باب تحريم النياحة على الميت ولطم الخد وشق الجيب ونتف الشعر وحلقه، والدعاء بالويل والثبور
This chapter forbids niyahah, the loud ritual wailing over the dead that was common in pre-Islamic Arabia: striking the cheeks, tearing clothes, pulling out hair, and crying out laments of despair. The Arabic title lists these acts one by one. Islam does not forbid grief or even tears, but it draws a firm line at theatrical lamentation that rejects Allah's decree and treats death as catastrophe rather than return to Him.
Read the hadith together and a careful distinction emerges. Quiet weeping and a sorrowing heart are mercy, while the tongue that wails, curses fate, and recites a dead person's praises in protest is what brings blame. Several reports also show that the early Muslims pledged at the Prophet's hand never to wail, marking it as a serious commitment of faith, not a small matter of custom. Where the exact rulings of mourning are concerned, the details belong to the scholars; what concerns us here is the heart's posture of patience and surrender.
Hadith 1657
'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم :"الميت يُعذب في قبره بما نِيح عليه ". وَفِي روايةٍ:"مَا نِيحَ علَيْهِ" ((متفق عليه)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The deceased is tortured in his grave for bewailing over him." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
This warns against the loud public wailing that was practised over the dead, showing how seriously such lamentation is treated.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1657 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 147
Hadith 1658
Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "ليس منا من ضرب الخدود، وشق الجيوب، ودعا بدعوى الجاهليه" ((متفق عليه)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who (on befalling a calamity) slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes and follows the ways and traditions of the Days of Ignorance is none of us." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Striking one's own face, tearing one's clothes, and following the despairing customs of ignorance when struck by loss is disowned here. Grief should not collapse into self-harm and rejection of Allah's decree.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1658 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 148
Hadith 1659
Abu Burdah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي بردة قال: وجع أبو موسى، فغشي عليه، ورأسه في حجر امرأة من أهله، فأقبلت تصيح برنة فلم يستطع أن يرد عليها شيئًا، فلما أفاق ،قال : أنا بريء ممن برئ منه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم برئ من الصالقة، والحالقة، والشاقة.((متفق عليه)) "الصالقة" : التي ترفع صوتها بالنياحة والندب. والحالقة : التي تحلق رأسها عند المصيبة الشاقة :التي تشق ثوبها.
(My father) Abu Musa got seriously ill and lost his consciousness. His head was in the lap of a woman of the family and she began to wail. When Abu Musa recovered his consciousness, he said: "I am innocent of those from whom Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is innocent. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) declared himself free of (the responsibility) for a woman who wails, shaves her head and tears up her clothes." [Al- Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Abu Musa, on recovering, distanced himself from the wailing of a grieving woman, recalling that the Prophet had declared himself free of one who wails loudly, shaves her head, and tears her clothes in grief.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1659 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 149
Hadith 1660
Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن المغيرة بن شعبة رضي الله عنه قال :سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول "من نِيح عليه، فإنه يُعذب بما نِيح عليه يوم القيامة" ((متفق عليه)).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "He who allows (others) to wail over his death, will be punished for it on the Day of Resurrection." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
A warning against allowing others to wail over one's death, encouraging a person to discourage such lamentation rather than permit it.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1660 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 150
Hadith 1661
Umm 'Atiyyah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
وعن أم عطية نَُسيبة -بضم النون وفتحها- رضي الله عنها قالت : أخذ علينا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عند البيعة أن لا ننوح. ((متفق عليه)).
At the time of giving the pledge of allegiance, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took from us an oath that we would not wail. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
When women pledged allegiance, the Prophet had them promise not to wail over the dead, showing this was treated as a real commitment of faith.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1661 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 151
Hadith 1662
An-Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
وعن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنه قال: أغمي على عبد الله بن رواحة رضي الله عنه فجعلت أخته تبكي، وتقول: واجبلاه، وا كذا وا كذا: تعدد عليه فقال حين أفاق: ما قلت شيئًا ألا قيل لي :أنت كذلك؟! ((رواه البخاري)).
When 'Abdullah bin Rawahah (May Allah be pleased with him) became unconscious, his sister began to weep and shout: "Alas! For the mountain among men. Alas! for such and such (mentioning his virtuous qualities)." When he recovered his consciousness, he said: "I was asked (disapprovingly, by the angels) about everything you said concerning me whether I am as you said." [Al- Bukhari].
