Announcing Death via Mosque Loudspeaker: Is It Permissible?

Clarifying the Permissibility of Announcing Death Through the Mosque Loudspeaker

There is some confusion among the public regarding the announcement of death via the mosque loudspeaker. To address this confusion, I have made a humble attempt to clarify the matter, and I pray that Allah guides me to the correct path in this regard. Ameen.
From the Hadiths, it seems that on one hand, it is prohibited to announce death, while on the other hand, the announcement of death is confirmed from the Prophet ﷺ. Let’s examine both types of Hadiths.

The First Hadith:
Hazrat Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) said
“إذا مِتُّ فلا تؤذِنوا بي أحدًا إنِّي أخافُ أن يَكونَ نعيًا إنِّي سمعتُ رسولَ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليْهِ وسلَّمَ ينْهى عنِ النَّعيِ” (صحيح الترمذي: 986)
Translation: “When I die, do not announce it to anyone. I fear it may be considered a ‘Nai’ (announcement of death), as I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbidding the announcement of death.”

This is one side of the Hadith. Now, let’s look at the other side.

The Second Hadith:
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said
“نَعَى لنا رَسولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ النَّجاشِيَّ صاحِبَ الحَبَشَةِ، يَومَ الذي ماتَ فِيهِ” (صحيح البخاري: 1327)
Translation: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ announced the death of the Negus, the king of Abyssinia, on the same day of his passing.”

Similarly, Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“أنَّ النبيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، نَعَى زَيْدًا، وجَعْفَرًا، وابْنَ رَوَاحَةَ لِلنَّاسِ، قَبْلَ أنْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ خَبَرُهُمْ” (صحيح البخاري: 3757)
Translation: “The Prophet ﷺ announced the deaths of Zayd, Ja’far, and Ibn Rawaha to the people before the news of their deaths had arrived.”

Additionally, it is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari (458) and Sahih Muslim (956) that when the woman who swept the mosque passed away, the Prophet ﷺ was not informed of her death. Later, when he found out, he said: “أفلا كُنْتُمْ آذَنْتُمُونِي به,” meaning, “Why didn’t you inform me of her death?”

We now have two types of Hadiths: one which forbids announcing death, and another which permits it. The key word in both Hadiths is “Nai” (announcement of death), which refers to the act of informing others about someone’s passing. In one case, it is prohibited, and in the other, it is allowed. This reveals that there are different kinds of “Nai,” some of which are forbidden, while others are permissible.

The forbidden type of “Nai” refers to the pre-Islamic practice in which, when someone died, a person would ride around the streets, loudly announcing the death, praising the deceased, and eulogizing them. On the other hand, the permissible “Nai” is simply informing people about the death, so they can participate in the funeral.

Therefore, if the announcement involves promoting the deceased, such as loudly eulogizing them or praising their virtues in the streets, it is prohibited. However, if the sole purpose of the announcement is to inform people about the funeral so they can join in the burial process, there is no harm, even if it is done through a loudspeaker.

The Issue of Announcing Death via the Mosque’s Loudspeaker:

There is no objection to making such an announcement if the purpose is simply to inform people about the funeral and burial process. Islam has already guided us regarding what should and should not be done in the mosque, such as prohibiting trade, noise, selling and buying, announcements of lost items, loud meaningless talk, reciting poetry without purpose, running in the mosque, causing discomfort to worshippers, eating garlic or onions before coming to the mosque, and allowing the janaba (state of impurity) or menstruating women to stay there. Therefore, there is no prohibition on announcing a death in the mosque or via the mosque’s loudspeaker. In fact, as long as the loudspeaker is used out of necessity, for the purpose of informing the people about the funeral, there is no harm.

Furthermore, Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله has permitted the announcement of the death of a good person in the mosque, but discouraged such announcements for ordinary individuals. Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan has also affirmed the permissibility of making such an announcement in the mosque.

Islam encourages praying for the deceased, offering condolences to the family, burying the deceased quickly, walking in the funeral procession, and making dua after burial for steadfastness. All of these practices are essential for ensuring the proper conduct of the funeral process. If the death is not announced, the community will not know, and they will miss out on praying for the deceased and participating in the burial process. The Hadiths also show that having a large number of believers present at the funeral benefits the deceased, and this large presence is only possible if the community is informed of the death. Moreover, in today’s densely populated areas, where everyone is busy, using modern communication tools such as microphones, mobile phones, and loudspeakers to announce the death is not problematic.

Answer to an Objection:

Some scholars have opposed announcing death via loudspeakers, citing that the pre-Islamic practice of announcing death involved loud public proclamations. The response to this objection is that the pre-Islamic “Nai” had many negative aspects, which I have outlined above. If the purpose of using loudspeakers is only to inform the people about the death so they can join the funeral and pray for the deceased, there is no harm. Furthermore, there is a significant difference between the loud announcements of the past, which were meant to promote and eulogize the deceased, and the loudspeaker announcements today, which are intended solely to inform people of the death so they can participate in the funeral.

In one of the Hadiths mentioned earlier, the Prophet ﷺ informed the people of Zayd, Ja’far, and Ibn Rawaha deaths before the news reached them, so that they could pray for the deceased. The primary purpose of this announcement was simply to inform the people of their death, not to promote or eulogize them. Thus, announcing the death of the deceased, along with the news of their funeral and burial, is permissible.

Another Option for Announcing the Death:

Today, many people are connected via social media. Therefore, mosque committees can use this public media, such as creating a dedicated WhatsApp group, to share information about deaths and related matters. This would eliminate the concern of “Nai” from loudspeaker use and allow responsible individuals in the community to be informed quietly. In Saudi Arabia, mosque trustees often use this method.