Hanbalis:
Three narrations from Imam Ahmad (d. 241 AH):
- Not disliked: Chosen by al Khallal (d. 311 AH), al Qadi Abu Ya’la (d. 458 AH), Ibn Tamim (d. 452 AH), affirmed in al Furu, al Mugni, al Sharh, al Faiq. Many saw this as Ahmad’s later view. Ibn Umar (d. 73 AH) recommended reciting al Baqarah at burial. Some Hanbalis even called it recommended.
- Disliked: Chosen by al Warraq (d. 306 AH), al Marwazi (d. 275 AH), Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH), and early Hanbalis, saying it was the view of the majority of the Salaf.
- Allowed at burial only: No problem at burial, but regular recitation later is disliked.
Malikis
General madhhab is disliked absolutely. Reported by Ibn Abi Hamzah, with reasoning that reflection on the dead conflicts with pondering the Quran.
Ibn Arafah (d. 803 AH) noted Qadi Iyad (d. 544 AH) accepted using the palm-branch hadith, and al Shafi’i (d. 204 AH) also held this.
Ibn Rushd (d. 595 AH) said gifting reward is permissible. Alish (d. 1299 AH) said if done for blessing it is not disliked, but since not from the Salaf it remains disliked. Al Khurashi (d. 1101 AH) affirmed this.
Hanafis
- Abu Hanifa (d. 150 AH): disliked.
- Muhammad ibn al Hasan (d. 189 AH): not disliked, accepted by most later Hanafis.
- Some, like al Bukhari (d. 381 AH), said quiet recitation is fine but aloud is disliked. Others permitted Surat al Mulk specifically, or recommended reciting al Ikhlas seven times at a grave.
Ibn Taymiyyah said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade taking graves as masjids, and forbade praying at them, and forbade taking them as places of worship, and that he supplicated to Allah that his grave not be taken as an idol that is worshipped.
Making a place a place of worship means making it a habit to come to it for worship or something else.
There is a specific prohibition against praying at them or towards them, and that what is legislated is greeting them with salam and supplicating for them.
There is a difference between a person supplicating for himself at the graves incidentally as opposed to intending the grave for the sake of supplication.
There is no superiority for mentioning Allah there, or reciting at the grave, or fasting there, or slaughtering there, over other places. Intending such acts at the graves is not recommended. I do not know any scholar of the Muslims who said that remembrance there, or fasting there, or recitation, is better than in any other place.
As for what some people mention, that the deceased benefits by hearing the Quran, as opposed to when it is recited elsewhere, then if by this they mean that reward reaches him when it is recited specifically at the grave, then none of the well-known scholars of knowledge have said this. Rather, the people are on two sayings.
One of them: That the reward of bodily acts of worship such as prayer and recitation and other than them reaches the deceased, just as the reward of financial acts of worship reaches him by consensus.
This is the madhhab of Abu Hanifa (d. 150 AH) and Ahmad (d. 241 AH) and others, and the saying of a group from the companions of al Shafi’i (d. 204 AH) and Malik (d. 179 AH). This is the correct view, and the evidences are many, which we have mentioned in other places.
The second: That the reward of bodily acts does not reach him at all. This is the well-known view among the companions of al Shafi’i (d. 204 AH) and Malik (d. 179 AH). None of them said that reward reaches him in one place and not another. As for the deceased hearing sounds of recitation or other than it, this is true.
But the deceased does not continue to be rewarded after death for any act that he himself does after death, such as listening or other than that. Rather he is given bliss or punished according to his own deeds, or what continues after him of their effect, or according to how he is treated. Just as there is difference about whether he is punished by wailing over him, and just as he is given bliss by what is gifted to him, and just as he is given bliss by supplication for him and by gifting financial acts of worship to him, by consensus.
A group of scholars from the companions of Ahmad and others also mentioned, and they transmitted from Ahmad, that there are reports that the deceased is harmed by sins committed at his grave.
So it may also be said that he is given bliss by what he hears of recitation and remembrance. Even if this were authentic, it would not make recitation at the grave recommended, because if that had been legislated the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would have legislated it for his ummah.
That is because even if this was a type of benefit, in it there is a greater harm, just like prayer at the graves. The deceased being given bliss through supplication for him, and seeking forgiveness for him, and giving charity on his behalf, and other such acts of worship, provides him with benefit greater than that, and they are legislated and have no harm.
