A bequest about who is to lead the funeral prayer is not binding

Question

A dying person made a bequest: “After my death, let such-and-such a man lead my funeral prayer,” and it will take three days or more for this man to arrive. Should the body be kept until he arrives, or should the funeral prayer be led by someone else and the burial carried out?

Answer

If the deceased made a bequest that such-and-such a man should lead his funeral prayer, and that man is not present now and his arrival will take three days, he should not be waited for; rather, another suitable person should lead the funeral prayer.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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