Funerals

Jabir b. Samura said the Prophet (ﷺ) was brought an unsaddled horse which he rode when he went away after the funeral of Ibn ad-Dahdah, and they went on foot around him. Muslim transmitted it.

Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “A rider should go behind the bier, and those on foot should walk behind it, in front of it, on its right and on its left keeping near it. Prayer should be said over an abortion and forgiveness and mercy supplicated for its parents.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. In the version of Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah he said, “The rider should go behind the bier and those on foot wherever they wish round about it, and prayer should be said over an infant." In al-Masabih it is given on the authority of al-Mughira b. Ziyad.

Zuhri said that Salim reported his father as saying, “I saw God’s messenger, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar walking in front of the bier.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said the traditionists seem to consider it is in <i>mursat</i> form.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “The bier should be followed and should not follow. Those who go in front of it are not accompanying it." Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Tirmidhi said that Abu Majid the transmitter is unknown.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who follows a bier and carries it three times has accomplished what is ’due to it from him." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a <i>gharib</i> tradition. In <i>Sharh as-sunna</i> it is reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) carried the bier of Sa‘d b. Mu'adh between the two poles.

Thauban told how when they went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) to a funeral he saw some people riding and said, “Are you not ashamed ? God’s angels are on their feet, while you are on the backs of animals." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Abu Dawud transmitted something similar. Tirmidhi said it has been transmitted from Thauban in <i>mauquf</i> form.

Ibn ‘Abbas said the Prophet (ﷺ) recited <i>Fatihat al-Kitab</i> at funerals. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When you pray over the dead, make a sincere supplication for him." Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He reported that when God’s messenger prayed over a bier he said, “O God, forgive those of us who are living and those of us who are dead, those of us who are present and those of us who are absent, our young and our old, our male and our female. O God, to whomsoever of us You givest life keep him faithful to Islam whilst You givest him life, and whomsoever of us You takest in death take him as a believer. O God, do not withhold from us the reward of faith (the Arabic is variously explained either as translated above, or as the reward of the man who has died, or of the believer. The text is <i>ajrahu</i> which means 'his reward’, or ‘its reward.’ Cf. Mir gat, ii, 365.), or try us after his death.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Nasa'i transmitted it from Abu Ibrahim al-Ashhali who quoted his father’s authority, his version ending at “female”. Abu Dawud’s version has, “Grant him life as a believer and take him in death as a follower of Islam.” It ends, “Do not lead us astray after his death.”

Wathila b. al-Asqa‘ said God’s messenger led them in prayer over a Muslim and he heard him say, “O God, so and so son of so and so is in Your protection and in Your nearer presence, so guard him from the trial in the grave and the punishment in hell. You are faithful and true. O God, forgive him and show him mercy. You are the forgiving and the merciful One.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Mention the good qualities of your dead and refrain from mentioning their bad ones.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Nafi‘ Abu Ghalib said he prayed along with Anas b. Malik at a man's funeral and he stood opposite his head. Then some people brought along the bier of a woman of Quraish and said, “Abu Hamza (The kunya of Anas b. Malik, the Prophet’s servant), pray over her,” and he stood opposite the middle of the bier. Al-‘Ala’ b. Ziyad said to him, “Thus did I see God’s messenger do. He stood over the bier in the same position as you did in relation to her and in the same position as you did in relation to the man.” He replied, “That is so.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. In Abu Dawud’s version there is something similar, along with an addition containing the words “He stood at the woman’s buttocks.”

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Laila said that Sahl b. Hunaif and Qais b. Sa'd were sitting at al-QadisIya when a bier was brought past them. They stood up, and when they were told that it was one of the people of the land, i.e. of the <i>dhimmis</i>( Protected communities such as Jews and Christians), they replied that a bier came past God’s messenger and he stood up. On being told that it contained a Jew he said, “Is it not a soul?” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ubada b. as-Samit said that when God’s messenger followed a bier he did not sit down till the corpse was placed in the side of the grave. On being accosted by a learned Jew and told that that was how they did, God’s messenger sat down and said, “Act differently from them.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a <i>gharib</i> tradition and that Bishr b. Rafi' the transmitter was not strong.

‘Ali said that God’s messenger had told them to stand at a funeral, but later he sat and ordered them to sit. Ahmad transmitted it.

Muhammad b. Sinn said that when a bier came past al-Hasan b. ‘All and Ibn ‘Abbas al-Hasan stood up but Ibn ‘Abbas did not, so al- Hasan said, “Did God’s messenger not stand up out of respect for the bier of a Jew ?” He replied, “Yes, but thereafter he sat.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ja'far b. Muhammad told on his father’s authority that when al- Hasan b. ‘All was sitting a bier was brought past him and the people stood up till the bier had gone by. Al-Hasan then said, “A bier carrying a Jew was brought past when God’s messenger was sitting in its path, and just because he did not like having a Jew’s bier higher than his head he stood up.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Musa reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the bier of a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim passes you, stand up for it. You are not standing for its sake, but for the angels who are accompanying it.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Anas said that when a bier came past God’s messenger and he stood up he was told that it was carrying a Jew. He replied, “I stood up simply out of respect for the angels.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Malik b. Hubaira said he heard God’s messenger say, “If any Muslim dies and three rows of Muslims pray over him it will assure him [of paradise].” When Malik considered those who accompanied a bier to be few, he divided them into three rows in accordance with this tradition. Abu Dawud transmitted it. In Tirmidhi’s version he said that when Malik b. Hubaira prayed over a bier and found few people present, he divided them into three sections, then said that God’s messenger had stated, “If three rows pray over anyone it will assure him [of paradise].” Ibn Majah transmitted something similar.