This is why no scholar has ever said that it is recommended to intend the grave regularly for recitation at it, because it is known by necessity in the religion of Islam that this is not something the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, legislated for his ummah. But they did differ about recitation at the graves, whether it is disliked or not.
The issue is well known, and there are three narrations from Ahmad (d. 241 AH).
One of them: That there is no problem with it.
This was chosen by al Khallal (d. 311 AH) and his companion, and most of the later Hanbali companions, and they said that this is the later narration from Ahmad, and it is the saying of a group from the companions of Abu Hanifa (d. 150 AH).
They relied on what was transmitted from Ibn Umar (d. 73 AH), that he recommended this. (See Majmu al Fatawa of the author 24/317. Al Bayhaqi indicated with his isnad from Abdur Rahman ibn al Ala ibn al Lajjaj from his father that Ibn Umar recommended this. See al Sunan al Kubra 4/56-57, the chapter of what has come regarding reciting the Quran at the grave. Al Nawawi in al Adhkar said: We narrated in Sunan al Bayhaqi with a good isnad that Ibn Umar recommended reciting at the grave after burial the beginning of Surat al Baqarah and its ending. See al Futoohat al Rabbaniyyah 4/194).
It has been narrated from him that he advised that the beginning of Surat al Baqarah and its ending be recited at his grave at the time of burial. It has also been transmitted from some of the Muhajirun that they recited Surat al Baqarah.
The second narration: That it is disliked. They even differed about whether al Fatiha is recited in the funeral prayer if it is prayed at the cemetery.
There are two narrations from Ahmad about this. This narration is the one transmitted by most of his companions from him, and upon it are his early companions who accompanied him, such as Abdul Wahhab al Warraq (d. 306 AH) and Abu Bakr al Marwazi (d. 275 AH) and others.
This is also the madhhab of the majority of the Salaf, like Abu Hanifa (d. 150 AH), Malik (d. 179 AH), Hushaym ibn Bashir (d. 183 AH), and others. Nothing is preserved from al Shafi’i himself in this issue. That is because he considered it a bidah. Malik said: I do not know anyone who does that. It is known from this that the Sahabah and the Tabi’in did not do it.
The third narration: That recitation at the grave at the time of burial has no problem, as is transmitted from Ibn Umar (d. 73 AH) and some of the Muhajirun. But as for recitation after that, such as those who regularly visit the grave to recite at it, then this is disliked, because nothing at all has been transmitted from any of the Salaf about such a practice. This narration is perhaps stronger than the others, because it reconciles between the evidences.
Those who disliked recitation at the grave, some of them disliked it even if one did not intend the grave, just as prayer is disliked there.
Imam Ahmad forbade reciting al Fatiha in the funeral prayer there, even though the recitation in the prayer is not intended as recitation at the grave. Despite that, the difference between what is done incidentally and secondarily, and what is done intending the grave, is clear, as has already been explained.
As for the endowments that people made for reciting at their graves, they have the benefit of helping preserve the Quran, and providing provision for those who memorise the Quran, and motivating them to preserve it, study it, and remain committed to it.
Even if it is assumed that the reciter is not rewarded for his recitation, then this still helps preserve the religion, just as it is preserved by the recitation of a sinful person and by the jihad of a sinful person. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Indeed Allah supports this religion by means of a sinful man.” (Sahih Muslim 111). (See Majmu al Fatawa of the author 26/31-56. The discussion on this topic can also be found in various places in volume 31 until page 268.)
