In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim it is reported from Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Two practices found among people are acts of disbelief: disparaging lineage and wailing over the dead.” (1)

Both of them: that is, the two practices just mentioned.

Acts of disbelief among the people: meaning these two traits are forms of disbelief that continue to exist among people because they were customs of the unbelievers.

Disparaging lineage: attacking it with insults and belittlement.

Wailing over the dead: raising the voice to list the deceased’s merits, which signals resentment toward the divine decree.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that two characteristics of disbelief will persist among people, and only those whom Allah protects will be free of them:

1. Fault-finding and belittling people’s ancestries.
2. Crying out loudly at the time of calamity in protest against the decree.

Yet whoever displays a single branch of disbelief does not automatically become a disbeliever who has left the religion unless the essence of disbelief is actually present.

Relevance to the chapter: The ḥadīth proves the prohibition of wailing, for it entails resentment toward the divine decree and a lack of patience.

Points derived from the ḥadīth:
1- Wailing is forbidden; it is a trait of disbelief and one of the major sins.
2- Patience is obligatory, for when wailing is prohibited its opposite—patience—becomes compulsory.
3- Some forms of disbelief do not expel a person from the religion.
4- It is unlawful to disparage or belittle people’s lineages.