Is the announcement and reminder of funeral prayers via social media and text messages included in the forbidden lamentation?
Creating pages and groups on social media platforms solely for the purpose of announcing and reminding people about funeral prayers is permissible and legitimate, because it is a means to pray for the deceased and fulfill their rights, and means take the ruling of their ends. This is not the prohibited form of announcement (na'i). The prohibited na'i is that of the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era), which involves boasting or wailing, not merely informing of a person's death.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, announced the death of An-Najashi, and he approved of the Companions informing others about the death of a relative. In summary, merely informing about the deceased is not disliked. However, anything beyond that, such as the na'i of Jahiliyyah which includes boasting, is disliked. And anything that involves wailing or similar acts is forbidden.
The hadith of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, "When I die, do not announce it, for I fear it might be a na'i...", has been weakened by some scholars due to Bilal ibn Yahya al-Absi not hearing directly from Hudhayfah, and due to Maymun al-A'war's weakness in other hadiths in this chapter.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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