The Funeral Prayer for a Communist

Question

A certain man named ‘Abd al-Hakim was born in a Muslim household and followed the way of the Muslims; then, having joined political communism, he abandoned the law of Islam and abandoned his family as well, and he used to say among people: “There is no Allah at all — people have simply made that up; a man is just born like this and dies like this. Why should there be a creating God? It is a natural thing, and everything is just like that; making and unmaking depend on man’s labour.

Answer

If that man’s circumstances were really as stated in the question, and he did not recant until his last moment, then the funeral prayer for him was not valid. If, despite these circumstances being known, his funeral prayer was nonetheless performed, then that was a wrong and sinful act; repentance (tawba) and seeking forgiveness (istighfar) are necessary.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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