(84) “Never offer the funeral prayer for any of them who dies, nor stand by his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.”

Allah Most High says: “Never offer the funeral prayer for any of them who dies”—that is, any of the hypocrites—“nor stand by his grave” after burial to supplicate for him. The Prophet’s funeral prayer for them and his standing by their graves would constitute intercession on their behalf, yet intercession is of no benefit to them.

“Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.” Whoever disbelieves and dies in that state will not benefit from the intercession of those who intercede. This also contains a lesson for others and serves as a rebuke and deterrent to them. Likewise, no funeral prayer is to be offered for anyone whose disbelief and hypocrisy are known.

This verse also proves that it is prescribed to offer the funeral prayer for believers and to stand by their graves to supplicate for them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do for the believers. Restricting the prohibition to the hypocrites indicates that this practice was already established for the believers.