A Muslim was buried in a Christian graveyard, and no funeral prayer was offered for him. What should they do?

Question: 227758

One of our French brothers embraced Islam, and died, may Allah have mercy on him. Unfortunately, his family refused to hand over his body so that he could be washed and shrouded, and the funeral prayer offered for him, and they buried him in the Christian graveyard, according to their ways.

Our question is: how should the funeral prayer be offered for him? Should we go and stand at his grave and offer the funeral prayer for him in the Christian graveyard, or should we offer a funeral prayer for him in absentia in the mosque? Please note that we are able to go to the graveyard.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

If a Muslim is buried without the funeral prayer being offered for him, then the funeral prayer should be offered for him in absentia if he was buried in another city, and it should be offered at his grave if he is buried in your city.

As this brother was buried in the Christian graveyard, in which there are crosses and images, should the funeral prayer be offered for him at his grave, or offered for him in absentia elsewhere?

I put this question to our shaykh, ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Barraak (may Allah preserve him) and he said:

They should offer the funeral prayer for him at his grave, and it does not matter if there are crosses and images in the vicinity. End quote.

For more information, please see the answers to questions no. 20472, 90030 and 35853.

And Allah knows best.

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Source:

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid