Standing up upon seeing a janaza

Question

After the funeral prayer has been performed, when the janaza is being taken to the graveyard, people are met in the bazaar. Some shopkeepers who are busy with work stand up on seeing the body, walk some distance with the janaza and then go back. Is this practice permissible or not? If someone does so, is he to be deemed a sinner or not? May he go back because of his own pressing need or not? Or is it necessary to go as far as the graveyard?

Answer

Washing a Muslim who has died and shrouding him in the kafan, praying the funeral prayer over him, taking him to the graveyard and burying him — all of these are rights of the deceased that are binding upon Muslims. However, their bindingness is not like that of the obligatory (fard) prayers, which are an individual obligation (fard ‘ayn) upon every person.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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