Hadith Text & Context

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'He is not one of us who shaves his head, raises his voice in lamentation or rends his garments."' (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1866)

This profound narration from The Book of Funerals addresses three prohibited mourning practices that contravene Islamic patience (sabr) during calamity.

Scholarly Commentary

The phrase "not one of us" indicates severe disapproval, meaning such actions contradict the way (minhaj) of the believers, though not necessarily excluding one from Islam entirely.

Shaving the head was a pre-Islamic mourning ritual expressing extreme grief. Islam teaches maintaining dignity even in sorrow.

Raising the voice in lamentation (an-niyāḥah) involves wailing, screaming, or excessive vocal expressions of grief that demonstrate impatience with Divine decree.

Rending garments symbolizes tearing apart what Allah has provided and displays rebellion against Qadr (Divine Preordainment).

Legal Rulings & Wisdom

These prohibitions preserve the Islamic concept of dignified acceptance. The believer meets calamity with "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" and patient perseverance.

Scholars distinguish between natural tears of grief (permissible) and organized wailing with hired mourners (strictly forbidden).

The wisdom behind these prohibitions includes protecting the unity of the Muslim community, preventing imitation of disbelievers' practices, and cultivating proper understanding of Divine Decree.