Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz)
كتاب الجنائز
Chapter 1: What is said about funerals, and those whose last words were: La ilãha ilallãh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Someone came to me from my Lord and gave me the news (or good tidings) that if any of my followers dies worshipping none (in any way) along with Allah, he will enter Paradise." I asked, "Even if he committed illegal sexual intercourse (adultery) and theft?" He replied, "Even if he committed illegal sexual intercourse (adultery) and theft."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Anyone who dies worshipping others along with Allah will definitely enter the Fire." I said, "Anyone who dies worshipping none along with Allah will definitely enter Paradise."
Chapter 2: The order of following the funeral procession
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered us to do seven things and forbade us to do other seven. He ordered us: to follow the funeral procession. to visit the sick, to accept invitations, to help the oppressed, to fulfill the oaths, to return the greeting and to reply to the sneezer: (saying, "May Allah be merciful on you," provided the sneezer says, "All the praises are for Allah,"). He forbade us to use silver utensils and dishes and to wear golden rings, silk (clothes), Dibaj (pure silk cloth), Qissi and Istabraq (two kinds of silk cloths).
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The rights of a Muslim on the Muslims are five: to respond to the salaam, visiting the sick, to follow the funeral processions, to accept an invitation, and to reply to those who sneeze. (see Hadith 1239)
Chapter 3: Visiting the deceased person after he has been put in his shroud
Abu Bakr came riding his horse from his dwelling place in As-Sunh. He got down from it, entered the Mosque and did not speak with anybody till he came to me and went direct to the Prophet, who was covered with a marked blanket. Abu Bakr uncovered his face. He knelt down and kissed him and then started weeping and said, "My father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Prophet! Allah will not combine two deaths on you. You have died the death which was written for you." Narrated Abu Salama from Ibn `Abbas : Abu Bakr came out and `Umar , was addressing the people, and Abu Bakr told him to sit down but `Umar refused. Abu Bakr again told him to sit down but `Umar again refused. Then Abu Bakr recited the Tashah-hud (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)) and the people attended to Abu Bakr and left `Umar. Abu Bakr said, "Amma ba'du, whoever amongst you worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped Allah, Allah is alive and will never die. Allah said: 'Muhammad is no more than an Apostle and indeed (many) Apostles have passed away before him ..(up to the) grateful.' " (3.144) (The narrator added, "By Allah, it was as if the people never knew that Allah had revealed this verse before till Abu Bakr recited it and then whoever heard it, started reciting it.")
Um Al-`Ala', an Ansari woman who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "The emigrants were distributed amongst us by drawing lots and we got in our share `Uthman bin Maz'un. We made him stay with us in our house. Then he suffered from a disease which proved fatal when he died and was given a bath and was shrouded in his clothes, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came I said, 'May Allah be merciful to you, O Abu As-Sa'ib! I testify that Allah has honored you'. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'How do you know that Allah has honored him?' I replied, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Let my father be sacrificed for you! On whom else shall Allah bestow His honor?' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'No doubt, death came to him. By Allah, I too wish him good, but by Allah, I do not know what Allah will do with me though I am Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). ' By Allah, I never attested the piety of anyone after that."
Al-Laith also narrated as above.
When my father was martyred, I lifted the sheet from his face and wept and the people forbade me to do so but the Prophet (ﷺ) did not forbid me. Then my aunt Fatima began weeping and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is all the same whether you weep or not. The angels were shading him continuously with their wings till you shifted him (from the field). "
Chapter 4: A man who informs the relatives of the deceased person (of his death) by himself
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) informed (the people) about the death of An-Najashi on the very day he died. He went towards the Musalla (praying place) and the people stood behind him in rows. He said four Takbirs (i.e. offered the Funeral prayer).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Zaid took over the flag and was martyred. Then it was taken by Jafar who was martyred as well. Then `Abdullah bin Rawaha took the flag but he too was martyred and at that time the eyes of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) were full of tears. Then Khalid bin Al-Walid took the flag without being nominated as a chief (before hand) and was blessed with victory."
Chapter 5: Conveying the news of funeral (procession)
A person died and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to visit him. He died at night and (the people) buried him at night. In the morning they informed the Prophet (about his death). He said, "What prevented you from informing me?" They replied, "It was night and it was a dark night and so we disliked to trouble you." The Prophet (ﷺ) went to his grave and offered the (funeral) prayer.
Chapter 6: The superiority of the person whose child dies
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim whose three children die before the age of puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah due to his mercy for them."
The women requested the Prophet, "Please fix a day for us." So the Prophet (ﷺ) preached to them and said, "A woman whose three children died would be screened from the Hell Fire by them," Hearing that, a woman asked, "If two died?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Even two (would screen her from the (Hell) Fire. " And Abu Huraira added, "Those children should be below the age of puberty. "
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No Muslim whose three children died will go to the Fire except for Allah's oath (i.e. everyone has to pass over the bridge above the lake of fire)."
Chapter 7: The saying of a man to a woman at the grave, "Be patient"
The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a woman who was sitting and weeping beside a grave and said to her, "Fear Allah and be patient."
Chapter 8: The bath of a dead and his ablution with water and Sidr
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to us when his daughter died and said, "Wash her thrice or five times or more, if you see it necessary, with water and Sidr and then apply camphor or some camphor at the end; and when you finish, notify me." So when we finished it, we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheet and told us to shroud the dead body in it.
Chapter 9: It is desirable to wash (the dead body) for an odd number of times
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to us and we were giving a bath to his (dead) daughter and said, "Wash her three, five or more times with water and Sidr and sprinkle camphor on her at the end; and when you finish, notify me." So when we finished, we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheet and told us to shroud her in it. Aiyub said that Hafsa narrated to him a narration similar to that of Muhammad in which it was said that the bath was to be given for an odd number of times, and the numbers 3, 5 or 7 were mentioned. It was also said that they were to start with the right side and with the parts which were washed in ablution, and that Um 'Atiyya also mentioned, "We combed her hair and divided them in three braids."
Chapter 10: To start from the right side while giving a bath to a dead body
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , concerning his (dead) daughter's bath, said, "Start with the right side, and the parts which are washed in ablution."
Chapter 11: (To start with) the parts of the dead body which are washed in ablution
When we washed the deceased daughter of the Prophet, he said to us, while we were washing her, "Start the bath from the right side and from the parts which are washed in ablution."
Chapter 12: Can a woman be shrouded in the waist-sheet of a man?
The daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) expired, and he said to us, "Wash her three or five times, or more if you see it necessary, and when you finish, notify me." So, (when we finished) we informed him and he unfastened his waist-sheet and told us to shroud her in it.