Iqtida al Sirat al Mustaqim by Ibn Taymiyyah (2/261-265)
The Malikis Say Reciting At The Grave Is Disliked
Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil By Muhammad ibn Ahmad Alish (1/509)
(قَوْلُهُ إذَا فُعِلَ ذَلِكَ اسْتِنَانًا) أَيْ: عَلَى أَنَّ قِرَاءَةَ سُورَةِ يس سُنَّةٌ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَقَوْلُهُ: وَإِلَّا فَلَا أَيْ: وَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْصِدْ أَنَّهَا سُنَّةٌ بَلْ قَصَدَ مُجَرَّدَ حُصُولِ الْبَرَكَةِ أَوْ لَا قَصْدَ لَهُ فَلَا كَرَاهَةَ بَلْ رُبَّمَا كَانَ مَنْدُوبًا عِنْدَ قَصْدِ حُصُولِ الْبَرَكَةِ. (قَوْلُهُ لِأَنَّ فَاعِلَهُ يَقْصِدُ. . . إلَخْ) مُفَادُ التَّعْلِيلِ أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَصْدُهُ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ كَذَلِكَ. (قَوْلُهُ رَائِحَةِ الْمَوْتِ) أَيْ: بِحَسَبِ مَا يُتَخَيَّلُ وَإِلَّا فَالْمَوْتُ عَرَضٌ لَا رَائِحَةَ لَهُ إلَّا أَنْ يُقَالَ: رَائِحَةُ الْكَبْشِ عَلَى مَا تَقَدَّمَ. (قَوْلُهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ عَمَلِ السَّلَفِ) أَيْ: فَهُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ وَظَاهِرُهُ سَوَاءٌ فَعَلَهُ اسْتِنَانًا أَمْ لَا فَهُوَ مُخَالِفٌ لِلْقِرَاءَةِ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ وَعِبَارَةُ تت
If someone recites Surat Ya Sin thinking it is a sunnah when a person is dying, that is not correct. If he only wants blessing, or has no clear reason, then it is not disliked, and it may even be good if the aim is blessing.
It is still seen as disliked even if there was no intention at all.
The phrase “smell of death” only means what people imagine, because death itself has no smell, unless it refers to the smell of the ram mentioned earlier.
Since this was not something the Salaf did, it is disliked. Whether a person does it as a sunnah or not, it is disliked. This is different from reciting when the person is actually in the state of dying.
Sharh al-Khurashi ala Mukhtasar Khalil (2/136-137).
The Hanafis Differed On It’s Dislike
al Muhit al Burhani by Ibn Mazah (5/311)
The Hanabila Differed On It’s Dislike
al Mardawi (d. 885 AH) said: His saying “Reciting the Quran at the grave is not disliked in the more correct of the two narrations” is the madhhab. This was mentioned in al Furu and other books, and it was textually affirmed.
The commentator said: This is the well known view from Ahmad (d. 241 AH).
Al Khallal (d. 311 AH), who is the transmitter of the madhhab, said: It is a single narration that it is not disliked, and upon this are most of the companions, among them al Qadi Abu Ya’la (d. 458 AH).
This was affirmed in al Wajiz and elsewhere, and it was given precedence in al Furu, al Mugni, al Sharh, Ibn Tamim (d. 452 AH), al Faiq, and others.
The second narration is that it is disliked. This was chosen by Abdul Wahhab al Warraq (d. 306 AH) and Shaykh Taqi al Din Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH). It was mentioned in al Furu and also chosen by Abu Hafs.
Shaykh Taqi al Din said: A group transmitted this narration, and it is the saying of the majority of the Salaf, and upon it were the early companions of Ahmad, and al Marwazi (d. 275 AH) named it.
He said: Many of the companions said Imam Ahmad retracted this narration. For a group transmitted from Imam Ahmad that he once passed by a blind man reciting at a grave, so he forbade him and said: Reciting at the grave is a bidah.
Then Muhammad ibn Qudamah al Jawhari (d. 607 AH) said: O Abu Abdullah, what do you say about Habash al Halabi? He said: Reliable. So Muhammad ibn Qudamah said: Mubashshir narrated to me from his father that he made a will that when he is buried, al Fatiha of al Baqarah and its ending be recited at his grave. And he said: I heard Ibn Umar (d. 73 AH) making such a will.
So Imam Ahmad said: Go back and tell the man to recite. This shows that he retracted and allowed it. From him also it is reported that it is not disliked at the time of burial but not otherwise.
In al Faiq it is mentioned that from him is the view that it is sunnah at the time of burial, and this was chosen by Abdul Wahhab al Warraq and our Shaykh.
And from him is also the view that recitation at the grave is bidah, because it was not from the action of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, nor from the action of his companions.
So upon the view that it is not disliked, then it is recommended, according to the correct view. In al Faiq it is said: It is recommended to recite at the grave, and this was his later text.
Ibn Tamim (d. 452 AH) said: It is not disliked to recite at the grave, rather it is recommended, and this was his text.
And it was said: It is permissible. In al Riayah al Kubra it is said: Reciting at the grave is permissible, and this was his text, and it was given precedence in al Riayah al Sughra and in al Hawiyayn. In al Mugni, al Sharh, and the Sharh of Ibn Razin it is said: There is no problem with reciting at the grave. And in al Furu both views were mentioned unrestrictedly.
al Insaaf (2/391)
