SELF BEATING AND MOURNING ARE NOT ALLOWED IN ISLAM. (way of life - Islamic book)

HADEETHS THAT CLAIM MOURNING AND SELF BEATING ARE HARAM.

HADEETH; Sayings and Doings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

(A.N; please read till the end.)

The Muslim woman who knows the teachings of her religion has insight and is balanced and self-controlled. When she is stricken by the death of one of those whom she loves, she does not let grief make her lose her senses, as is the case with shallow, ignorant women who fall apart with grief. She bears it with patience, hoping for a reward from Allah (swt), and follows the guidance of Islam in her behavior at this difficult time.

She never wails over the deceased, because wailing is not an Islamic deed; it is the practice of the kuffar, and one of the customs of jahiliyyah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was very explicit in his emphatic prohibition of wailing, to the extent that it was regarded as kufr:

"There are two qualities in people that are indicative of kufr: casting doubts on a person's lineage, and wailing over the dead."

(Note: 346. Sahih Muslim, 2/57, Kitab al-iman, bab itlaq al-kufr 'ala al-ta'an fi'l-nasab wa'l-niyahah.)

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Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh ) effectively excluded from the Muslim community those men and women who wail and eulogize the dead when he said:

"He is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, or tears his garment, or speaks the words of jahiliyyah."

(Note: 347. (Bukhari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 5/436, Kitab al-jana'iz, bab al-nahy 'an al-niyahah wa'l-nadab.)

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The Muslim woman who understands the teachings of Islam knows that death is real, that everyone on this earth is mortal and that this life is merely a corridor to the Hereafter, where eternity will be in the presence of Allah ( swt ). So there is no need for this uncontrollable grief which makes a person become unbalanced and lose his reason so that he starts to stroke his own face and tear his clothes, screaming with grief and loss.

The Sahabah understood this ruling of Islam, even though they had only very recently left the jahiliyyah behind. They used to forbid themselves to eulogize the dead or raise their voices or scream or tear their clothes, which were actions done by women at the of jahiliyyah. They knew that Islam does not accept the deeds of jahiliyyah and will not permit them to return from time to time, and they used to condemn such actions just as Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh ) did.

Abu Burdah ibn Abi Musa said:

"Abu Musa suffered from some pain and fell into a coma. His head was in the lap of a woman from his family. She shouted at him, but he was not able to respond. When he came to, he said: 'I shun whatever the Messenger of Allah ( pbuh ) shunned, for he shunned every woman who raises her voice, cuts her hair and tears her clothes (at the time of the disaster).'"

(Note: 348. Sahih Muslim, 2/110, Kitab al-iman, bab tahrim darab al-khudud wa shiqq al-juyub.)

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Although Islam has forbidden senseless jahili actions like sticking one's cheeks, tearing one's garment, wailing, and eulogizing, it recognizes the grief that overwhelms the heart and the tears that softly flow at the departure of a loved one. All of this is part of the legitimate human emotion and gentle compassion that Allah ( swt ) has instilled in people's hearts, as was demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh ) in his words and deeds.

Usamah ibn Zayd said:

"We were with Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh ) when one of his daughters sent for him, calling him to come and telling him that her boy - or son - was dying. Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh ) said: 'Go back to her and tell her that whatever Allah ( swt ) gives and takes belongs to Him, and everything has its appointed time with Him. Tell her to have patience and to seek reward from Allah ( swt ).' The one who conveyed this message came back and said: 'She swore that you should come to her.' Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh ) got up, as did Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah and Mu'adh ibn Jabal, and I went with them. The boy was lifted up to him, and his soul was making a sound like water being poured into an empty container (i.e., the death-rattle). The Prophet's eyes (pbuh )filled with tears and Sa'd said to him, 'What is this, O Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'This is the compassion that Allah ( swt ) has placed in the hearts of His servants, and Allah ( swt ) will show compassion to those of His servants who have compassion.'"