Chapter 22 of 33 2 min read
4. The Announcement of Someone’s Death
4. إعلان الوفاة
42 Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.2, p.215, no.383, Sahih Muslim, vol.1, p.59, nos.186-7, Sunan Abu Dawud vol.2, pp. 891-92 no.3124, Sunan Ibn-i-Majah, vol.2, p.439, no.1586 and Mishkat AlMasabih, vol.1, p.361. 43 The Prophet’s migration to the city of Madeenah. 44 (sahih) Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.2, p.892 no.3125 and Sunan Ibn-i-Majah, vol.2, p.435 no.1579.
It is forbidden in Islaam to make a big affair about announcing anyone’s death, such as proclaiming it from the minarets of the masjids, announcing it in the market streets etc ; ﺎﻴ ﻨﹶﻌﻜﹸﻭﻥ ﻴﺍ ﺇِﻨﱢﻲ ﺃَﺨﹶﺎﻑﹸ ﺃَﻥﺩﺕﹸ ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻻﹶ ﺘﹸﺅْﺫِﻨﹸﻭﺍ ﺒِﻪِ ﺃَﺤﻴ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﺎﺕﹶ ﻟﹶﻪﻔﹶﺔﹸ ﺇِﺫﹶﺍ ﻤﺫﹶﻴ ﺤﻜﹶﺎﻥ ﺕﹸﻤِﻌﺇِﻨﱢﻲ ﺴ ﻭلَ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﺴﺭ r ﻲِﻥِ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﻌﻰ ﻋﻨﹾﻬﻥِ ﻴﺎﺘﹶﻴ ﻫ ﺒِﺄُﺫﹸﻨﹶﻲ . If someone died, Huthayfah ibn al-Yamaan used to say, “Do not proclaim his death to anyone, for I fear that it may be a death announcement and I heard Allaah’s Messenger (r) with my own two ears forbid the death announcement.”45 However, a calmly expressed general announcement is allowed َ ﻗﹶﺎلﻨﹾﻪ ﻋﻀِﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺓﹶ ﺭﺭﻴﺭ ﺃَﺒِﻲ ﻫﻥﻋ : ﻰ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺒِﻲﻨﹶﻌ r ﻔﱡﻭﺍ ﻓﹶﺼﻡ ﺘﹶﻘﹶﺩ ﺜﹸﻡﺎﺸِﻲﺎﺒِﻪِ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺠﺤ ﺇِﻟﹶﻰ ﺃَﺼ ﺎﻌﺒ ﺃَﺭﺭ ﻓﹶﻜﹶﺒﺨﹶﻠﹾﻔﹶﻪ . Aboo Hurayrah reported that Allaah’s Messenger (r) announced the death of the Najaashee to his companions on the very day that he died, then he stepped forward and they lined up behind him and he made [a funeral prayer consisting of] four takbeers.46