BENEFIT 447: Expressing Gratitude to Allah for the Blessing of Islam When Encountering Disbelievers, Living or Dead

Imam Ibn Ḥibbān (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Ṣaḥīḥ: Mention of the Instruction for a Muslim to Praise Allah, Exalted and Most High, for Guiding Him to Islam When He Sees Someone Who Is Not Upon Islam or Their Grave Hadith 847 – Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī ibn Al-Muthannā narrated to us, he said: Al-Ḥārith ibn Surayj An-Naqqāl narrated to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Al-Yamān narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr, from Abū Salamah, from Abū Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: ((إِذَا مَرَرْتُمْ بِقُبُورِنَا وَقُبُورِكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، فَأَخْبِرُوهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِي النَّار)) “If you pass by our graves and the graves of yours from the people of Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), then inform them that they are in the Fire.” Abū Ḥātim (may Allāh be pleased with him) explained: «أَمَرَ الْمُصْطَفَى ﷺ فِي هَذَا الْخَبَرِ الْمُسْلِمَ إِذَا مَرَّ بِقَبْرِ غَيْرِ الْمُسْلِمِ، أَنْ يَحْمَدَ الله جَلَّ وَعَلَا عَلَى هِدَايَتِهِ إِيَّاهُ الْإِسْلَامَ، بِلَفْظِ الْأَمْرِ بِالْإِخْبَارِ إِيَّاهُ أَنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، إِذْ مُحَالٌ أَنْ يُخَاطَبَ مَنْ قَدْ بَلِيَ بِمَا لَا يَقْبَلُ عَنِ الْمُخَاطِبِ بِمَا يُخَاطِبُهُ بِهِ» In this narration, the Messenger ﷺ instructed the Muslim, when he passes by the grave of a non-Muslim, to praise Allāh, Exalted and Most High, for having guided him to Islam. This is expressed in the form of a command to inform [the deceased] that he is among the inhabitants of the Fire—though it is logically impossible to address one whose body has decayed and who cannot comprehend the speech of the one addressing him. Sheikh Al-Albānī graded it as "Saheeh" in As-Ṣaḥīḥah (no. 18), Aḥkām Al-Janā’iz (no. 252).