Ruling on eulogizing the dead

Eulogizing (ritha’) means weeping and mourning for the
deceased after his death and praising him, or poetry composed for that
purpose. 

See: Lisaan al-‘Arab (14/309). 

It also means expressing anguish when calamity comes. For
example, in the hadeeth of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allaah be pleased with
him), it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “But poor Sa’d ibn Khawlah (died in Makkah)”; the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was expressing
his regret (yarthi) that Sa’d had died in Makkah. Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(1296). Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath that the phrase “the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was expressing his
regret (yarthi) that Sa’d had died in Makkah” was the words of al-Zuhri. 

See: al-Faa’iq (2/36). 

There are two scholarly views about eulogizing the dead. 

1 – That there is nothing wrong with eulogies. This is the
view of the Hanafis and Shaafa’is. 

See: Haashiyat Ibn ‘Aabideen (2/239); Nihaayat
al-Muhtaaj (3/17). 

They quoted as evidence the fact that many of the Sahaabah
(may Allaah be pleased with them) did that, as did many of the scholars. 

See: Sharh al-Minhaaj li’l-Jaml (2/215). 

2 – That eulogies are makrooh. This is the view of the
Shaafa’is. 

See: Nihaayat al-Muhtaaj (3/17). 

They quoted as evidence the fact that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade eulogies. It was narrated that
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Awfa (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade
eulogies. Narrated by Imam Ahmad (18659) and Ibn Maajah (1592). 

The narrator of this hadeeth is Ibraaheem al-Hijri who
narrated it from ‘Abd-Allaah. Al-Busayri said on him in Misbaah
al-Zajaajah: He is da’eef jiddan (very weak). He was classed as da’eef
by Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Yahya ibn Ma’een, al-Nasaa’i and others.
Al-Bukhaari said of him: he is munkar al-hadeeth, i.e., his hadeeth is to be
rejected. Hence al-Albaani classed him as da’eef in Da’eef Ibn Maajah. 

It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (22/98): 

It says in al-Durr al-Mukhtaar, which is a Hanafi
book, that there is nothing wrong with eulogizing the deceased in verse or
otherwise, but it is makrooh to go to extremes in praising him, especially
at his funeral. Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’, quoting from the author
of al-Tatimmah that it is makrooh to eulogize the deceased by
mentioning his forefathers, his attributes and his deeds, and it is better
to pray for forgiveness for him. The Hanbalis said that that which stirs up
the feelings of loss, whether it comes in the form of exhortation or
reciting poetry is a form of niyaahah (wailing for the deceased), i.e. it is
forbidden. This was stated by Shaykh Taqiy al-Deen. End quote. 

In al-Furooq (2/174), al-Qaraafi divided eulogizing
into four categories, and said: 

It is not just the matter of allowing eulogies and not
regarding as faasiqs (evildoers) the poets who eulogize deceased kings and
prominent figures in all cases, even though that view is well known among
the people. In fact eulogizing falls into four categories, haraam and a
major sin, haraam and a minor sin, permissible, and recommended. 

The guideline on that which is haraam and a major sin is any
words which make people feel that Allaah, may He be exalted, has been unfair
in His decree or that expresses discontent with His will, and suggests that
the death of this deceased was not a good thing, rather it was a great evil.
Making the listeners believe that is haraam and a major sin, whether it is
done in prose or poetry, such as if the poet says in his eulogy: 

“There has died one among whose troops was death, one before
whom the divine decree felt scared”  

