---
layout: post
title: "Ruling on returning the greeting of a Christian, attending their funeral, and offering condolences for them"
publisher: "alsalafiyyah@icloud.com"
source: "Fatawa Al-Lajnah Al-Da'imah of KSA, Fatwa no. 16426, Question 1"
category: [fatwas,walabara]
hijri: Dhul-Hijjah 6, 1441
lang: en
locale: en
note: true
excerpt: "It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow the funeral procession of a Non-Muslim, as it is Haram for a Muslim to take them as allies."
muftis:
  chairman: 
    - name: Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz
      url: /biography/binbaz/
  members: 
    - name: Shaykh Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan
      url: /biography/ghudayyan/
    - name: Shaykh Abdul-Aziz Aal Al-Shaykh
      url: /biography/abdulaziz/
    - name: Shaykh Salih Fawzan
      url: /biography/fawzan/
    - name: Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd
      url: /biography/bakr/
---

### Question: 

What is the ruling on returning the greetings to Christians, attending their funerals, and offering condolences to them?

### Answer:

A Muslim should return the greeting of a Non-Muslim by saying, "wa 'alaykum" (same to you). It was authentically reported in a Hadith Sahih (authentic Hadith) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: "**When the People of the Book offer you salutations, you should say: The same to you.**" [^1]
"
It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow the funeral procession of a Non-Muslim, as it is Haram (prohibited) for a Muslim to take them as allies. However, it is permissible for a Muslim to offer condolences to non-Muslims when necessary by saying, "May Allah offer you the best condolence and relieve your ordeal". A Muslim should not add, "May Allah forgive the deceased" as it is not permissible to ask forgiveness for a Non-Muslim.

---
[^1]: Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on asking permission, no. 6258; Muslim, Sahih, Book on greetings, no. 2163; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Tafsir, no. 3301; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on manners, no. 5207; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on manners, no. 3697; and Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 218.