Question posed to Sheikh ibn Baaz رحمه الله تعالى:
Q: What is the ruling on putting the statement of At-Tawheed (i.e. لا إله إلا الله - none has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allaah) upon some of (the coffins and graves within) the funerals?
A: This is not legislated. It is only legislated to encourage the one on the verge of death to proclaim it, due to his saying صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"Encourage your dead (before they die) to say: "None has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allaah." - Ahmed (10933), Muslim (916).
And what is intended by the dead here are those who are at the point of death, (they are encouraged) up until their last words are: "None has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allaah". As for writing it upon his coffin or upon his grave, then this is not permissible.
- Majmu' Fataawa of ibn Baaz (13/186).
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