Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/259)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

the cemetery. On the way, they passed a knowledgeable man, who asked them, “What is this?” They replied, “This is a funeral; we wish to bury it.” He said, “This man has not died. Put him down.” So they put him down. He then brought a whip and began striking this supposed dead man until he moved. They asked, “What made you do this? How did you know that he had not died?” He replied, “When a person dies, his legs become slack and cannot remain erect. But this man whom you carried had erect legs. As for my striking him with the whip, it was because striking warms the body, and when his body became warm, the coldness that had caused the fainting spell left him.” They then carried him back to his home.

This supports what the jurists—may Allah have mercy on them—said: that one of the signs of death is the slackening of the legs.

Thus, preparation for burial should be hastened, provided that the person did not die suddenly. If he died suddenly, it is obligatory to wait. From this explanation, we recognize the error of what some people do today: they delay the deceased until his relatives arrive. At times, his relatives may be outside the Kingdom, in Europe or elsewhere, and so they keep him for a day, or for a day and a night, awaiting the relatives’ arrival. In reality, this is an offence against the deceased. If the deceased is among the righteous, he wishes to be buried quickly, because at his death he is given glad tidings of Paradise—we ask Allah to make us among them. When he is taken out from his house, his soul says, “Take me forward,” urging them to bring it to the grave (1). If

(1) This is based on the report of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When the bier is placed and men carry it upon their shoulders, if the deceased was righteous, it says, ‘Take me forward.’ But if it was not righteous, it says to its family, ‘Woe to it! Where are you taking it?’ Everything hears its voice except the human being; and if he were to hear it, he would fall unconscious.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (1316).

المقبرة، فمروا برجل ذي خبرة فقال لهم: ما هذا؟ قالوا: هذه جنازة نريد أن ندفنها، قال: هذا لم يمت أنزلوه، فنزلوه، فأتى بسوط فجعل يضرب هذا الميت حتى تحرك فقالوا: ما الذي حملك على هذا؟ وما الذي أعلمك أنه لم يمت؟ قال: إن الميت تسترخي رجلاه فلا تنتصبان، وهذا الذي حملتم، رجلاه منتصبتان، وأما ضربي إياه بالسوط؛ فلأن الضرب يحمي الجسم، وإذا حمي جسمه زالت عنه البرودة التي هي سبب الغشي، ثم حملوه راجعين به إلى بيته. فهذا شاهد على ما قاله الفقهاء ﵏ أن من علامات الموت استرخاء الرجلين. فإسراع التجهيز بشرط أن يموت غير فجأة، فإن مات فجأة وجب الانتظار، وبهذا التقرير نعلم خطأ ما يفعله بعض الناس اليوم يؤخرون الميت حتى يأتي أقاربه، وأحياناً يكون أقاربه خارج المملكة في أوربا أو غيرها، فينتظرون به يوماً، أو يوماً وليلة من أجل حضور الأقارب، وهذا في الحقيقة جناية على الميت، فالميت إذا كان من أهل الخير، فإنه يود أن يدفن سريعاً؛ لأنه يبشر بالجنة عند موته ـ نسأل الله أن يجعلنا منهم ـ وإذا خُرِجَ به من بيته تقول نفسه: قدموني تحُثهم أن يوصلوها إلى القبر (١)، فإذا

(١) لما رواه أبو سعيد الخدري ﵁ أن النبي ﷺ قال: «إذا وضعت الجنازة فاحتملها الرجال على أعناقهم، فإن كانت صالحة قالت: قدموني، وإن كانت غير صالحة قالت لأهلها: يا ويلها أين تذهبون بها؟ يسمع صوتها كل شيء إلا الإنسان، ولو سمعها لصعق». أخرجه البخاري (١٣١٦).