Family of the deceased standing in a row in the graveyard to receive condolences

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

There is nothing wrong with the family of the deceased
receiving condolences in the graveyard, before or after the burial, whether
they stand in a single row or separately, because their standing in a single
row only serves to make it easy to reach them and offer condolences to them.

With regard to their sitting in a house to receive
condolences, this is not Sunnah, rather condolences should be offered to the
bereaved wherever he is, in the graveyard, in the street or in the mosque.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was
asked: What is the ruling on the family of the deceased forming a row at the
gate of the graveyard in order to receive the people’s condolences
immediately after the burial?

He replied: The basic principle is that there is nothing
wrong with that, because they are gathering in order to make it easy to
reach each one of them and offer condolences. I do not know of anything
wrong with that. End quote.

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: After the
deceased has been buried and people have offered condolences to his family,
they go to the house of the deceased, and that usually happens after
Maghrib. Then they drink coffee and offer condolences to the family of the
deceased again, and then they depart. What is the ruling on that?

He replied:

The ruling is that this is an innovation. At the time of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and afterwards the
Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not sit in their houses
expecting people to come and to offer condolences. In fact this makes the
calamity heavier for the bereaved because it is as if he is saying, O
people, I am sitting in my house and grieving, come and offer me
condolences.

The Sunnah is for a person to close his door and then whoever
sees him in the marketplace or in the mosque looking sad may comfort him
with condolences, and tell him to be patient and seek reward, the matter is
up to Allaah, to Allaah belongs what He has taken and what He gives, and
everything has an appointed time with Him. End quote.

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Hence the seekers
of knowledge should explain this to the people and start with themselves, as
we have started with ourselves. Our father died and we did not sit to
receive condolences, and our mother died and we did not sit to receive
condolences. If the people of knowledge did that, it would bring about a
great deal of good, and the people would give up these customs. End quote
from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (17/352, 374, 389).

And Allaah knows best.