14/07/2025
Following the reported passing of President Muhammadu Buhari—rahimahullah—a troubling wave of abuse, mockery, and disrespect has flooded public conversations and online platforms. What’s worse is that much of this behavior is coming from individuals who claim to be Muslim, and from people who consider themselves morally upright. But let us be clear:this is not how Islam teaches us to respond to death, and it is not how decent human beings should act in the face of mortality.
Islam is very clear when it comes to matters like this. The Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) said,“Do not abuse the dead, for they have reached what they sent forth” (Sahih Bukhari). Once a person dies, their reckoning is solely with Allah. You only soil your own record by speaking in ways Allah has forbidden.
Beyond this, it is also well established in Islam that abusing or disrespecting leaders—whether they are alive or deceased—is a serious offense. The Prophet(PBUH) warned that dishonoring rulers, even when they err, invites the dishonor of Allah. Criticism has its place, but it must be done within the boundaries of respect, wisdom, and sincere intention, not as a show of personal bitterness or political vengeance. Islam teaches us to speak truth with dignity, not to mock the dead with poison in our words.
But even from a humanitarian perspective, regardless of religion or political leaning, what does it say about us when we celebrate someone’s death with jokes and curses? The man is gone. He can no longer respond. He can no longer defend himself. His body is now in the hands of those who will wash him, wrap him, and place him in a grave, alone with his deeds. Regardless of what you think of him, he was someone’s father, husband, brother, and son. There are people grieving. There are children remembering him as their beloved parent. Is this the moment you choose to show your ugliest self?
We often claim to be advocates of justice. But justice is not vengeance. Justice is not cursing the dead who can no longer change their actions. True justice lies in holding people accountable when they are alive, and seeking lessons—not laughs—when they are gone.
You may have suffered under his leadership. You may have felt neglected or unheard. Those feelings are valid. But your response now is a test of your own heart. Do you stoop to hatred? Or do you rise to principle? Do you let your anger eat away at your decency? Or do you control your emotions for the sake of Allah and for the sake of your own soul?
No leader is without flaws. Every ruler leaves behind a mixed legacy. But our tradition teaches us that we should pray for mercy upon the deceased, ask Allah to forgive their shortcomings, and reflect on what lessons we can learn for the future. If you cannot pray for them, then at least remain silent. That silence is nobler than foul speech.
And let us never forget:one day you too will die.Your name will be mentioned. Your actions will be discussed. If you want to be remembered with mercy, start by showing it to others. If you hope that Allah will conceal your faults, stop spreading the faults of those who are no longer with us.
So to those spreading abuse: fear Allah, and fear the Day when every word you utter will be brought against you.What benefit is there in piling sins upon yourself after a man has returned to his Lord? Let us honor the sanctity of death, even when we disagree with the life that preceded it.
May Allah forgive President Muhammadu Buhari and all our deceased, accept their good deeds, and pardon their mistakes. May He guide the living to act with compassion, wisdom, and restraint. Aaameen.
Voice of AlHabeeb الحبيب
