وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ 84
Translations
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muḥammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.
Transliteration
Wa lā tuṣalli ʿalā aḥadin minhum māta abadan wa lā taqum ʿalā qabrih, innahum kafarū billāhi wa rasūlih wa mātu wa hum fāsiqūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prohibits the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) from offering funeral prayers for the hypocrites (al-munāfiqūn) who died while rejecting Allah and His Messenger. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Ṭabarī, this command addresses the gravity of hypocrisy as a cardinal sin—these individuals combined outward profession of faith with inner disbelief and disobedience. The prohibition extends to both the funeral prayer (ṣalāt al-janāzah) and standing at their graves, emphasizing their spiritual separation from the Muslim community despite their apparent membership.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9), which deals extensively with hypocrites during the Medinan period. It specifically relates to the incident of ʿAbdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl, the chief hypocrite, whose funeral the Prophet initially considered attending before receiving this prohibition. This surah was revealed after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and addresses the reality of those who outwardly joined the Muslim community while harboring disbelief.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3803): When ʿAbdullah ibn Ubayy died, his son came to the Prophet asking him to pray for his father. The Prophet initially went to do so, but ʿUmar objected, leading to the revelation of this ayah. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Mājah relates that the Prophet said funeral prayer should not be offered for those who die as hypocrites or enemies of Islam.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that outward conformity with religious practice does not substitute for sincere faith and obedience to Allah and His Messenger. For modern believers, it emphasizes the spiritual danger of hypocrisy and the importance of aligning one's inner convictions with outer actions, recognizing that true faith requires both acceptance in the heart and righteous conduct.