At-Tawbah 84: Do not pray for any one of them who dies. And do not stay in front of their graves. (Do not do these) because they denied Allah and Allah’s Messenger and died as great sinners.

A. Metin Saruhan · 26 February 2018 · At-Tawbah

Translation

Do not pray for any one of them who dies. And do not stay in front of their graves. (Do not do these) because they denied Allah and Allah’s Messenger and died as great sinners.

Tafsir

Funeral prayers are not offered for people who die as polytheists and hypocrites and who do not believe in Allah and the Hereafter. The funeral prayer is for Muslims who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and who believe that the resurrection after death is true. It is a prayer for forgiveness from Allah.

The Prophet (PBUH) is very merciful. It is narrated that Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the son of Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the head of the hypocrites, who became a Muslim, came to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and asked him, O RasulAllah, to lead the funeral prayer for my father. The Prophet (PBUH) stood up to offer his funeral prayer and Hazrat Umar said, 'O Rasulullah, this is a hypocrite, do not offer his funeral prayer. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: O Umar! I (vema erselnake illa rahmatan lil aleminim) am obliged to perform my duty unless a revelation, that is, an Ayah, comes to me from Allah. When this verse was revealed, 'Umar said, "Now it is as you say," and he did not go to perform the funeral prayer. Therefore, the funeral prayers of polytheists and disbelievers who do not believe in Allah and the Hereafter are not performed.

(And do not stand by his grave because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died as transgressors) The meaning of this verse is that when we die, as we know, our bodies are buried in the ground. The places where these buried bodies are located are called cemeteries. Since our souls do not die, they return to their graves, which is the waiting place in the first place. This is the meaning of the verse that says "Do not stand by their graves"; Do not pray for their souls. And do not pray for their intercession and salvation. Because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died as transgressors.

Allah, Who revealed a verse about the Prophet (PBUH), has said, "He does not speak in vain". According to this verse, if the Prophet (SAW) had prayed for them, they too would not have remained in Hell for eternity, but would have been released from Hell after serving their punishment.

This is the meaning of the verse in which Allah (swt) says not to stand by their graves; since the souls of people are immortal, He is sending the verse about praying for those who die as hypocrites and polytheists, non-Muslims, and at the same time He is commanding Muslims not to pray for them.

What is said in the video

Yes, Surah At-Tawbah, verse 84. Never perform the prayer over any of them who has died. The prayer for unbelievers is not performed anyway. And do not stand at his grave either. Because they denied Allah and His Messenger and died as transgressors, it says. Do not even stand beside him. For people who die as polytheists and hypocrites, not believing in Allah and the Hereafter, the funeral prayer is not performed.

The funeral prayer is for Muslims who believe in Allah and His Messenger and who have faith that resurrection after death is true. It is a prayer of supplication performed for forgiveness from Allah. The funeral prayer is a prayer performed for that person's forgiveness from Allah Almighty. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is very merciful. And since he never does anything on his own accord, they narrated that the head of the hypocrites, Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the Muslim son Abdullah came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, lead my father's funeral prayer. And the Prophet (peace be upon him) stands up to perform his funeral prayer.

This is not something that could happen. That is how they tell it, you know. We tell this to explain that this account is not so, that the Messenger of Allah never acts on his own accord.

As if Umar knew more than the Messenger of Allah and was stopping him. The Prophet (peace be upon him), to perform his funeral prayer, stands up. Umar says: O Messenger of Allah, (?) this is a hypocrite. Do not perform his funeral prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: O Umar, I am "ve mâ erselnâke illâ rahmeten li'l-âlemîn"; as long as no revelation, that is no verse, comes to me from Allah, as long as none has come, I am obliged to fulfill my duty. Whereas, since he would never do anything on his own, and since Allah Almighty had not sent it in a verse, the Messenger of Allah would not do such a thing.

Yes.

Thereupon, when this verse was revealed: O Umar, now what you said has happened too. That is, what he said happened too. So people have turned the Messenger of Allah into someone who, you see, acts on other people's words. He does not go to perform the funeral prayer. Therefore, for polytheists and unbelievers, those who do not believe in Allah and the Hereafter, the funeral prayer is not performed.

And do not stand at his grave, because they denied Allah and His Messenger, but died as transgressors. In this verse, the meaning of the verse where it says do not stand at his grave: as we know, when we die our bodies are buried in the earth. The places where these buried bodies lie are called cemeteries.

Since our souls do not die, they return to their graves, the waiting place in the first barzakh. So the meaning in His verse where He says do not stand at their graves is: do not pray for their souls either, and in order to let them attain intercession and to save them, do not make supplication. Because they died as transgressors, denying Allah and His Messenger. Allah, who sent down a verse about the Prophet (peace be upon him), has said: he does not speak idly. So, according to this verse, if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had prayed for them too, they would not remain in hell forever either; after serving their punishment, they would come out of hell.

So the meaning in the verse of Allah Almighty where He says do not stand at their graves: since people's souls are immortal, for those who die as hypocrites, polytheists or non-Muslims, by sending the verse "do not pray", He at the same time commands Muslims too not to pray for them.