المعنى الاصطلاحي

Raising one’s voice as an expression of grief over a dead person.

الشرح المختصر

“Niyāhah” (wailing) is an act that belonged to and characterized the era of pre-Islamic ignorance. It is a branch of minor disbelief, whether done by a man or woman, though it occurs mostly from women. In “niyāhah”, a person screams loudly out of grief over the death of someone. “Niyāhah” may be accompanied by weeping, tearing the clothes, and striking the cheeks. The evils of “niyāhah” include the following: 1. It contradicts the required display of patience by a person in terms of his tongue. 2. It only increases the wailer in grief and pain. 3. It is a sign of displeasure with, and objection to, the divine decree and predestination. 4. It stimulates the sadness felt by the relatives of the deceased.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر

“Niyāhah”: crying in a loud voice, yelling, shrieking. Derived from “tanāwuh”, which originally means meeting. The crying of women during the pre-Islamic period of ignorance was called “niyāhah” because they used to meet one another and weep over the deceased.

التعريف

To speak aloud, cry and lament, extolling the virtues and good deeds of the deceased.