5. Funerals

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَسْرِعُوا بِالْجَنَازَةِ فَإِنْ تَكُ صَالِحَةً فَخَيْرٌ تُقَدِّمُونَهَا إِلَيْهِ وَإِنْ تَكُ سِوَى ذَلِكَ فشر تضعونه عَن رقابك»

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Walk quickly at a funeral, for if the dead person was good it is a good condition to which you are sending him on, but if he was otherwise it is an evil of which you are ridding yourselves.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِذَا وُضِعَتِ الْجَنَازَةُ فَاحْتَمَلَهَا الرِّجَالُ عَلَى أَعْنَاقِهِمْ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ صَالِحَةً قَالَتْ: قَدِّمُونِي وَإِنْ كَانَتْ غَيْرَ صَالِحَةٍ قَالَت لأَهْلهَا: يَا وَيْلَهَا أَيْن يذهبون بِهَا؟ يَسْمَعُ صَوْتَهَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا الْإِنْسَانَ وَلَو سمع الْإِنْسَان لصعق ". رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a corpse is placed on a bier and men carry it on their shoulders, if it was a good man it says, ‘Take me quickly’; but if it was not good it says to its bearers, ‘Woe to it, where are you taking it?’ Everything but mankind hears its voice, and were a human being to hear it he would faint.” Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الْجَنَازَةَ فَقُومُوا فَمَنْ تَبِعَهَا فَلَا يَقْعُدْ حَتَّى تُوضَعَ»

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “When you see a funeral stand up; but anyone who follows it must not sit down till the bier is placed on the ground.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: مَرَّتْ جَنَازَةٌ فَقَامَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقُمْنَا مَعَهُ فَقُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا يَهُودِيَّةٌ فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ فَزَعٌ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ الْجِنَازَة فَقومُوا»

Jabir said that when a funeral passed by God’s messenger stood up and they stood up along with him. They told him it was a Jewish funeral and he replied, “Death is a fearful event, so when you see a funeral stand up.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَن عَليّ رَضِي الله عَنهُ قَالَ: رَأَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَامَ فَقُمْنَا وَقَعَدَ فَقَعَدْنَا يَعْنِي فِي الْجَنَازَةِ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ مَالِكٍ وَأَبِي دَاوُدَ: قَامَ فِي الْجَنَازَةِ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ بَعْدُ

‘Ali said, “We saw God’s messenger stand up so we stood up; he then sat down and we sat down,” the reference being to a funeral. Muslim transmitted it. The version of Malik and Abu Dawud says, “He stood up for a funeral, then sat down afterwards.”(There is some doubt as to whether this means that he sat down after the funeral had passed, or whether the point is that the Prophet’s practice had been to stand up but that he later stopped doing so. Cf. the tradition from ‘Ali on p. 353)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنِ اتَّبَعَ جَنَازَةَ مُسْلِمٍ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا وَكَانَ مَعَهُ حَتَّى يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَيُفْرَغَ مِنْ دَفْنِهَا فَإِنَّهُ يَرْجِعُ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ بِقِيرَاطَيْنِ كُلُّ قِيرَاطٍ مِثْلُ أُحُدٍ وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُدْفَنَ فَإِنَّهُ يَرْجِعُ بقيراط»

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone attends the funeral of a Muslim out of faith and seeking a reward from God, and stays till prayer is offered and the burial is complete, he will return with a reward of two qirats, each qirat being equivalent to Uhud (The qirat is a small weight, a twentieth, or twenty-fourth of a dinar. Here it is used somewhat figuratively. The statement that it is equivalent to the hill Uhud is a way of expressing that the reward will be very great); and if anyone prays over the dead and returns before the burial, he will come back with one qirat.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَعَى لِلنَّاسِ النَّجَاشِيَّ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ وَخرج بِهِمْ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى فَصَفَّ بِهِمْ وَكَبَّرَ أَرْبَعَ تَكْبِيرَات

