1312 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Do not abuse the dead, for they have already reached the consequences of what they sent on ahead.” Recorded by al-Bukhārī (1).

Lexical note
• “They have reached what they sent on ahead”: The verb afḍā ilā means “to arrive at” or “to come to.” The phrase therefore means that they have arrived at the recompense of the deeds they forwarded in life.

Points derived from the ḥadīth

1. The report establishes that reviling the dead is forbidden, and its unrestricted wording covers both Muslims and non-Muslims. The rationale for the prohibition appears in the Prophet’s words: “they have reached what they sent on ahead,” meaning that they are now confronted with the reward or punishment of their deeds, whether good or evil.

2. There is no benefit in insulting the dead, trifling with their honour, or cataloguing their faults and misdeeds; such behaviour may distress their living relatives. Ibn al-Athīr relates in Usd al-Ghābah that when ʿIkrimah ibn Abī Jahl accepted Islam, people would say, “This is the son of Allah’s enemy Abū Jahl.” That grieved him, so he complained to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet said, “Do not revile his father, for cursing the dead harms the living.”

3. The prohibition is lifted when mentioning a deceased person’s shortcomings serves a valid benefit and is not intended as disparagement or backbiting, but rather to clarify the facts,