Burials

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abu Hurayra said,"Make your funerals speedy, for it is only good that you are advancinghim towards, or evil that you are taking off your necks."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Jafar ibn Muhammad from hisfather that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, was washed in a long shirt.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ayyub ibn Abi Tamima as-Sakhtayani from Muhammad ibn Sirin that Umm Atiyya al-Ansariyya said,"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, cameto us when his daughter died and said, 'Wash her three times, or five,or more than that if you think it necessary, with water and lotusleaves, and at the end put on some camphor, or a little camphor, andwhen you have finished let me know.' When we finished we told him, andhe gave us his waist-wrapper and said, 'Shroud her with this.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr thatAsma bint Umays washed Abu Bakr as-Siddiq when he died. Then she wentout and asked some of the muhajirun who were there, "I am fasting andthis is an extremely cold day. Do I have to do ghusl?" They said,"No."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard people ofknowledge say, "When a woman dies and there are no women with her towash her and no man who has the right by blood ties to take charge ofthat for her and no husband to take charge of it for her, she shouldbe purified by tayammum ,that is, by wiping her face and hands withearth."

Malik said, "When a man dies and there are only womenwith him, they also should purify him with earth ."

Maliksaid, "There is no particular way with us for washing the dead nor anyrecognised way to do it. They are just washed and purified."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather from A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, was shrouded in three pure white cotton garments,none of which was a long shirt or a turban.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said that hehad heard that when Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was ill he asked A'isha, "Howmany shrouds did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, have?" and she replied, "Three pure white cotton garments."Abu Bakr said, "Take this garment (a garment he was wearing on whichred clay or saffron had fallen) and wash it. Then shroud me in it withtwo other garments." A'isha said, "Why's that?", and Abu Bakr replied,"The living have greater need of the new than the dead. This is onlyfor the body fluids that come out as the body decays."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Humayd ibnAbdar-Rahman ibn Awf that Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As said, "A dead manis clothed in a shirt and a waist-wrapper and then wrapped in a third,and if he only has one garment he is shrouded in that."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that the Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr andUmar as well as the khalifas up until this time and Abdullah ibn Umar,would walk in front of the bier.

Yahya related to me from Muhammad ibn alMunkadir that Rabia ibnAbdullah ibn alHadir told him that he had seen Umar ibn al-Khattableading people in front of the bier at the funeral of Zaynab bintJahsh.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Hisham ibn Urwa said, "I onlyever saw my father in front of a funeral procession." He added, "Thenhe would come to al-Baqi and sit down until the procession passedhim."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab said, "Walkingbehind the bier is in contradiction to the sunna."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that Asmabint Abi Bakr said to her family, "Perfume my clothes with incensewhen I die and then embalm me. Do not put any of the embalmingsubstance on my shroud, and do not follow me with a burning torch."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburithat Abu Hurayra forbade anyone to follow him with a burning torchafter his death.

Yahya said, "I heard Malik disapprove ofthat."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, announced the death of an Najashi to everyoneon the day that he died, and went out with them to the place ofprayer, and then formed them into rows and said "Allah is greater"four times.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abu Umama ibnSahl ibn Hunayf told him that once a poor woman fell ill and theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was toldof her illness, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, used to visit poor people frequently and ask afterthem. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, "Let me know if she dies." Her bier was brought out at night-time and they did not want to wake up the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace. In the morning the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was told what hadhappened to her and he said, "Didn't I tell you to let me know if shedied?" They replied, "Messenger of Allah, we did not want to wake youup and make you come out in the night." Then the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out and formed everyoneinto rows by her grave and said "Allah is greater" four times.

Yahya related to me that Malik asked Ibn Shihab about a man whocaught some of the takbirs said over the corpse and missed the rest,and Ibn Shihab said, "He completes what he has missed."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburifrom his father that he had asked Abu Hurayra, "How do you pray overthe dead?" and Abu Hurayra replied, "By the Life of Allah, I will tellyou! I follow with the family and when the corpse is put down I say'Allah is greater' and praise Allah and ask for blessings on HisProphet. Then I say, 'O Allah, he is Your slave and the son of Yourmale slave and Your female slave. He used to testify that there is nogod but You and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your Messenger, andYou know that best. O Allah, if he acted well, then increase for himhis good action, and if he acted wrongly, then overlook his wrongactions. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not try usafter him.'"

Allahumma inna huwa abduka wa'bnu abdika wa'bnuamatika. Kana yash-hadu an la ilaha illa ant wa anna Muhammadan abdukawa rasooluka, wa anta alamu bihi. Allahumma in kana muhsinan zid fiihsanihi, wa in kana musiyan fa tajawaz an sayatihi. Allahumma latahrimna ajrahu wa lataftina badahu.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said that heheard Said ibn al-Musayyab say, "I once prayed behind Abu Hurayra overa child who had never done a wrong action and I heard him say, 'OAllah, give him protection from the torment of the grave.' "