath Farooque Azam attended him and
soon.”

Ghausul Azam Sayyidina Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani

(Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anh) has given heart breaking

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examples in his book ‘Futuhul Ghaib’ of persons who give

up Fards and perform Nafils. He says his example is this:

A King calls a person for his service but he does not

attend him and remains busy in the service of his slave.
Further he illustrates this with an example from Amirul
Momineen Sayyidina Ali (Karam-Allahu Ta’ ala Wajh)
when he says:-
“The condition of such a person is like that woman
who is pregnant but at the time of delivery, has an abortion.
Now she is neither pregnant nor the mother of the child due
to the abortion on the day it was due. She suffered all the
pain but the result was zero. Had she borne the child, it
itself would be the result. If the pregnancy had remained,
there would be a hope. Now there is neither the pregnancy,
nor the child, nor hope, but all she has is all the pain.
Similarly, the money which was spent by the performer of
the charity is unacceptable as Nafil, since he gave up the
Fard. He spent his wealth but gained nothing. In the same
book there is a statement of Hazrat Ali (Radi Allahu Ta’ala
Anh):- “Those who abandon the Fard and do the Sunnat
and the Nafil will be humiliated and these deeds will not be
accepted.”
Likewise Shaikh Abdul Haque Muhaddith Dehlvi
(Radi Allahu Anh) stated in the commentary on it:- “It is
quite unwise to perform unnecessary deeds, giving up the
compulsory and the necessary. For a wise person, to
remove loss is more important than to make a gain. In fact
there is no gain this way.”

Hazrat Shaikh Shahabuddin Suharwardi (Radi

Allahu Ta’ala Anh) quotes in the 38th chapter of ‘Awarif’
with reference to Hazrat Khawas:- “We came to know that
Allah Ta’ala does not accept even a single Nafi unless the
Fard are performed. Allah Ta’ ala says to them that they are
like a bad slave who offers a gift before paying a debt.”

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The Hadith itself shows it, Imam Ahmad reports in his

‘Musnad’ from Ormara bin Hazam (Radi Allahu Ta’ala
Anh) that the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu Ta’ala wa Sallam)
says:- “Allah Ta’ ala has placed on us four duties in Islam.
Even the performance of three of them will not benefit you
unless you perform all four - Salat, Zakat, Fasting in
Ramadan and Hajj.

Tabrani reports in ‘Kabeer’ a Sahih Hadith that says

that Sayyidina Abdullah bin Masood (Radi Allahu Ta’ ala
Anh) says: -
“We have been ordered to perform Salat and to pay
Zakat and he who does not pay Zakat, his Salat is not
acceptable.”

Praise be to Allah Ta’ ala. When Salat, Fasting and

Hajj are not acceptable from someone who fails to pay
Zakat then what good in this life can be expected from
Nafil? On the other hand Asbahani reports from the same
reporter:- “He who performs Salat and does not pay Zakat
is not a true Muslim and his performance is of no use.”
May Allah Ta’ala guide the Muslims, Amen!
Also note! Whatever charity he gave, (he built a
mosque, and registered the village as a gift), he may neither
take the charity back nor has he the right to withdraw the
registered gift nor use the profit of the village to pay Zakat
nor use it for his own purpose and other deeds because the
Waqf is definitely encumbered.
This is quoted in ‘Durr al Mukhtar’:

“The Waqf becomes compulsory (Allah Ta’ala’s

property) and its repudiation is unlawful. Its
possession is not lawful and this is the Islamic
judgement.”

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But despite that, unless Zakat is completely paid,

there is no chance of the acceptance of the performance of
those deeds because a deed may be correct but still not be
accepted and obtain any reward in Allah Ta’ala’s Court.

For example if a person prays only for show, the

prayer has been correct, and the duty has been performed
but neither will it be acceptable nor he will get the reward
but on the other hand, he will be guilty. The condition of
this person is similar.

