Niyahah
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Niyahah (Arabic: النياحة, al-niyāḥah), or wailing, refers to the act of loud lamentation, raising the voice in conditional weeping, and demonstratively enumerating the merits of the deceased. In Islam, while natural, silent grieving and shedding tears are permitted, *niyahah* is strictly prohibited (Haram) by scholarly consensus, as it is viewed as a manifestation of discontent with the divine decree (Qadar).[1]
Historically and culturally, the practice was more prevalent among women than men as a traditional expression of intense communal grief. It is heavily condemned because it is historically accompanied by physical acts of self-harm and distress, such as slapping the cheeks (latm) and tearing one's clothes (shaqq al-juyub), which inflict psychological and physical harm on the living and disregard Islamic ethics of patience (Sabr).[1]
Historical context and pledge
[edit]The prohibition of *niyahah* dates back to the early prophetic era, as it was a deeply embedded custom of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). The Prophet Muhammad explicitly disavowed the practice. During the Second Pledge of al-Aqaba, when women came to swear allegiance to the Prophet, he explicitly extracted a binding covenant from them that they would abandon wailing over the dead as a condition of entering into Islam.
Scriptural evidence and punishment
[edit]The prohibition is outlined in multiple authentic prophetic traditions (Hadith), which classify it as a major sin due to its severe warnings:
- A well-known narration in Sahih Muslim details the spiritual penalties for unrepentant wailers:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If the wailing woman does not repent before her death, she will be raised on the Day of Resurrection wearing a garment of liquid pitch (qatiran) and a coat of scabs (armor of itch)."[2]
Islamic commentators note that the target of these two severe garments—one made of heavy black tar and the other causing agonizing skin lesions—is to intensify the punishment of the Hellfire upon the perpetrator due to the corruption brought to the community through public discontent with God's will.
See also
[edit]- Al-Kaba'ir (Major Sins)
- Grief in Islam
- Islamic funeral
- Sabr (Patience)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Sayyid Sabiq (2001). Fiqh us-Sunnah (in Arabic). Vol. 1. Dar Al-Mu'ayyad.
- ^ Recorded in Sahih Muslim, Book of Funerals (No. 934).
