Is it Permissible to "Pray for Mercy" for Someone Who Died as a Disbeliever?

Honorable ones, some brothers said to me that there are those who differentiate between seeking forgiveness for someone who died as a disbeliever and, on the other hand, praying for mercy for them, on the basis that praying for mercy could be intended to lighten the punishment. All this talk comes in the context of discussing the death of someone who distorted the religion, demolished its pillars, made lawful its prohibitions, and cast doubt on God's knowledge and attributes, and about a woman who became an atheist and active in spreading atheism and fighting Islam. - So I say to begin with: This whole topic is not on my list of priorities currently, but we are clarifying legal rulings, so some object with objections and followers ask for a response to them because they have fallen into confusion, so they do not know what position must be taken in the end... So if you want to blame, then blame the one who delves into God's law without knowledge and confuses people until he compels us to clarify. - And if you want to know the benefit of raising these topics initially, refer to the talk ("Maybe he repented before he died?"). - So we return and say: Is it actually permissible to pray for mercy for someone who died as a disbeliever? - The answer from the Quran, the Sunnah, and the sayings of the scholars: Absolutely not.

1. As for the Quran: The verses are clear in making mercy the counterpart of punishment, meaning one of two destinies: either punishment or mercy. - Allah the Almighty said: (On the Day [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black. As for those whose faces turn black, [it will be said], "Did you disbelieve after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to reject." (106) But as for those whose faces turn white, they will be within the mercy of Allah. They will abide therein eternally (107)) (Surah Al-Imran). Notice: The second group only is in God's mercy. - And the Almighty said: (Indeed, the Day of Judgement is the appointed time for them all (40) The Day when no relation will avail a relation at all, nor will they be helped (41) Except those upon whom Allah has mercy. Indeed, He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful) (Surah Ad-Dukhan). So He made an exception for those He has mercy upon. - And the Almighty said: (He punishes whom He wills and has mercy upon whom He wills, and to Him you will be returned (21)) (Surah Al-Ankabut). So He made mercy opposite to punishment. - And the verses that contain: (and He will not look at them on the Day of Resurrection)... The exegetes usually interpret it: meaning He will not look at them with a look of mercy. - And among the most indicative verses is the saying of Allah the Almighty: (And do not pray [the funeral prayer, Salah] over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave). For praying over someone is to supplicate for him, not just for forgiveness but also for mercy, and likewise standing at his grave. Ibn Kathir said: (Allah the Almighty commanded His Messenger - peace be upon him - to disavow the hypocrites, and not to pray over any of them if he dies, and not to stand at his grave to seek forgiveness for him or supplicate for him). Notice: "or supplicate for him" in general. - So the verses are clear in restricting the mercy of the Hereafter to the believers and in not praying for mercy for the disbelievers.

2. From the Sunnah: In the authentic Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi and others: The Jews used to sneeze in the presence of the Prophet, peace be upon him, hoping that he would say to them, "May Allah have mercy on you" (Yarhamukum Allah), but the Prophet would say to them: (May Allah guide you and set your affairs right). - Meaning the Jews used to pretend to sneeze in the presence of the Prophet so he would pray for mercy for them! They knew deep down that he was the Messenger of Allah and wanted the blessing of his supplication for them. But the Prophet did not pray for them as he prayed for the Muslims with (May Allah have mercy on you); rather, he said: (May Allah guide you and set your affairs right). This is despite the fact that the Jews were alive, and it was possible that one of them might convert to Islam so Allah would have mercy on him as He has mercy on the Muslims. So how about one who died upon disbelief and there is no room for his guidance after that?! - When Abu Talib died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered Ali to wash and bury him. And it was never reported from the Prophet that he prayed for mercy for him. This is despite the fact that Abu Talib was of great benefit to the Prophet and the Muslims, and did not fight them, but rather defended them with himself, his children, and his wealth. If praying for mercy for someone who died as a disbeliever were permissible, Abu Talib would have been the most deserving of people for that. - We say to those who permit praying for mercy: Is it authentically reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he prayed for mercy for any disbeliever?! Is that authentically reported from any of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them?! Is it authentically reported from any of the early scholars?! - The death of disbelievers is not a new issue! Rather, the Companions and the Successors and those who followed them in goodness had relatives who died as disbelievers. Did any of them differentiate between praying for mercy and seeking forgiveness, and is it authentically reported that he prayed for mercy?! - So the guidance of the Prophet and the Companions is not to pray for mercy for one who died as a disbeliever, despite the frequency of incidents of the death of disbelievers in their time. What preceded suffices for everyone with a sound mind and heart, but nevertheless, we bring you the sayings of the scholars:

