May all Muslim souls rest in peace. In Qatar, people usually offer condolences over three consecutive days. Those who know the deceased pay a visit of condolence to the grieving family, seeking reward from God.
Qataris are known for supporting each other in times of misfortune.
In some Arab countries, people offer condolences between sunset and the night prayers. People may also offer condolences at funerals or in the evening in other Arab countries.
But it is different in Qatar. Condolences may be offered for three days following the burial, even during lunch breaks. Relatives of the deceased mark the three-day mourning leaving their businesses and even their families to receive guests.
It is unnecessary for all the relatives of the dead, if they are co-workers in one department, to be present over the three days of mourning, in order to keep the flow of work going.
The relatives of the dead, however, are tried by being present all the time during the sombre occasion. Sometimes, chaos reigns at funerals. Worse still, few people show consideration for the feelings of the family of the deceased.
Some funerals turn into mere occasions for exchanging pleasantries. Some people attending burials forget that they too will be dead one day. While attending the burials, they keep talking on their phone, tracking news of their shares in the stock exchange, for example.
In our country, some relatives of the dead prepare banquets for the people coming to offer condolences. According to Sunna, however, it is the visitors who should provide the relatives of the dead with food. Some of these relatives have little money for banquets, and sometimes have to borrow money.
Women are not obliged to attend the first three days of mourning. They have the freedom to offer condolences at any time. But it is important for everybody to deliver their condolences during the burial. Condolences can also be delivered during working hours.
The point I want to make here is that condolences should be delivered in ways that do not harm the interests of the public. This is why I suggest that condolences be delivered between the midday prayer and the last prayer of the day. This will help the relatives of the dead lead a normal life before they receive those who want to share with them their grief.