Satan who is a clear enemy of man, and aims to

destroy you completely and to cut the little thread of
intention to do charity which causes a gain to the poor, will
make you believe the clever remark, “What is the use of
charity which is not acceptable?” Reject it, then, and serve
Satan completely! But if Allah Ta’ ala is willing to free you
from such severe temptation, He would put in your heart
that it was not the answer of the religious law that the
enemy of Islam taught you and thus finally made you proud
and a traitor. You must work hard to avoid the Royal
Verdict condemning you so that the hope might rise of the
acceptance of your charity, and of the construction of the
Mosque and also of the registered gift. Think a while. Is it
better that your failure be changed into success and bring a
new result or (Allah Ta’ ala forbid) better to be rid of the so
called remaining service of Allah Ta’ ala and to find
yourself in the list of those who are proclaimed traitors.
This is the only right path: beg for pardon heartily and pay
the up to date Zakat so as to obey and appease Allah Ta’ala
so that your name may be written in the list of the obedient
slaves of Allah Ta’ ala, being struck froth the list of
traitors, and thus find a way of coming proudly before your
Affectionate Lord Who has granted you your soul, organs,
wealth and millions of blessings, and thus get the good
news that if you do so there will rise a hope of the

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acceptance of your up to date charity, of the registered gift,

and of the construction of the Mosque, which gifts were not
acceptable because of your mistake. Now when these
crimes have been wiped out by Allah Ta’ala’s Order, these
will also have the honour of acceptance and this is the only
remedy for anyone thinking about his success or failure. If,
because a long time has passed, you cannot calculate the
accurate amount of Zakat, you should calculate an excess
amount to purify the life of the Hereafter.

If you pay excess money, it will not be wasted but

will be deposited with your Affectionate Lord in case
something happens to you. He will grant you a complete
reward beyond your imagination. If you pay less than the
due, then this is a debt to the Triumphant King and there is
no difference between a debt of one penny and of one
thousand pence. If there is due a huge amount owing from
many years and giving so much will upset you, then first of
all think seriously that this is an omission you yourself
made. If you had paid year by year it wouldn’t have been
so great. Further see the kindness of the Affectionate Lord
that He did not Order you to give only to strangers but
allowed giving to relations, so that He has made possible
two separate rewards; one for charity and the other for
piety. So give it to those who are your Kith and Kin such as
brothers and nephews and this will hardly displease you but
remember that they should neither be rich nor minor
children nor have a rich living father, neither should you
have a direct blood relation with them i.e. they should not
be amongst your offspring. But if this amount is so great
that after payment you will become penniless still there is
no remedy other than to pay. To suffer the severe verdict of
Allah Ta’ala will be beyond your ability to bear. The few
breaths of this World will pass by somehow or other. But
still if this person gives charity to his relatives with the
intention of Zakat and makes them absolute owner, but then

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without any compulsion they show mercy on him and of

their own free will, return the amount as a present, there is
a total gain for all. The payer gets liberation from the
condemnation of Allah Ta’ala, His debt and duty have been
paid and done and his wealth remains, and his relatives
gain wealth in this World and reward for the Hereafter on
account of helping their Muslim brother in the payment of
Zakat and returning him the wealth as a gift which shows
pity. Further if he has complete confidence in his relations,
he need not calculate how much is due, but give them his
total wealth and make them absolute owner so that then
they can return it to him if they so choose, as a gift.
Whatever was due, was paid and has achieved its aims and
both parties have gained the profit of This World and of the
Hereafter.
May Allah Ta’ala guide us with His Generosity!
Amen, Amen!

Question 2

Should Zakat be paid gradually or is there any harm

in lump sum payment?

Answer

If he pays Zakat in advance then the year will not

yet have passed, so that the fulfilment of Zakat would
become obligatory. He may be either the owner of the
‘Nisab’ (The owner of gold or silver or articles of trade
beyond basic needs for life), but the year has not yet come
to an end, or he may have paid Zakat for the last year and
the current year is not yet over. Clearly then he has the full
right to pay little by little. In fact there is no harm in that at
all, because the fulfilment of Zakat has not become
obligatory by that time. It is stated in ‘Durr al Mukhtar’
that for the fulfilment of the obligation of Zakat, your

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wealth must be in your possession for the whole year. If

Islamic law does not demand payment from him until then,
how can it then demand a lump sum payment? Advance
payment is ‘Nafl’ so that one will get more reward due to
advance payment when both ‘Nafl’ and Fard have been
fulfilled. And it is clear that ‘Nafl’ is not compulsory. But
if the year has passed and fulfilment of Zakat has become
obligatory then gradual payment is prohibited but rather
one must pay the complete Zakat immediately, as
according to genuine doctrine and justified and reliable
verdicts, the obligation of Zakat must be fulfilled at once
and delay is a matter of sin.