3. Thirdly: The sayings of the scholars: On the site (Islam Question and Answer): (There is no disagreement among the scholars that forgiveness and mercy are not prayed for the disbeliever who died upon disbelief). Meaning the issue is a matter of consensus. You might say: How do I know the correctness of what came in this site? Come, let me quote for you clear sayings of the people of knowledge: A. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said regarding the sneezing of Jews: (The Hadith of Abu Musa indicates that they [meaning: the disbelievers] enter into the general command of responding to a sneeze [Tashmit], but they have a specific response which is supplicating for their guidance and setting their affairs right, and that is the case and there is no objection to that, unlike the response to Muslims, for they are the people of supplication for mercy, unlike the disbelievers). B. And he also said in Fath al-Bari after mentioning the Hadith of the sneezing of Jews: (Ibn Daqiq al-Eid said: If we look at the saying of those among the linguists who said that Tashmit is supplication for good, the disbelievers are included in the generality of the command for Tashmit, and if we look at those who restricted Tashmit to mercy, they are not included). C. Al-Qurtubi said: (Many scholars said: There is no harm for a man to pray for his disbelieving parents and seek forgiveness for them as long as they are alive, but as for one who has died: hope has been cut off from him, so he is not prayed for). Notice: (he is not prayed for)... like this in general, neither for mercy nor for forgiveness. - By the way: These three scholars are Ash'aris, so that no one says: This is the opinion of the "Salafis". For these Ash'ari scholars had soundness of belief in matters of Loyalty and Disavowal (Al-Wala' wal-Bara'). D. Ibn Raslan Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said in the explanation of Sunan Abi Dawood: "Chapter: How to respond to the sneeze of the Dhimmi?" at the Hadith of the sneezing of Jews: (In it: That the disbeliever is not prayed for with mercy nor with forgiveness; rather with guidance and setting affairs right. Al-Sha'bi said: If the Jew sneezes, say: May Allah guide you). E. It came in (Mughni al-Muhtaj ila Ma'rifat Ma'ani Alfaz al-Minhaj) (2/ 42): (And it is known to wash him – meaning the disbeliever – if he dies, and this differs from the prayer [Salah], for the intent of it [the prayer] is praying for mercy for him, and praying for mercy for him is not permissible, and the intent of washing is cleaning, and that is achieved by washing him]. - Bring us in return a single saying of a scholar from the early ones – before the confusion of matters and the shaking of constants – who permitted praying for mercy! - As for during the life of the disbeliever, there are sayings of the people of knowledge regarding the permissibility of praying for him for forgiveness and mercy, but not in the sense of forgiveness of his polytheism and disbelief if he dies upon them, nor that his Lord, the Exalted, has mercy on him while having met Him as a disbeliever, but that supplication is interpreted as achieving what would be a cause for his forgiveness and mercy, which is that he be guided to Islam. We will put for you in the comments a detail of that from the site (Islam Question and Answer). ******************************* This is the summary of the issue: There is absolutely no basis for saying that it is permissible to pray for mercy for someone who died as a disbeliever, even if he was peaceful and did not harm the Muslims, so how about one who distorted their religion and caused the disbelief of many of them or one who apostatized and was active in spreading atheism?! - So whoever has mercy, let him call the disbelievers [to Islam] during their lives instead of defending praying for mercy for them after their death!! And peace be upon you.