In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Wailing, Crying Aloud, and Lamentation Over the Deceased (1)

(In the Light of Hadith)

Curse Upon Wailing

It is narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ invoked a curse upon the woman who wails and the one who listens to wailing. (Sunan Abu Dawud)

The Deceased Is Punished Due to Wailing

It is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما that Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubadah رضي الله عنه fell ill, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to visit him. With him were ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, and ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud رضي الله عنهم. When the Prophet ﷺ reached him, he found him unconscious and asked, “Has he passed away?” The Companions رضي الله عنهم replied, “No, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ began to weep. When the people saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ weeping, they also began to weep. He ﷺ said:

“Indeed, Allah Ta‘ala does not punish because of the tears of the eyes or the grief of the heart. Rather, Allah punishes or shows mercy because of this,” and he pointed to his tongue. “And the deceased is punished due to the crying of his family over him.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

Those Who Wail and Tear Garments Are Not From Us

It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari رضي الله عنه fell unconscious. His wife, Umm ‘Abdullah, came and began to cry loudly and wail. When he regained consciousness, he said:

“Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘I dissociate myself from the one who shaves the head (in grief), cries aloud, and tears his garments (in mourning).’”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

Punishment for the Woman Who Wails

It is narrated from Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“If the woman who wails does not repent before her death, she will be raised on the Day of Resurrection wearing a garment of pitch and a coat of scabies.”
(Sahih Muslim)

Wailing Invites the Presence of Shaytan

Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها said: When Abu Salamah رضي الله عنه passed away, I said to myself: He was a traveler and died in a foreign land; I will weep for him in such a manner that people will remember it. I prepared to mourn, and a woman came to assist me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ met her and said:

“Do you wish to bring Shaytan back into a house from which Allah Ta‘ala had expelled him twice?”

So I refrained from wailing and did not weep in that manner.
(Sahih Muslim)