To recite Surah Yaseen on the dead or not?

Keys To Fiqh | T.me/K2Fiqh | #K2FiqhResponses2

This was a response written to a brother on Facebook. I believe that the post is deleted now but here is my response:

Respected elder and friend, jazaakumullah khayran for your constant thought provoking posts. These discussions are important to clarify due to many misconceptions the Muslims have been taught in the past. 

Due to the length of this post, I would like to first summarize my discussion points, then elaborate on them. 

Summary of my discussion points: 

1. Do the Hanaabilah believe that recital of Surah Yaaseen (or Quran) is done over the deceased? 

2. Is the hadith weak? If so, is it permissible to act upon it? & a response to the statement: “if it is based off weak ahaadeeth then why even share it and praise it or teach it if it opposes (the Texts)…?”

3. Principle pertaining to commands found in weak ahadith.

*Note 1: All of my comments here are written with love and with the purpose of understanding and searching for the truth. If you see any harshness, belittlement, etc. then please pardon me for my deficiency & lack of ability of correctly expressing myself.*

*N2: if the reader is unable to patiently read and understand these issues, then they should not engage in such discussions.* 

1. Do the Hanaabilah believe that recital of Surah Yaaseen (or Quran) is done over the deceased? 

I don’t think you intended this, but because of your comments (this one and the other about az-Zaad), others may mistakenly believe that the Hanaabilah believe it is permissible to recite Surah Yaaseen upon the dead.

So it is first important to understand the intent of the Fuqahaa’s statements before rushing to respond to them. Sh. Musaa al-Hajjaawi رحمه الله (author of Zaad al-Mustaqni’) did not state that it is permissible to recite Surah Yaseen over the dead. His (and the Madhhab’s – see ash-Sharh al-Kabeer w/ al-Insaaf 6/15) position is that it is recited BEFORE the person dies, not after. This intent is known based on the placement of his statement and further explained by Sh. Mansoor رحمه الله in “ar-Rawd al-Murbi'”.

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله also affirmed that understanding in his book “ar-Rooh” pgs. 25-26 (in my copy ط. دار عالم الفوائد). After mentioning some narrations of the scholars in the past reciting Quran over the deceased, He relays the hadith about Yaaseen & its proper interpretation: 

اقرؤوا يس عند موتاكم 

“Recite (Surah Yaseen) among your dead” 

He wrote, “It is possible that the Hadith’s intent (recital of Surah Yaseen) is done to the one approaching death. In this case, it is similar to the hadith, 

لقنوا موتاكم لا إله إلا الله 

Remind ‘your deceased’ (meaning, those on their death bed) of the (testimony of faith) “La’Ilaha ill-Allah.” (Muslim)

It is also possible for the intent of the recital to be at the grave (once the person has died). The first view is clearest from (a few) aspects…” Among the things he mentioned,

“Firstly: The one expecting death benefits from this chapter, due to its topics on Tawheed, the Hereafter, glad tidings of Paradise for the people of Tawheed…so the soul rejoices and as a result yearns/loves to meet Allah and Allah loves to meet (the soul). Certainly this chapter (Yaaseen) is the heart (essence) of the Quran) and its recital has an astonishing distinctive effect on the one expecting death…

Thirdly: This was the action and practice of the people qadeeman wa hadeethan (in the past and present). They would recite Surah Yaaseen to the one approaching death.

Fourthly: If the Companions understood from the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم statement, ‘Remind *your deceased* of the (testimony of faith) ‘La’Ilaha ill-Allah.'” to mean at the grave, they would not disobeyed that command and it would have been a habitual famous practice among them…”

Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله mentioned,

والقراءة على الميت بعد موته بدعة بخلاف القراءة على المحتضر فإنها تستحب ب(يس) والقول بمشروعية قراءة (يس) على المحتضر بناء على ثبوت الحديث وإذا لم يثبت لم تشرع

“Recital (of Quran) over the deceased after their death is an innovation unlike its recital over the one expecting death. (In the latter case,) it is recommended to recite (Surah) Yaaseen. The view of its legitimacy is based on the authenticity of the hadith, and if (the hadith) is not affirmed, then it is not valid.” (al-Ikhtiyaaraat, pg. 91)

Now that we understand the madhab’s position, we can now discuss the validity of the statement & whether or not one can act upon it or not.

