Is it Permissible to Say Almarhum/Almarhumah?

The terms almarhum and almarhumah are familiar on the tongues of Indonesians. They are part of everyday language that is commonly expressed. They are considered polite language to refer to the name of a certain deceased person. Of course, these are Islamic terms derived from Arabic. They mean “The one who has been granted mercy –by Allah-“. Ideally, these terms should be given and directed to a deceased person or corpse who was a Muslim, not to those of other faiths. These terms are inappropriate to be used and directed to people who are “anti-Arab” and “anti-Sharia”. It is inappropriate for people of other faiths or groups who are Arab-haters or those suffering from Islamophobia, Shariaphobia, or Arabophobia to use these terms or have them applied to them when they have passed away.

The terms almarhum/almarhumah were originally unknown during the time of the Salaf or the early scholars. Usually, the early scholars used the expression rahimahullah or rahimahallah. Is the meaning of rahimahullah different from almarhum, even though both words are rooted in the same word, namely rahmah (mercy)? Linguistically, they are clearly different. Because rahimahullah is originally a fi’il (madhi) / Past Tense Verb which, according to literary rules, is used to express hope or prayer. It is the same with the meaning of Allahu yarham or yarhamuhullah (fi’il mudhari’). This differs from almarhum, whose form is isim fa’il (passive participle noun), namely marhum, with the addition of alif lam to indicate its definiteness (ma'rifah), so that the expression refers to a specific deceased person, not deceased people in general. Thus, linguistically, the term almarhum signifies certainty or testimony. That is, a certainty or testimony that the deceased has definitely received mercy from Allah. If linguistically rahimahullah means a prayer, then almarhum means a certainty, although fundamentally, those who utter it surely intend it as a prayer when saying almarhum/almarhumah, not intending to certify. Meaning, by tradition or custom (urf), almarhum is interpreted as a prayer by its speakers, not interpreted to certify.

The existence of a difference between the linguistic meaning and the purpose of its usage by the general public has ultimately caused a polemic. Because this term has become famously used in recent times and was unknown since the time of the early scholars, the ruling on its usage has become a matter of dispute among contemporary scholars. There are at least two opinions circulating among scholars regarding this matter: forbidding it and permitting it.

Forbidding It

Sheikh Bin Baz said when asked about the expressions almaghfur lahu and almarhum. He answered:

“What is prescribed in this matter is to say ‘ghaffarallahu lahu’ (may Allah forgive him) or ‘rahimahullah’ (may Allah have mercy on him) and the like if he was a Muslim. It is not permissible to say almaghfur lahu (the forgiven one) or almarhum (the one granted mercy). Because it is not permissible to testify (certify) for a specific individual that they will enter Paradise or Hell or the like, except for those for whom Allah Himself has testified to that in His Noble Book (the Quran) or for whom His Messenger shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam has testified. This is what has been mentioned by the people of knowledge (ahlul ilmi) from the Ahlussunnah. So, for those whom Allah has testified in His Noble Book regarding Hellfire, such as Abu Lahab and his wife, and similarly those whom the Messenger ﷺ testified regarding Paradise, such as Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, Umar bin Al-Khattab, Uthman, Ali, and the rest of the ten companions (who were promised Paradise), as well as other companions whom the Messenger testified regarding Paradise, such as Abdullah bin Salam and Ukkasyah bin Mihshan radhiyallahu ‘anhuma, or regarding Hellfire, such as his uncle Abu Talib, Amru bin Luhay Al-Khuzai, and others whom the Messenger ﷺ testified regarding Hellfire—we seek refuge in Allah from that—then we too must testify to that.

As for those for whom there is no statement from Allah and His Messenger certifying that they will enter Paradise or Hell, then we must not certify that for any specific individual. Similarly, we do not testify for any specific individual regarding forgiveness or mercy except with a text (nash) from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ. However, the Ahlussunnah hope for good for those who do good and fear for those who behave badly, and generally testify that the people of faith (Muslims) are people of Paradise and the disbelievers are people of Hellfire....” (Majmu’ Fatawa wa Maqalat Asy-Syaikh Ibni Baz, 5/355)

From Sheikh Baz's explanation, it can be concluded that saying almarhum is forbidden because it implies testimony and certainty. Certainty is only permissible for specific individuals who have been guaranteed by Allah and His Messenger to receive His mercy. Thus, his evidence is the requirement of the linguistic meaning contained in the word almarhum/almarhumah. A similar view was also issued as a fatwa by the official fatwa institution of Saudi Arabia (Al-Lajnah Ad-Daimah lil Al-Buhuts Al-‘Ilmiyah wa Al-Ifta). (1)

Permitting It

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen explained when asked about the ruling on saying almarhum:

“Some people denounce the saying of someone: ‘So-and-so almaghfur lahu, and so-and-so almarhum.’ They say, ‘We do not know if this deceased person is among those granted mercy and forgiveness or not?’ This denouncement is correct if the person intends to inform that this deceased person has indeed been granted mercy or forgiven. Because we are not allowed to inform (certify) that this deceased person has been granted mercy or forgiven without knowledge based on the word of Allah Ta’ala, ‘And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.’ (QS. Al-Isra: 36). However, people generally do not intend to inform (certify) that at all. For a person who says: ‘Almarhum father, almarhumah mother’ and the like, does not intend by this certainty or information that they are definitely granted mercy. Rather, they intend by it a prayer that Allah Ta’ala has mercy on them and a hope. And there is a difference between prayer (dua) and information (khabar)....” (Majmu’ Fatawa Asy-Syaikh Ibni Utsaimin, 3/135-136)

Sheikh Uthaymeen’s explanation clearly signals the permissibility of saying almarhum/almarhumah with elaboration. This is because generally, when someone utters the expression almarhum, their intention is to pray or hope, not to inform, report, or certify. Here, he uses the evidence of the urf (customary) meaning used by the generality of speakers. Therefore, the utterance almarhum/almarhumah may be used if intended as a prayer. However, if it is to certify, then it is not allowed. This opinion is the one issued as a fatwa by the Online Fatwa institution officially developed by the Ministry of Awqaf of Qatar. (2)

Conclusion

This matter is still disputed among scholars, alongside the absence of specific evidence that forbids or permits it. It depends on which side one views it from. Those who forbid it emphasize the linguistic meaning in its literal sense. Meanwhile, those who permit it emphasize the customary aspect of its usage. Both the lughawy (linguistic) meaning and the urfy (customary) meaning can basically serve as a basis for establishing the ruling of a term if the meaning of that term contains ihtimal (possibility of interpretation) from the perspective of its literal linguistic meaning and from the perspective of its general usage meaning. Therefore, forbidding the use of almarhum/almarhumah absolutely and blaming those who utter it is not a wise attitude. Although avoiding the use of almarhum/ah to escape the scholars' dispute is far better. Replacing it with rahimahullah/rahimahallah is much safer, as was commonly used by the early scholars when praising or praying for someone who has passed away.

Wallahu a’lam (And Allah knows best).