Funerals

كتاب الجنائز

Chapter 17: Burying the Dead - Section 2

Al-Qasim b. Muhammad told of his going to visit ‘A’isha and saying, “Mother, show me the grave of the Prophet and his two companions.” She showed him three graves which were neither high nor low, but were spread over with soft red pebbles in an open space. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Chapter 18: Burying the Dead - Section 3

Ibn Abu Mulaika said that when ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Bakr died in al-Hubshi, the name of a palce, he was conveyed to Mecca and buried there. When ‘A’isha arrived she went to the grave of ‘Abd ar. Rahman b. Abu Bakr and said

We were like the companions of Jadhima (Jadhima was a legendary pre-Islamic king with his centre in al-Anbar. He had two boon- companions, 'Aqil and Malik, who are said to have been together for forty years. The verses are from a lament by Mutammim b. Nuwaira al-Yarbu'i over his brother Malik) for a long time, so that people said the two will never be separated.But when we separated it seemed, in spite of long association, as if Malik and I had not spent a single night together.She then said, “I swear by God that if I had been present with you, you would have been buried nowhere but where you died, and if I had been with you I would not have visited you.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger prayed over a bier, then went to the grave and threw three handfuls of earth towards the head of the dead man. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Hazm told how, when the Prophet saw him leaning on a grave, he said, “Do not molest the occupant of this grave”; or, “Do not molest it.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Chapter 20: Weeping for the Dead - Section 2

Abd Sa'id al-Khudri said that God’s messenger cursed the wailing-woman and the woman who listens to her. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is a fine thing when a believer praises and thanks God if good comes to him, and praises God and shows endurance if smitten by affliction. ' The believer is rewarded for everything, even for the morsel he raises to his wife’s mouth.”(The idea of the tradition is that by virtue of his faith the believer receives a reward for all his actions, none being too insignificant)Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “If any member of my people has two children who die before him, God will cause him to enter paradise on their account.” ‘A’isha asked, “Does it apply to a member of your people who has one child who dies before him?” He replied, “It does, you who have been helped by God to ask this.” She then asked, “What about a member of your people who has no children who die before him?” He replied, “I am the one who dies before my people, and they will never suffer any loss to compare with the loss of me.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

‘Abdallah b. Ja'far told that when the news of Ja'far’s death came the Prophet said, “Prepare food for Ja'far’s family, for they have heard something which takes up their whole attention.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Chapter 21: Weeping for the Dead - Section 3

Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba said he heard God’s messenger say, “If people wail for anyone he will be punished for it on the day of resurrection.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when God’s messenger’s daughter Zainab died and the women wept, ‘Umar began to strike them with his whip, but God's messenger pushed him back saying, “Gently, ‘Umar.” He then said, “Beware of the devil’s clamour,” and added, “Whatever comes from the eye and from the heart is from God who is great and glorious and pertains to compassion, but what comes from the hand and from the tongue is of the devil.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Bukhari said without a full isnad that when al-Hasan b. ‘Ali died, his wife put a tent over his grave for a year; then when she removed it she heard one shouting and saying, “Have they found what they lost?” and another replied, “No, they have given up hope and gone away.”

Abu Huraira said that a man who told him a son of his had died and that he was grieved asked him if he had heard anything from his friend which would comfort them regarding their dead. He replied that he had, for he had heard him say, “Their young ones roam freely in paradise. One of them meets his father, seizes the end of his garment and does not leave him until he brings him into paradise." Muslim and Ahmad transmitted it, the wording being the latter’s.

‘Ali reported God’s messenger as saying, “The abortion will dispute with his Lord when He causes his parents to enter hell, and will receive the reply, ‘You abortion who are disputing with your Lord, bring your parents into paradise.’ He will then draw them with his umbilical cord till he brings them into paradise.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the thong of someone’s sandal breaks he should say, ‘We belong to God and to Him do we return,' for it is one of the calamities.”

Chapter 22: Visiting Graves - Section 1

Buraida said that God's messenger used to teach them to say when they went out to the cemeteries, “Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the dwellings who are of the number of the believers and the Muslims. If God will, we shall join you. We ask God to grant us and you wellbeing.” Muslim transmitted it.

Chapter 24: Visiting Graves - Section 3

‘A'isha said that whenever it was her turn for God's messenger to spend the night with her he would go out towards the end of the night to al-Baqi' and say, “Peace be upon you, household of a people who are believers. What you were being promised will come to you tomorrow, you receiving it after some delay, and if God will we shall join you. O God, grant forgiveness to the inhabitants of Baqi' al- Gharqad.” (This is the full name of the cemetery at Medina. Baqi' properly means a place with tree roots, and gharqad is the name of a thorny type of tree. The name was retained even when all signs of trees were removed.)Muslim transmitted it.

She said she asked God’s messenger what she should say, i.e. when visiting graves, and he told her to say, “Peace be upon the inhabitants of the abodes, believers and Muslims, and God show mercy to those of us who go before and those who go later. If God will we shall join you." Muslim transmitted it.

Chapter 17: Burying the Dead - Section 2

He said that the Prophet’s grave was sprinkled and that the one who sprinkled the water over his grave from a water-skin was Bilal b. Rabah. He began where the head was and sprinkled it to his feet. Baihaqi transmitted it in Dalail an-nubuwa.

Chapter 18: Burying the Dead - Section 3

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said he heard the Prophet say, “When one of you dies do not keep him long, but take him quickly to his grave, and have the opening verses of sura al-Baqara recited at his head and the concluding verses of the same sura at his feet.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman, saying the correct view is that it does not go farther back than him.

Chapter 19: Weeping for the Dead - Section 1

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said that when Sa'd b. ‘Ubada complained of a trouble, the Prophet came to visit him accompanied by ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf, Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas and ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud. On entering and finding him in a bad way (Or, in a faint) he suggested that his end was near, but was assured that that was not so. The Prophet wept, and when the people saw him weeping they wept also. He then said, "Listen; God does not punish for the tears the eye sheds or the grief the heart experiences, but He punishes for this (pointing to his tongue), or He shows compassion; and the dead is punished because of his family’s weeping for him."( Cf. the second tradition in section III where 'A’isha says Ibn ‘Umar has forgotten or made a mistake. This has given rise to much discussion and efforts have been made to show that the tradition of Ibn ‘Umar refers particularly to excessive weeping and wailing, or to the desire of pre-Islamic Arabs that people should lament them to an excessive extent when they died. The reference to the tongue indicates loud lamentation in contrast to silent weeping)(Bukharl and Muslim.)