2. Is the hadith weak? If so, is it permissible to act upon it? & a response to the statement: “if it is based off weak ahaadeeth then why even share it and praise it or teach it if it opposes (the Texts)…?”

As Shaykhul Islaam mentioned in the quote above, there is a difference of opinion regarding the authenticity of that hadith – and he did not reprimand those who took its validity. 

Yes, one may say the hadith to be weak – which is also stated by many from the past and present i.e. ad-Daaraquti, Albaani, etc. However, we also must respect the fact that there were greater scholars before us who also saw the hadith to be acceptable. So we have 2 parties here. If we haven’t studied all of the chains, nor have the skills to do so, then we are blind following the ruling of 1 party of scholars, thus we are considered to be a Muqallid. The Muqallid cannot force a ruling on another person based on their taqleed. 

*Response to the statement: “if it is based off weak ahaadeeth then why even share it and praise it or teach it if it opposes (the Texts)…?”*

The great Imams of the past would sometimes act upon weak Hadith if there were certain conditions present (for ex. not fabricated [mawdoo’], nothing else related on the issue, doesn’t contradict any authentic text, etc.) These Imams had deeper understanding of the Deen and were granted insight in how to interpret and extract rulings from the Texts. 

Due to their severe love for the texts more than any one of us today, they gave preference to those weak narrations over Qiyaas (analytical deductions) – a valid form of evidence, but ultimately, statements produced by scholars. As Abu Haneefah said, 

ما جاءَ عن اللهِ تعالى فعلى الرأسِ والعينين، وما جاءَ عن رسولِ الله صلى اللهُ عليه وسلم فسمعاً وطاعةً، وما جاءَ عن الصحابةِ رضي الله عنهم تخيرنا من أقوالهم، ولم نخرجْ عنهم، وما جاءَ عن التابعين فهُمْ رجالٌ ونحنُ رجالٌ

Simply put, whatever comes from the Texts we accept. If there is difference among the Sahaabah, we choose the closest to the truth. As for the Taabi’een (and Abu Haneefah was among them), then he is saying that they are men and we are men. They have their rulings and we do too. In relation to our conversation, if he had a weak hadith, then he preferred that over the statements of his contemporaries. Examples of that: 

Abu Haneefah preferred the weak hadith of utilizing Nabeedh, dates-water for wudoo over any statement produced from Qiyaas by Ahl al-ilm. 

The same could be said about the other Imaams too. 

Shaafi’ee preferred the weak hadith speaking about the permissibility of praying during the prohibited times in Makkah over Qiyaas. 

And this is a foundational method used by Imaam Ahmad whenever he would issue Fataawaa. This is elaborated on by ibn Badraan in his “al-Madkhal”.

It is not right to think that these great scholars and those who came after them just simply disregarded the Sunnah. Rather they exerted their efforts – based on principles and long discussions – to come the best understanding of how to worship Allah in all situations. Give the laymen the Quran and books of Sunnah and say to them derive fiqh rulings in x, y, z situations. What would be the result? So we do not belittle their tireless efforts & sacrifice, instead we say jazaakumullah khayran for their service to the Muslim Ummah.

وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

3. Principle related to commands found in weak ahadith.

Ibn al-Uthaymeen رحمه الله mentioned in his explanation to al-Kaafee under the statement, “Recite (Surah Yaseen) among your dead”

وقراءتها – إن شاء الله – لا باس بها إن كان الحديث صحيحا فهذا المطلوب وإن لم يكن صحيحا فهي خير وقد ذكرنا قاعدة ذكرها صاحب (النكت على المحرر) قال: إن النهي إذا كان في حديث ضعيف يحمل على الكراهة والأمر يحمل على الاستحباب.

“…and recital of Surah Yaaseen – in shaa Allah – there is nothing wrong with it. If the hadith is authentic, then (performing this deed) is desired, and if it is not authentic, then (its recital) is (a) good (deed). We have relayed a principle mentioned by the author of ‘an-Nukat Ala al-Muharrar’ wherein he stated, 

‘When prohibitions are in a weak Hadith, it is treated as a disliked action, and whenever a command in is a weak Hadith, it is treated as a recommended action.'”

And Allah knows best.

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✍️ Abu Awzaa’ee Abdus-Salaam al-Makki al-Hanbali 

🕋 Makkah al-Mukarramah حرسها الله

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