What a Muslim does with his close relative

What a Muslim does with his close relative who is a Mushrik – Shaykh Al-Albaani

What a Muslim does with his close relative who is a Mushrik,
And Abu Talib died upon Shirk

The Ahadeeth of Tawheed from the Silsilah Ahadeeth As-Saheehah of Shaykh Al-Albaani
Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya

161- The Messenger of Allaah said to ‘Alee bin Abu Talib: ‘Go and bury your father.’

He said; ‘No, I won’t bury him, because he died as a Mushrik.’

The Messenger said to him: ‘Go and bury him, and don’t speak to anyone until you come to me.’

I came to him and I had signs of dirt and dust upon me. He ordered me to wash, so I washed and he supplicated for me with supplications which would not please me to exchange anything for them on the face of this earth.

From the benefits of the hadeeth

1- That it is permissible for a Muslim to take the responsibilities of burying his close Mushrikrelative. This does not negate his hate far his relative’s Shirk.

Do you not see that ‘Alee refused to bury his father the first time. Whereby, he said: ‘he died as a Mushrik‘ thinking that if he buried him then this would enter into being in alliance with his father which is prohibited. Like the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:

<<Take not as friends the people who incurred the Wrath of Allaah >>

When the Messenger ordered him again to bury his father he hastened to fulfill the Messenger’s order. And he left that which seemed to be correct to him the first time. It is also from obedience, that a person leaves his own opinion for the command of his Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.

It appears to me that the son burying his Mushrik father or his mother is the last of what the son possesses of good companionship with his Mushrik father in this world. As for after the burial then it is not allowed for him to pray for him, nor seek forgiveness for him, this is due to the clear statement of Allaah Ta’ala:

<<It is not proper for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allaah’s Forgiveness for theMushrikeen even though they be of kin>>

So, if this is the case, what is the situation of the one who supplicates for mercy and forgiveness on the pages of newspapers and magazines for some of the Kuffar, announcing their deaths, for a small amount of Dirhams!

The one who is concerned for his hereafter should fear Allaah.

2- It is not legislated for him to wash the unbeliever, nor should he shroud him. And nor should he pray upon him even if he is a close relative, since, the Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam did not order ‘Alee to do so. If this had been permissible, the Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam would have mentioned it, since delaying the explanation of an order when there is a need for it, is not permissible. This is the Madhab of the Hambalees and other than them.

3- It is not legislated for the relatives of that Mushrik to follow the funeral procession. Because the Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam did not do this for his uncle. His uncle was the kindest and the most compassionate of the people to him. Even to the extent that the Prophet supplicated to Allaah for him, whereby his uncle’s punishment will be the least in the Hellfire, as has been previously explained.

And in all of this there is a lesson for those people who have been deceived by their ancestry, but they do not do any thing for their hereafter with their Lord, and Allaah the Great spoke the truth when He said:

<< There will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another >>

Source : http://followingthesunnah.wordpress.com – Blog of Abbas Abu Yahya