On the other hand many of our Imams (Religious

Chiefs) have made it clear that one who pays the obligation
of Zakat late cannot be a witness in an Islamic Court. The
same is reported from Sayyidina Imam Muhammad
(Rahmatullahi Ta’ala Alaih). Once it is obligatory, the
harm of gradual payment is more obvious than the Sun and
even if he only delays immediate payment, he will become
sinful. According to the doctrine of ‘Tarakhi’ (i.e. whose
doctrine teaches paying at the last moment) this delay is
also improper because there are calamities in delay.
Allah Ta’ala says: 1

(1)“And run towards the Forgiveness of your Allah

Ta’ala.” (3.3)

(2) “Then desire that you may surpass others in good

deeds.” (2.148)

No one knows, of course, when they will die. If

death comes before payment, then by the consensus of
Muslim opinion, the deceased will become sinners. If one
suffers a financial and bodily accident, who can then
protect themselves against Satan when they cannot protect

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themselves against Satan even when he moves along with

the human blood? He may deceive, and the intention to pay
today may vanish tomorrow. Sayyidina Hazrat Imam
Muhammad Baqar (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anti) had a fine
jacket sewn. He went to the bathroom and there he thought
of giving it away in the way of Allah Ta’ ala. He at once
called the attendant. The attendant approached the
bathroom. Hazrat took off the jacket and gave it to him and
ordered him to give it to such and such a person. When he
came out of the bathroom, the attendant enquired of him
respectfully the reason for so much hurry. He asked
whether anyone could know whether the intention would
change before he came out. Praise be to Allah Ta’ ala, this
was the caution of a person who was brought up in the
cradle of the Verse “verily over My bondmen, you (Satan)
have no control’ and took a bath in the river of the Verse
saying “Allah Ta’ ala only desires, of the members of the
family of the Prophet (Sail Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam) that
He may remove from you every un cleanliness and purify
you well after thorough cleaning.” And we who are merely
a game in the hand of Satan, are so lacking in fear and
ready to do evil!

I think certain ideas persuade people to pay little by

little. Sometimes there comes an idea that they should pay
this Zakat at that time which is more suitable for the needy
persons. Sometimes an idea comes to their mind that since
the poor persons come in such large numbers, it is best to
keep this money for them and give it to them as time goes
by.
Sometimes payment in a lump sum causes a burden
on the Self and one thinks that if it is paid little by little, it
will not be felt so much. Those who think this way, should
pay the due in advance and this is the only way to save
themselves from such ideas. For example, if the due time is
the Ramadan of 1308 Hijra, they begin to pay from the

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Shawwal (10th Islamic month) of 1307, and go on paying

little by little. In this way it may suit their convenience so
that may achieve their aims and remain safe from blame
and from the prohibition of delay.

IV THE PROHIBITION OF FUNERAL

FEASTS

Question:- What is the verdict of the Ulama on the custom

in many cities of India that the ladies belonging to the
family of the friends and relatives of a dead person gather
at his home from the day of his death in the same way they
gather for marriage ceremonies. Among them some return
the next day, most of them on the third day, and some
remain till the funeral rites on the fortieth day of his death.
During this period the members of the family of the dead
person provide their meals, betal and betal nut etc. This
causes them excessive expenditure. If at that time they are
penniless, they borrow money for this purpose and if they
fail to get a loan, borrow the money at interest. If they do
not do so, they are blamed and slandered. Is this allowed in
Islam or not? May Allah Ta’ ala reward you.

Answer:- Allah Ta’ala be praised! Believers! Your

question is whether this is allowed in Islam or not? You
should ask about how this dirty custom includes very many
ugly and harsh aspects and burdensome and wicked evils in
it.
Firstly, this feast is itself unlawful and a bad and
evil heresy. Imam Ahmad in his ‘Musnad’ reports from
Hazrat Jareer bin Abdullah Bajli (Radi Allahu Ta’ala
Anh) :-
“To gather and prepare food at the house of the
dead person, we, the group of the Companions of
the Holy Prophet (Sail Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam)

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considered to be lamentation, to the unlawfulness

of which continuous Hadiths are categorical
witnesses.”

1:- Imam Hummam says in ‘Fathul Qadeer Sharh-i-

Hedaya ‘:-
“The feast given by members of the family of the
dead person is forbidden as Islamic law has
allowed feasts on the occasion of rejoicing but not
on the occasion of sorrow; and this is a very bad
heresy.”

2:- Likewise Allama Hasan Shurumbulali stated in ‘Maraqi

Al Falah ‘:-
“The feast given by members of the family of the
dead person is disgusting because a feast is
necessary on an occasion of joy, and not on an
occasion of sorrow and this is a bad heresy.”

3-8:- Its unlawfulness is obvious from ‘Fatawa Khulasa’,

‘Fatawa Sirajiyya’, Fatawa Zahiriyya’ and ‘Fatawa
Tatarkhaniyya’.

