Supplications in Islam

In Islam when a person dies the following is the common Du’a that is recited:

‘Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un’.

Meaning: ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return’.

There are also other Du’as that the Ulama recite after the burial.

Supplications offered by the non-Muslims

The non-Muslims might be offering various supplications when a person passes away but the most common practice is just uttering the words ‘Rest in Peace’ – which in abbreviation is ‘R.I.P.’

Unfortunately these non-Muslims have a very great misconception. They think that a dead person can rest in peace after they have uttered these words.

They are gravely mistaken. They are not aware that a dead person’s ‘Resting in Peace’ can never ever be as per their wish or desire. This is fully in control of our Creator.

In fact a non-Muslim who passes away can never Rest in Peace after death if he has not recited the Kalimah Tayyibah, in other words, if he has not accepted Islam as his Deen!

What happens to the people who pass away without accepting Islam as their Deen?

One of the punishments they would be given can be expressed with the same abbreviation but in small letters i.e. r.i.p.

R.I.P. in capital letters means Rest in Peace.

However, if it is given in small letters, then this abbreviation (r.i.p.) would represent ‘ripped in pieces’.

Yes, instead of Resting in Peace they would be ripped in pieces because of the torment they would go through after death!

Every time after being ripped in pieces they would be restored to be ripped again. They would have no respite from this punishment. It could go on till the Day of Resurrection!

We should be fully aware that as Muslims we cannot say ‘R.I.P.’ upon the deaths of the non-Muslims, however close they might have been to us during their lifetime. They will never enjoy peace after death. By saying R.I.P. we are in fact making du’a for the non-Muslims, which we are strictly prohibited to do.

So as Muslims it is our responsibility to give these non-Muslims Da’wah to accept Islam when they are still alive so that may be saved from the turmoil of the Qabr (grave) after death and also their concept of R.I.P. gets replaced by the Du’as that we Muslims offer for the deceased.

By: Muhammad Bashir Bharadia