Consoling the bereaved (Ta’ziyat)
Question:-
What is the reward of consoling the bereaved?
Answer:-
As far as assisting at the home of the deceased, this primarily refers to assisting the immediate family members who would be in a state of grief at the time, by consoling them and preparing meals for them.
It is Mustahab to prepare food for the family of the Mayyit. When Hadrat Hamza Radiallahu Anhu was martyred on the occasion of Uhud, Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam said to the Ahle Bait, “Prepare meals for the family of Hamza as they are occupied from preparing food for themselves.” Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam was asked, “Did you not prevent us from doing so, O messenger of Allah?” Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, “I prohibited from ostentation.”
ويسحب ان يتخذ اي يتهيا ويطبخ طعاما لاهل الميت فان النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم لما اصيب حمزة اي جعل شهيدا في غزوة احد قال عليه السلام اي لاهل بيته اصنعوا لاهله طعاما فانهم في شغل عن تهيئة الطعام لانفسهم قيل له صلي الله عليه وسلم الست نهيت عن ذلك يا رسول الله ؟ قال صلي الله عليه وسلم في جوابه انما نهيت عن الرياء والسمعة (مرشد الانام مخطوط 439) – ماخوذ من احكام الجنائز لابراهيم بن يوسف البولوي
There are a number of virtues recorded in the Hadith Sharif for consoling the bereaved. Hereunder we will mention a few:
Abdullah Bin Masood Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “Whoever consoles one afflicted with a calamity will receive the likeness of his reward.” This means that the reward the person in difficulty will receive for exercising patience will be received by the one that consoles him as well. [Ibn Majah 115 / Tirmidhi Pg.205 Vol.1]
Abu Barzah Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “Whoever consoles a woman whose child has passed away will be covered with a cloth in Jannah.” [Tirmidhi Pg.206 Vol.1]
Another narration states that whoever consoles his brother at the time of difficulty will be given clothing of honour on the Day of Qiyaamah. [Ibn Majah 115]
Abu Bakr Siddique Radiallahu Anhu and Imraan Bin Hussain Radiallahu Anhu narrate from Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam that, Moosa Alaihis Salaam asked Allah Taála, “What is the reward of one that consoles a person in difficulty?” Allah Taála replied, “I will place him in the shade on that Day when there is no other shade except my shade.” [Narrated by Ibnus Sunni in Amalal Yaum Wa Layla Pg.157]
The Masnoon method of Ta’ziyat is that one goes to the home of bereaved either before or after the burial, to console them, encourage them to be patient and make Dua for the deceased. [Fataawa Darul Uloom Zakariyya Pg.852 Vol.2] If a person is unable to visit the home of the deceased person’s family (due to them living at a distance), then one may write a letter consoling them on the loss of their beloved one. This, too, is a Sunnah of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. He wrote a letter to Hadrat Muaaz Bin Jabal Radiallahu Anhu on the demise of his son.