In plain words
When his sister loudly praised the dying Ibn Rawahah, he later said he had been questioned about whether he truly was as she claimed. A caution against exaggerated laments over the dying.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1662 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 152
Hadith 1663
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: اشتكى سعد بن عبادة رضي الله عنه شكوى فأتاه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعوده مع عبد الرحمن بن عوف، وسعد بن أبي وقاص، وعبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنهم، فلما دخل عليه، وجده في غشية فقال: "أقضي؟" قالوا: لا يا رسول الله فبكى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فلما رأى القوم بكاء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بكوا، قال: "ألا تسمعون؟ إن الله لا يُعذب بدمع العين، ولا بحزن القلب، ولكن يعذب بهذا" وأشار إلى لسانه "أو يرحم" ((متفق عليه)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) visited Sa'd bin 'Ubadah during his illness. He was accompanied by 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf, Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas and 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with them). When they entered his house, they found him unconscious. The Messenger of Allah asked, "Has he died?" They replied: "No, O Messenger of Allah." Hearing this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to weep. When his Companions saw this, they also began to weep too. He said, "Listen attentively: Allah does not punish for the shedding of tears or the grief of the heart, but takes to task or show mercy because of the utterances of this (and he pointed to his tongue)." [Al- Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Seeing his Companion near death, the Prophet wept, then explained that Allah does not punish for tears or a grieving heart, but holds us accountable for what the tongue says. Quiet sorrow is allowed; reckless words are not.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1663 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 153
Hadith 1664
Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن أبي مالك الأشعري رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "النائحة إذا لم تتب قبل موتها تقام يوم القيامة وعليها سربال من قطران، ودرع من جرب" ((رواه مسلم)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If the wailing woman does not repent before she dies, she will be made to stand on the Day of Resurrection wearing a garment of pitch and a garment of scabies (Allah knows the nature thereof)." [Muslim].
In plain words
A severe warning that the woman who makes a habit of wailing over the dead and dies without turning away from it faces disgrace on the Day of Resurrection.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1664 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 154
Hadith 1665
Asid bin Abu Usaid reported:
وعن أسيد بن أبي أسيد التابعي عن امرأة من المبايعات قالت: كان فيما أخذ علينا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، في المعروف الذي أخذ علينا أن لا نعصيه فيه: أن لا نخمش وجهًا، ولا ندعو ويلا، ولا نشق جيبًا، وأن لا ننشر شعرًا". ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد حسن ))
A woman who had taken a pledge of allegiance at the hand of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Among the matters in respect of which we gave the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) the pledge not to disobey him in any Ma'ruf [i.e., all that Islam ordains (V::)] was that we should not slap our faces, bewail, tear our clothes up and tear out our hair (in grief)." [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
Among the things women pledged to the Prophet was that they would not slap their faces, wail, tear their clothes, or pull out their hair in grief. Mourning has dignity, not violence against oneself.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1665 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 155
Hadith 1666
Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن أبي موسى رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "ما من ميت يموت، فيقوم باكيهم، فيقول: واجبلاه، وأسيداه، أو نحو ذلك إلا وكل به ملكان يلهزانه: أهكذا كنت؟!" . رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن. «اللَّهْزُ»: الدَّفْعُ بِجُمْعِ اليَدِ فِي الصَّدْرِ.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If anyone dies and the mourner gets up and says: 'Alas! For the mountain among men. Alas! For the chief...' and such like, Allah will put two angels in charge of him who will beat on the breast and ask him (disapproving): 'Were you like that?' " [At- Tirmidhi].
In plain words
A caution that crying out exaggerated laments of praise over the dead invites a stern questioning about whether the dead person was truly as described.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1666 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 156
Hadith 1667
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "اثنان في الناس هما بهم كفر: الطعن في النسب، والنياحة على الميت" ((رواه مسلم)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Two things are signs of disbelief on the part of those who indulge in them: Slandering one's lineage and wailing over the dead." [Muslim].
In plain words
Two habits are named as belonging to disbelief in those who do them: attacking people's lineage and wailing loudly over the dead. Both are treated as grave failings of the tongue.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1667 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 157