About its unlawfulness there are almost the same

words in ‘Khazanatul Muftieen’, ‘Kitab ul Khairiyya’ (In
the chapter of abomination from ‘Fatawa Zahiriyya’ and in
‘Fatawa Hindiyya’ from ‘Tatarkhaniyya’). The words of
the following reference come from ‘Fatawa Sirajiyya’:

“A feast on the third day on an occasion of sorrow

is not allowed.”
There is more in ‘Fatawa Khulasa’ that:- “A feast
is a necessity on an occasion of joy.”

9:- It is stated in ‘Fatawa Imam Qazi Khan’ (Kitabul Hazr

wal Ibaha, the chapter of Prohibition and Permission):

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“A feast is prohibited on an occasion of

misfortune, as these are days of sorrow, and that
which is done on a happy occasion, is not worthy
of this.”

10:- It is stated in ‘Tabyyinal Haqaique’ by Imam Zailyi:-

“There is no harm in gathering for three days or
more at the house of the dead person provided no
prohibited act is done such as serving meals paid
for from the dead person’s wealth etc as a
formality”.

11:- Imam Bazzazi says in ‘Wajeez’:

“The meals which are prepared on the first day or
on the third day or a week after the death are all
disgusting and prohibited”.

12, 13:- Allama Shami says in ‘Raddul Mukhtar’ that the

‘Merajul Daraya’ an annotation on the ‘Hedaya’ has
discussed this issue in detail and stated:
“These are acts of show and of seeking fame and
one should refrain from such acts”.

14, 15:- It is stated in ‘Jami ur Ramuz’ and ‘Akhrul

Karahiyya’:
“To sit in the Mosque to receive condolences for
three days or less is prohibited and even a feast
and its meals are also prohibited during these
days”.

16, 17:- It is stated in ‘Fatawa Anqarwi’ and ‘Waqeatul

Muftieen’:
“A three days feast and its meals are disgusting
because a feast is only lawful on an occasion of
rejoicing”.
18:- It is stated in ‘Kashful Ghata’:-

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“Feasts and cooking food for the mourners by

members of the family of the dead person are
disgusting. All reports agree on it because it is
difficult to prepare the food”.

It is also reported from the above: “The custom that

afflicted persons prepare the above meals for the funeral
rites on the third day of the death and distribute them
among the mourners and friends is not allowed and is
unlawful. This has been made clear in ‘Khazanatul
Muftieen’ that this is prohibited because a feast is only
permissible on an occasion of joy, not on an occasion of
sorrow, and this same reason is well know to the majority
of people”.

Secondly, among the heirs there may perhaps be

only an orphan or another minor child and other heirs may
not be present, and if permission isn’t taken from any one
of them, then this act is classed as oppressive and strictly
unlawful.

Allah Ta’ala says:- “Those who consume the

property of orphans unjustly fill their bellies with fire only,
and they shall soon enter the flaming Fire”. (Al Nisa.l0).
Any ownership of another’s property without permission is
itself not allowed.

Allah Ta’ala says:- “And do not eat up unjustly the

property of each other among yourselves.” (2.188)
Particularly to waste the property of a minor child who
himself has no right to use it, and also neither do his father
nor the executor have this right, is totally unlawful and to
involve oneself in calamity. If there is an orphan amongst
the heirs of the dead person, this calamity is more severe.
May Allah Ta’ ala protect us!

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If food is cooked to give to poor persons, there is

indeed no harm but rather it is good, provided that some
sensible and adult person does this act with his own money.
But if this is done with the legacy, all the heirs should be
adult and present and agree on this matter.

1 to 4:- It is stated in ‘Khaniyya, Bazzaziyya, Tatar

Khaniyya and Hindiyya ‘:-
“It is good if the food has been cooked for beggars
provided that all the heirs are adult but if there is
any child amongst them, do not prepare meals
from the legacy”.

5. Further it is stated in ‘Fatawa Qazi Khan’:-

“If the guardian of the dead person prepares meals
for beggars it is better, but if there is any minor
among the heirs, do not do this with the property
of the legacy”.

Thirdly, if these women gather and perform

unlawful acts such as weeping and mourning bitterly and
hiding their faces for deceit and other such acts, then these
are classed as lamentation which is unlawful.

Provision of meals to such a gathering by relatives

and friends of the dead person is unlawful and is a help to
sin.

Allah Ta’ ala says:- “And help not one another in

sin and transgression”. (5.2).
“The arrangement of meals by members of the
family of the dead person, is completely unlawful, and so
the agreement to the meals for this unlawful crowd will be
more unlawful”.

