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973 In my community (and I'm sure many others) there is this 40 day thing that seems so significant. Here, the house where the deceased lived has all the furniture removed, bed sheets spread out in the lounge and people coming and going for the entire 40 day period.

Indeed they do pray some Yaseen Sharif etc, but isn’t it a better and simpler thing to just spend the three days visiting and praying for the deceased and leaving it at that? So that there is less prolonged stress for the immediate family and daily life.

Please explain the ideal Islamic process in practical terms for when AFTER a person dies.
Firstly, all communities from the Muslim Ummah perform the practice of showing condolence to the bereaved family and praying for the deceased, not just the Indian and Pakistani community.

Secondly, the furniture is removed purely on the basis to make room for the visitors. It is not actually part of the bereavement process. So, in a home where there is ample space for people to sit down, without moving the furniture, then there is no need to do so.

Thirdly, I think you have confused the three days and the forty days. The official mourning period is three days. The ‘forty days’ refers to when the community again gathers (and not for forty days continuously) to pray for the deceased.

Nevertheless, the process that we engage in upon a bereavement is proven conclusively from the example of the Prophet (S.A.W). The practice of ‘Fatiha’, reading the Quran for the sake of the deceased on the 2nd day, 3rd day, 10th day, 20th day or the 40th day is correct and legitimate.

The Prophet (S.A.W) set out specific days for the Isaale Sawab (transferral of reward for the deceased). In fact, he specifically singled out Friday for the visiting of the parent’s graves and performing Dua for them.

In Mishkat Sharif, we come across the Hadith in which the Prophet (S.A.W) said:

‘Whosoever visits the grave of his parents or one of them every Friday, he will be forgiven and will be written (and classified) as a good person.’

Mulla Ali Qari (R.A) writes:

‘It was on the third day after the death of Ibrahim, son of the Messenger of Allah, when Hazrat Abu Zarr (R.A) came to the Prophet (S.A.W) with dry dates, milk and some wheat bread. He (S.A.W) placed it in front of the Prophet (S.A.W). He (S.A.W) recited Surah Fatiha and Surah Ikhlas thrice and then raised his hands in Dua and wiped his face.

The Prophet (S.A.W) then ordered Hazrat Abu Zarr (R.A) to divide the food amongst the people.’ (Tashih al-Aqa’id, p. 127).

In clear terms therefore, the specifying of a day (whether it is after 20 days or 40 days) is proven and reading Fatiha for the deceased in the presence of food is also proven.

(Answered by: Alims at Islamic Centre, Leicester, UK.)
Category (Death / Doomsday / Graveyard)
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