He said the Prophet gave the people news of the death of the Negus on the day on which he died, took them out to the place of prayer, drew them up in rows and said “God is most great” four times. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى قَالَ: كَانَ زَيْدُ بْنُ أَرْقَمَ يُكَبِّرُ عَلَى جَنَائِزِنَا أَرْبَعًا وَأَنَّهُ كَبَّرَ عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ خَمْسًا فَسَأَلْنَاهُ فَقَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يكبرها. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Laila said that Zaid b. Arqam used to say “God is most great” four times over their dead at funerals, but once he said it five times. On being questioned about it he replied that God's messenger used to do so. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ قَالَ: صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ فَقَرَأَ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ فَقَالَ: لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهَا سُنَّةٌ. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Talha b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Auf said he prayed behind Ibn ‘Abbas at a funeral and he recited Fatihat al-Kltab (Qur'an, sura i). He then said that it was to let them know it was a sunna. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَوْفِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: صَلَّى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ فَحَفِظْتُ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: «اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدنس وأبدله دَارا خيرا من دَاره وَأهلا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ وَأدْخلهُ الْجنَّة وأعذه من عَذَاب الْقَبْر وَمن عَذَاب النَّار» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «وَقِهِ فِتْنَةَ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابَ النَّارِ» قَالَ حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا ذَلِكَ الْمَيِّت. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

God’s messenger prayed at a funeral and I have retained in my memory some of his supplication. He was saying, “O God, forgive him, show him mercy, grant him security, pardon him, grant him a noble provision and a spacious lodging, wash him with water, snow and ice, purify him from sins as Thou hast purified the white garment from filth, give him a better abode in place of his present one, a better family in place of his present one, and a better spouse in place of his present one, cause him to enter paradise and preserve him from the trial in the grave and the punishment in hell.” A version has “And guard him from the trial in the grave and the punishment in hell.” He added that the result was that he wished he had been that dead man. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّ عَائِشَة لما توفّي سعد بن أبي وَقاص قَالَت: ادخُلُوا بِهِ الْمَسْجِد حَتَّى أُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ فَأُنْكِرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ: وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ صَلَّى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى ابْنَيْ بَيْضَاءَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ: سُهَيْلٍ وَأَخِيهِ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Abu Salama b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman told how, when Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas died, ‘A’isha said, “Take him into the mosque so that I may pray over him.” When objection was made to this she said, “I swear by God that God’s messenger prayed in the mosque over Suhail and his brother, the sons of Baida’. ” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ قَالَ: صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ مَاتَتْ فِي نِفَاسِهَا فَقَامَ وَسَطَهَا

Samura b. Jundub said, “I prayed behind God’s messenger over a woman who had died in childbirth, and he stood opposite her waist.” (Bukhar! and Muslim.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَرَّ بِقَبْرٍ دُفِنَ لَيْلًا فَقَالَ: «مَتَى دُفِنَ هَذَا؟» قَالُوا: الْبَارِحَةَ. قَالَ: «أَفَلَا آذَنْتُمُونِي؟» قَالُوا: دَفَنَّاهُ فِي ظُلْمَةِ اللَّيْلِ فَكَرِهْنَا أَنْ نُوقِظَكَ فَقَامَ فَصَفَفْنَا خَلفه فصلى عَلَيْهِ

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God's messenger came upon a grave where an interment had taken place at night and asked when this person had been buried. On being told that he had been buried the previous night, he asked why they had not informed him. They told him that they had conducted the burial in the darkness of night and had not liked to waken him, whereupon he stood up, and when they formed a row behind him he prayed over the dead. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ امْرَأَةً سَوْدَاءَ كَانَتْ تَقُمُّ الْمَسْجِدَ أَوْ شَابٌّ فَفَقَدَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلَ عَنْهَا أَوْ عَنْهُ فَقَالُوا: مَاتَ. قَالَ: «أَفَلَا كُنْتُمْ آذَنْتُمُونِي؟» قَالَ: فَكَأَنَّهُمْ صَغَّرُوا أَمْرَهَا أَوْ أَمْرَهُ. فَقَالَ: «دلوني على قَبره» فدلوه فصلى عَلَيْهَا. قَالَ: «إِنَّ هَذِهِ الْقُبُورَ مَمْلُوءَةٌ ظُلْمَةً عَلَى أَهْلِهَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُنَوِّرُهَا لَهُمْ بِصَلَاتِي عَلَيْهِمْ» . وَلَفظه لمُسلم

Abu Huraira said that a negress (or a youth) used to sweep the mosque. God’s messenger missed her, and when he asked about her (or him) the people told him he had died. He asked why they had not informed him, and it appeared as if they had treated her (or him) as of little account. He asked the people to lead him to the grave, and when they did so he prayed over her (The wording of this tradition causes some difficulty owing to the indefiniteness as to whether the person was a man or a woman. Sometimes the alternative is mentioned, as in the translation, but sometimes merely the masculine singular pronoun and at others merely the feminine singular pronoun is used) and then said, "These graves are full of darkness for their occupants, but God will illuminate them for them by reason of my prayer over them.” (Bukhari and Muslim, the wording being Muslim’s.)

