The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Sheikh Ridwanullahi Jamiu, has called on Muslims to stop the idea of flamboyant fidau prayers or ceremonies in honour of their deceased loved ones, saying the ceremonial gathering usually organised in most parts of the country is not acceptable in Islam.
The renowned scholar said that whatever Muslim will do regarding the religion must be strictly guided by the teachings and saying of Prophet Muhammed, saying that the usual gathering of people for prayers, celebration or ceremony in commemoration of a deceased Muslim must be strictly discouraged as it against the tenet of Islam.
Speaking at an event organised by the Lekki Muslim Ummah, LEMU, the Imam said that Islam enjoins Muslims to remember their loved ones who have passed on with prayers. He added that there is no proof that fidau prayers should be organised for them other than the janaza prayer, which is part of the burial rites.
Imam Jamiu said: “Anything you want to do as a Muslim must be guided by the teachings of our noble prophet Muhammed. There is no proof in the sunnah of the prophet that one can do any Fidau prayers for the deceased person. But it is the sunnah according to the Quran and sayings of the prophet, we should always remember our deceased person with prayers. Allah said we should always remember those who came before us in our prayers. That’s an individual thing. But when a person is just deceased, what is recommended in Islam is solatul jannazah. All scholars know this. Solatul janazah is the prayer where the imam stands and people stand behind him and the corpse is placed in the front of the imam who will say takbir for four times or thereabouts. That’s the only prayer that is recommended. But the coming together for a special ceremony or prayer after the funeral prayer is not found in Islam and the sunnah of the prophet. Therefore, we have to abstain from it so that we won’t end up wasting our resources on something that is not based on any evidence.”
He added that the ceremony under the guise of helping the needy is not allowed in Islam, adding that Muslims must be strictly guided by the Sunnah of the holy prophet. “The prophet said that anyone who does anything or any act of worship which is not based on our teachings, is rejected. Why do we have to waste our time, resources on what will be rejected? So, we don’t need to waste any food for any person. Once someone dies, we don’t need to cook food for people. It is people who need to support the bereaved family with food, especially if the family is needy or poor.
“When Jafar died, the prophet urged people to support Jafar’s family with food because a great calamity had befallen them. So, we should always look at the bereaved to know if they are needy so that we can support them. So, they are not required to provide food for people whether for the first, 2nd or 3rd day, not even the 8th day or any other day in the name of the funerals.”
The Chief Imam, however, said that one of the first things the family of anyone left behind by the deceased needs to do is to embark on some project or charity, adding that the prophet said that the deceased would be rewarded based on some project he or she did while alive.
“He will continue to receive the reward from what he had initiated before his death for as long as people continue to benefit from that thing. Also, the knowledge the deceased had before he died for as long people benefit from it, he would receive the reward whether when he is alive or dead. The third one is righteous children, so whatever the children do in terms of personal prayers, establishment of a foundation or building of a mosque in order to remember the deceased, the dead ones will receive the reward. Even given charity for the poor but this must not be targeted at the third day, 8th day, 40th day, one year or so. You can feed the poor during Ramadan. This mustn’t be done ceremoniously or targeted at an anniversary.”