This line of verse includes a rejection of the divine decree
in the words “one among whose troops was death”, which is a veneration of
this person who has died. One such as this deceased person should not have
resigned from the position of caliph; how could there ever be such a person
again in the future? Similarly, the words “one before whom the divine decree
felt scared” suggest that Allaah, may He be exalted, was afraid of him. If
this is not blatant kufr then it seems from these words to be very close to
it. Hence when Shaykh ‘Izz al-Deen ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam was in the gathering
in which the sultaan assembled the prominent, Qur’aan readers and poets to
mourn the caliph in Baghdad, and one of the poets recited the line,  “There
has died one among whose troops was death, one before whom the divine decree
felt scared”, when the Shaykh heard that, he ordered that he be disciplined
and imprisoned, and he denounced that in the strongest terms and criticized
his eulogy. After his ta’zeer punishment he remained in prison for a long
time, then he asked him to repent after the governors and leaders interceded
for him. He told him to compose a qaseedah praising Allaah, as expiation for
what his poem had said about condemning the divine decree and suggesting
that Allaah, may He be exalted, was afraid of the deceased. The poets often
tried to indulge in such critical issues so as to attract attention by
coming up with unique ideas. 

This type is the worst type of eulogy.  

The guideline on that which is haraam and a minor sin is any
prose or poetry that does not go as far as the type mentioned in the first
category, but it deprives the family of the deceased of consolation and
stirs up their grief to such an extent that they torment themselves and have
little patience, and it may lead them to despair, rending their garments and
striking their cheeks. This is haraam and is a minor sin. 

The guideline on that kind of eulogy which is permissible is
words that do not include any of the things mentioned in the two previous
categories, rather it mentions the religious commitment of the deceased, and
states that he has gone on to the reward for his good deeds and will be in
the company of the people who are blessed; that there has come to him that
which is decreed for all people; this is inevitable and it is something that
all creatures have in common, a door which they will inevitably enter. This
is permissible and is not forbidden. 

The guideline on the kind of eulogy that is recommended is
everything that falls into the permissible category and will increase the
family of the deceased in patience and encourage them to seek reward, and
remind them to seek reward for their loss for the sake of Allaah and rely on
Allaah’s care, etc. This is recommended and enjoined.  

An example of this is what was narrated from al-‘Abbaas ibn
‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allaah be pleased with him), when he died and his son
‘Abd-Allaah found it too difficult to bear. A Bedouin came from the desert
and asked after ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas. When he entered upon him he said: 

“Be patient, we are being patient for your sake, for the
people will be patient when their leader is patient.

The reward that comes after is better than al-‘Abbaas and
Allaah is better for al-‘Abbaas than you.”  

When ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-‘Abbaas heard this eulogy and
understood his poetry, he felt relieved. 

These words were the best kind of eulogy, that lessened the
impact of the calamity, took away grief, and expressed a positive attitude
towards the divine decree, praising the Lord in the best of ways. This is a
good thing. 

Based on the four categories described above, we may
categorize eulogies accordingly. And Allaah knows best. End quote. 

It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 

If it is said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade eulogizing as was narrated by Ahmad
and Ibn Maajah, and classed as saheeh by al-Haakim, if he forbade it than
how could he have done it? i.e., in the hadeeth of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) quoted above. 

The answer is that the kind of eulogizing that is forbidden
is that which praises the deceased and mentions his good qualities, so as to
stir up grief and renew the sorrow, or which is done in gatherings convened
for that purpose, or when the eulogy is limited to that without mentioning
anything else. What is meant in this hadeeth is the Prophet’s expression of
sorrow for Sa’d because he died in Makkah after having migrated from it, not
praising the deceased and stirring up grief. This was stated by
al-Qastallaani. End quote.  

See: Fath al-Baari (3/164-165) 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked: Do the qaseedahs which eulogize
the dead come under the heading of death announcements that are forbidden? 

He replied: The qaseedahs that eulogize the dead do not come
under the heading of death announcements that are forbidden, but it is not
permissible for anyone to go to extremes in speaking of anyone or describe
him in false terms, as is the habit of many poets. End quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz. 

Based on this, holding gatherings to eulogize the deceased is
forbidden, especially if that is accompanied by stirring up grief or
expressing discontent with the divine decree, or describing the deceased in
false terms that were not true, and other haraam things. 

As for simply listing the good qualities of the deceased and
expressing one’s sorrow at his passing, there is nothing wrong with that so
long as it is free of the haraam things mentioned above, etc.