5. Funerals

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْجَنَازَةِ: " اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبُّهَا وَأَنْتَ خَلَقْتَهَا وَأَنْتَ هَدَيْتَهَا إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَأَنْتَ قَبَضْتَ رُوحَهَا وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِسِرِّهَا وَعَلَانِيَتِهَا جِئْنَا شُفَعَاءَ فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying in the course of prayer over a dead body, “O God, Thou art its Lord, Thou didst create it, Thou didst guide it to Islam, Thou hast taken its spirit, and Thou knowest best its inner nature and outer aspect. We have come as intercessors, so forgive him.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ قَالَ: صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَلَى صَبِيٍّ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَطِيئَةً قَطُّ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْر. رَوَاهُ مَالك

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib said he prayed behind Abu Huraira at the funeral of a boy who had never sinned and heard him say, “O God, protect him from the punishment in the grave.” Malik transmitted it.

وَعَنِ الْبُخَارِيِّ تَعْلِيقًا قَالَ: يَقْرَأُ الْحَسَنُ عَلَى الطِّفْلِ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لَنَا سلفا وفرطا وذخرا وَأَجرا

Bukhari said without a complete isnad that al-Hasan (i.e. al-Hasan al-Basri (21-110. A.H )) recited Fatihat al-Kitab over an infant and said, “O God, make him for us a righteous deed which has gone before us, a recompense gone ahead, a treasure and a reward.”

وَعَنْ جَابِرٌ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «الطِّفْلُ لَا يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ وَلَا يَرِثُ وَلَا يُوَرَّثُ حَتَّى يَسْتَهِلَّ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ: «وَلَا يُورث»

Jabir reported the Prophet as saying, “Prayer should not be said over an infant which has not uttered a sound, neither may he inherit nor leave an inheritance.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but the latter did not mention “nor leave an inheritance”.

وَعَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يَقُومَ الْإِمَامُ فَوْقَ شَيْءٍ وَالنَّاسُ خَلْفَهُ يَعْنِي أَسْفَلَ مِنْهُ. رَوَاهُ الدراقطني وَأَبُو دَاوُد

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari said God’s messenger forbade that the imam should stand on anything when the people were behind him, meaning on a lower level than he was. Daraqutnl transmitted it in al-Mujtaba in Kitab al-jana’iz.

عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ أَن سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ قَالَ فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي هَلَكَ فِيهِ: أَلْحِدُوا لِي لَحْدًا وَانْصِبُوا عَلَى اللَّبِنِ نَصْبًا كَمَا صُنِعَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

‘Amir b. Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas told that Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said during his illness of which he died, “Make a niche for me in the side of the grave, and set up bricks over me as was done with God’s messenger.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: جُعِلَ فِي قَبْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَطِيفَةٌ حَمْرَاء. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Ibn ‘Abbas said that a piece of red stuff was put in God’s messenger’s grave. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ سُفْيَانَ التَّمَّارِ: أَنَّهُ رَأَى قَبْرَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُسَنَّمًا. رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ

Sufyan at-Tammar said he saw the grave of the Prophet humped. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي الْهَيَّاجِ الْأَسَدِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي عَلِيٌّ: أَلَا أَبْعَثُكَ عَلَى مَا بَعَثَنِي عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِن لَا تَدَعَ تِمْثَالًا إِلَّا طَمَسْتَهُ وَلَا قَبْرًا مشرفا إِلَّا سويته. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Abul Hayyaj al-Asadi told that ‘Ali said to him, “I am sending you on the same mission as God’s messenger sent me. Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling it.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُجَصَّصَ الْقَبْرُ وَأَنْ يُبْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْ يُقْعَدَ عَلَيْهِ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

Jabir said God’s messenger forbade that graves should be plastered with gypsum, that any erection should be built over them, and that people should sit on them. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي مَرْثَدٍ الْغَنَوِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَجْلِسُوا عَلَى الْقُبُورِ وَلَا تُصَلُّوا إِلَيْهَا» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not sit on graves, and do not pray facing them.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَأَنْ يَجْلِسَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى جَمْرَةٍ فَتُحْرِقَ ثِيَابَهُ فَتَخْلُصَ إِلَى جِلْدِهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يجلس على قبر» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is better that one of you should sit on live coals which burn his clothing and come in contact with his skin than that he should sit on a grave.” Muslim transmitted it.

عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ: كَانَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا يَلْحَدُ وَالْآخَرُ لَا يَلْحَدُ. فَقَالُوا: أَيُّهُمَا جَاءَ أَوَّلًا عَمِلَ عَمَلَهُ. فَجَاءَ الَّذِي يَلْحَدُ فَلَحَدَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. رَوَاهُ فِي شَرْحِ السّنة

‘Urwa b. az-Zubair said there were two men in Medina, one of whom made a niche when digging a grave, the other of whom did not. The people said that the one who came first should do as he was accustomed to do, and the one who made a niche came and made one for God’s messenger. transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «اللَّحْدُ لَنَا وَالشَّقُّ لغيرنا» رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَابْن مَاجَه وَرَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “The niche in the side of the grave is for us and the excavation in the middle is for others.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from Jarir b. ‘Abdallah.

وَعَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ: «احْفُرُوا وَأَوْسِعُوا وَأَعْمِقُوا وَأَحْسِنُوا وَادْفِنُوا الِاثْنَيْنِ وَالثَّلَاثَةَ فِي قبر وَاحِد وَقدمُوا أَكْثَرهم قُرْآنًا» . رَوَاهُ أمد وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَرَوَى ابْنُ مَاجَهْ إِلَى قَوْله وأحسنوا

Hisham b. ‘Amir told that the Prophet said on the day of Uhud, “Dig graves, make them wide, deep and beautiful, bury two or three together in a single grave, and put first the one who knew most of the Qur’an.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted up to “beautiful”.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ جَاءَتْ عَمَّتِي بِأَبِي لِتَدْفِنَهُ فِي مَقَابِرِنَا فَنَادَى مُنَادِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «رُدُّوا الْقَتْلَى إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَلَفظه لِلتِّرْمِذِي

On the day of Uhud my paternal aunt brought my father to bury him in our cemetery, but God’s messenger’s crier called out, “Take back the dead to the place where they fell.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi Abu Dawud, Nasa'i and Darimi transmitted it, the wording being Tirmidhi’s.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: سُلَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ قِبَلِ رَأْسِهِ. رَوَاهُ الشَّافِعِي

Ibn 'Abbas said God’s messenger was lowered gently into the grave head first. Shafi'i transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَخَلَ قَبْرًا لَيْلًا فَأُسْرِجَ لَهُ بسراج فَأخذ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْقِبْلَةِ وَقَالَ: «رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ إِنْ كُنْتَ لَأَوَّاهًا تَلَّاءً لِلْقُرْآنِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ فِي شرح السّنة: إِسْنَاده ضَعِيف

He told that the Prophet entered a grave during the night, and when a lamp was lit for him he faced the qibla and said, “God have mercy on you if you were devoted to supplication with tears (The Arabic is awwah which cannot easily be translated by one word. It is variously explained as meaning one much given to sighing through fear of God, one much given to supplication from love of God, one much given to weeping from fefir, or one much given to prayer asking for God’s mercy. Cf. Mirqat, ii, 376) and to the recitation of the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, but in Sharh as- sunna its isnad is said to be weak.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا أَدْخَلَ الْمَيِّتَ الْقَبْرَ قَالَ: «بِسم الله وَبِاللَّهِ وعَلى ملكة رَسُولِ اللَّهِ» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: " وَعَلَى سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَرَوَى أَبُو دَاوُد الثَّانِيَة

Ibn ‘Umar told that when the dead was placed in the grave the Prophet said, “In the name of God, by God’s grace, and following the religion of God’s messenger.” A version has “And following the sunna of God’s messenger.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Abu Dawud transmitted the second version.

وَعَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ مُرْسَلًا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حثا عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ ثَلَاثَ حَثَيَاتٍ بِيَدَيْهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّهُ رَشَّ عَلَى قَبْرِ ابْنِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَوَضَعَ عَلَيْهِ حَصْبَاءَ. رَوَاهُ فِي شَرْحِ السُّنَّةِ وَرَوَى الشَّافِعِيُّ من قَوْله: «رش»

Ja'far b. Muhammad told in mursal form on his father’s authority that the Prophet cast three handfuls of earth on the dead with both hands, that he sprinkled water on his son Ibrahim’s grave, and that he put small pebbles on it. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna, and Shafi’i transmitted from “he sprinkled".