Q: I hope that Your Eminence will explain the Hadith reported on the authority of Jabir ibn `Atik (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: Let them cry as long as he (the dead) is still alive; when the divine decree is made, no woman should weep. (Related by Imams Malik, Al-Nasa'y and Al-Hakim) What is the meaning of this Hadith?

A: The Hadith reported on the authority of Jabir ibn `Atik (may Allah be pleased with him) as mentioned above is related by Malik in Al-Muwatta' no. 513, Abu Dawud no. 3111, Al-Nasa'y and Al-Hakim. It was ranked as Sahih (authentic) by Al-Dhahaby. The Hadith indicates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited crying out of grief upon the death of some person if it is accompanied by unlawful acts such as lamentation, wailing and invoking woe and destruction on oneself and so on. This is how the Hadith is explained by Hadith explainers, such as Al-Hafizh Ibn `Abdul-Bar in his book Al-Istidhkar (8/312) and Al-Shawkany in Nayl Al-Awtar (4/154) as well as others.As for just crying in a low voice and shedding tears of sadness, it is permissible whether before or after death based on many authentically reported Hadiths.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.