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It is stated in ‘Kashful Ghata’:- “The cooking of

meals on the second day of the death by members of the
family of the dead person, if there is a crowd of mourners,
is disgusting because this is a help in sin”.

Fourthly, due to this bad custom, generally people

are compelled to spend money beyond their capacity. The
members of the family of the dead person, forgetting their
sorrow, are involved in this calamity when they provide
food, betal and betal nut etc. For this purpose often they
need to borrow money. Such borrowing is not liked by
Islamic law even for a Mubah (permissible) deed and not at
all for an unlawful custom. Further due to this act the
difficulties that arise are themselves obvious and if the loan
is taken at interest, it has been Haram (unlawful)! May
Allah Ta’ala forbid! He gets all the Lord’s curses, because
to pay interest is as worthy to be cursed as it is to take
interest, as is witnessed by Sahi Hadith.

In short, there is no doubt of the evil and prohibition

of this custom. May Allah Ta’ ala guide the Muslims so
that they completely give up such a bad custom which is
harmful for their Worldly affairs, beliefs and religion. And
Allah Ta’ ala is the best guide!

WARNING:- It is Masnoon (Sunnat) for relatives

and neighbours to send food on the first day for the
members of the family of the dead person sufficient for two
meals and to encourage them to eat (because due to sorrow
they will not like to eat). But sending this meal only for one
day (two meals) is Sunnat. This meal should not be for the
gathering as this is strictly prohibited.

It is stated in ‘Kashful Ghata ‘:- “To send enough

meals for the members of the family of the dead person and
to feed them continuously with food provided by friends

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and neighbours for one day and night is Mustahab. To take

meals for other than the members of the family of the dead
person is disgusting”.

This is stated in Fatawa ‘Alamgiri’:- “To provide

meals for the afflicted persons and to eat in their company
on the first day is allowed only because they are busy in
funeral rites and ceremonies. After this it is disgusting. It is
also stated in ‘Tatar Khaniyya’ to the same effect”.
Allah Ta’ ala knows best!

Question 2

What is the verdict on preparing meals which the

members of the family of the dead person prepare for a
feast at funeral rites up until the third day after the death.
Also what is said about taking puffed sugar drops which are
purchased for funeral rites on the third day.

Answer

Such food in the house of the dead person is

undoubtedly not allowed as I have stated in my verdict in
detail. But bread and puffed sugar drops for the funeral
rites of the third day are not brought for a feast, but with the
intention to send a reward to the dead person, and so this is
not included in this command in my verdict. If this has
been brought for the poor only, then rich persons are not
allowed to eat it, but if this has been brought to distribute
among the general participants, then if the rich person also
takes it, that will not be sinful. If as customary that bread
and puffed sugar drops are not specially for the poor, then it
is not allowed for the rich to take them. But abstention from
taking them is more desirable and I have done this for a
long time.
Allah Ta’ala knows best!

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Appendix
Question:

When we visit a Wali’s (Saint’s) Shrine, how do we

pray (Fatiha) there and what should be recited in the prayer
(Fatiha)?
From:- Hafiz Abdul Rahman, Mohalla Ahata Rohila,
Thana Bhelupura, Benaras, dated 28th Muharram, 1332
A.H. 1913 A.D.

Answer

To visit Awliya’s shrines, go from the foot of the

shrine and stand facing the head of shrine at a distance of
about six feet and greet them respectfully with a voice
neither loud nor quiet saying ‘Assalamu Alaikum Ya
Sayyidi wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh’, and then recite
‘Darood - Ghausia’ (Allahumma Salli Ala Sayyidina
Muhammadin Ma ‘danil Joodi Wal Karami wa Ala Ahlihi
Wa Sahbihi wa Bark wa Sallim) thrice, ‘Al Hamd Shareef’
once, ‘Aaytal Kursi’ once, ‘Surah Ikhlas’ seven times and
if there is enough time, recite ‘Surah Mulk’ and ‘Surah Ya
Sin’ too, and pray to Allah Ta’ala! “O Lord! Give as much
reward for this recitation as is worthy to Your Grace and
not as much as is worthy to my action and convey it to this
Your favourite Slave as an offering.” After this make Dua
for your lawful good desires, and make the Saint sleeping
in this shrine a means in the Court of Allah Ta’ ala, and
then after offering the greeting, return in the same way.
Don’t touch the shrine or kiss it. Walking round it is
unanimously forbidden and prostration is purely Haram.

And Allah Ta’ ala Knows Best!

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