وَعَنْ كُرَيْبٍ مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّهُ مَاتَ لَهُ ابْنٌ بِقُدَيْدٍ أَوْ بِعُسْفَانَ فَقَالَ: يَا كُرَيْبُ انْظُرْ مَا اجْتَمَعَ لَهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ. قَالَ: فَخَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا نَاسٌ قَدِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ: تَقُولُ: هُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: أَخْرِجُوهُ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ فَيَقُومُ عَلَى جَنَازَتِهِ أَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلًا لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِلَّا شَفَّعَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِيهِ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Kuraib the client of Ibn ‘Abbas told that a son of ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas died in Qudaid or ‘Usfan and he asked him to go out and see how many people had gathered for the funeral. Going out and finding that people had gathered for the funeral, he told him. Ibn ‘Abbas asked him if he thought there would be forty present, and when he replied that that was so, he gave orders for the body to be brought out, adding that he had heard God’s messenger say, "If any Muslim man dies and forty men who associate nothing with God stand over his bier, God will accept them as intercessors for him.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " مَا مِنْ مَيِّتٍ تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَبْلُغُونَ مِائَةً كُلُّهُمْ يَشْفَعُونَ لَهُ: إِلَّا شفعوا فِيهِ ". رَوَاهُ مُسلم

‘A’isha reported the Prophet as saying, "If a company of Muslims to the number of a hundred pray over a dead person, all of them interceding for him, their intercession for him will be accepted.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: مَرُّوا بِجَنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «وَجَبَتْ» ثُمَّ مَرُّوا بِأُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا. فَقَالَ: «وَجَبَتْ» فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: مَا وَجَبَتْ؟ فَقَالَ: «هَذَا أَثْنَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ خَيْرًا فَوَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ وَهَذَا أَثْنَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ شَرًّا فَوَجَبَتْ لَهُ النَّارُ أَنْتُم شُهَدَاء الله فِي الأَرْض» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شُهَدَاءُ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ»

Anas told that when some people passed a dead body on a bier and spoke highly of the dead man the Prophet said, “It is certain.” When they passed another and spoke very badly of the dead man he said, “It is certain.” ‘Umar asked what was certain, and he replied, “You spoke highly of this one, so paradise is certain for him; but you spoke very badly of that one, so hell is certain for him. You are God’s witnesses in the earth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version has “The believers are God's witnesses in the earth.”

وَعَنْ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَيُّمَا مُسْلِمٍ شَهِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةٌ بِخَيْرٍ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ» قُلْنَا: وَثَلَاثَةٌ؟ قَالَ: «وَثَلَاثَةٌ» . قُلْنَا وَاثْنَانِ؟ قَالَ: «وَاثْنَانِ» ثُمَّ لم نَسْأَلهُ عَن الْوَاحِد. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “If four people give a good testimony about any Muslim, God will cause him to enter paradise.” ‘Umar said they asked whether this would apply if three testified, and he said it would. They further asked if it would apply if two testified, and he said it would; but they did not ask him about one. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَسُبُّوا الْأَمْوَاتَ فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ أَفْضَوْا إِلَى مَا قدمُوا» رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

‘A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not revile the dead, for they have come to what they have sent before them.” Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يجمع بَين الرجلَيْن فِي قَتْلَى أُحُدٍ فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: «أَيُّهُمْ أَكْثَرُ أَخْذًا لِلْقُرْآنِ؟» فَإِذَا أُشِيرَ لَهُ إِلَى أَحَدِهِمَا قَدَّمَهُ فِي اللَّحْدِ وَقَالَ: «أَنَا شَهِيدٌ عَلَى هَؤُلَاءِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ» . وَأَمَرَ بِدَفْنِهِمْ بِدِمَائِهِمْ وَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَمْ يُغَسَّلُوا. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Jabir said God’s messenger had each pair of those killed at Uhud wrapped in a single garment and asked which of them knew more of the Qur’an. When one of them was pointed out to him, he had him put first in the side of the grave, and he said, “I shall be a witness to these men on the day of resurrection.” He ordered that they should be buried without the marks of blood being removed ; he did not pray over them, and they were not washed. Bukhari transmitted it.