Funerals

Ibn Abbas said: When Zainab, daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, died, the women wept. Umar began striking them with his whip, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ restrained him with his hand and said, ‘Gently, Umar!’ Then he said, ‘Beware of the devil’s wailing.’ He continued, ‘Whatever comes from the eye and the heart is from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and from compassion; whatever comes from the hand and the tongue is from the devil.’ Ahmad transmitted it.

Al-Bukhari said, in a report cited without a complete chain: When al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali died, his wife erected a tent over his grave for a year. Then she took it down and heard someone calling, ‘Have they found what they lost?’ Another answered, ‘Rather, they have despaired and turned away.’

Imran ibn Husayn and Abu Barza said: We went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for a funeral. He saw some people who had taken off their cloaks and were walking in their shirts. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Are you adopting the practice of the pre-Islamic people, or imitating their custom? I was on the verge of invoking a prayer against you that would make you return in forms other than your own.’ He said: They took their cloaks and did not do that again. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn Umar said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade following a funeral procession accompanied by a wailing woman. Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said: A man told him, ‘My son has died, and I am grieving. Have you heard anything from your close companion ﷺ that might comfort us regarding our dead?’ He replied: ‘Yes. I heard him ﷺ say, “Their little ones are the free-roaming creatures of Paradise. One of them meets his father, takes hold of the edge of his garment, and does not leave him until he brings him into Paradise.”’ Muslim and Ahmad transmitted it; this is Ahmad’s wording.

Abu Saʿid said: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, the men have taken all your teaching. Set aside a day for us when we may come to you and you can teach us some of what Allah has taught you.’ He said, ‘Gather on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a place.’ They gathered, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to them and taught them some of what Allah had taught him. Then he said, ‘There is no woman among you who has three of her children go before her but that they will be a shield for her from the Fire.’ One of the women asked, ‘And two, Messenger of Allah?’ She repeated the question twice. He then said, ‘And two, and two, and two.’ Al-Bukhari transmitted it.

Muadh ibn Jabal said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘There are no two Muslims who lose three children but that Allah will admit them to Paradise through His grace and mercy toward them.’ They asked, ‘Or two?’ He said, ‘Or two.’ They asked, ‘Or one?’ He said, ‘Or one.’ Then he said, ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, the miscarried child surely draws its mother to Paradise by its afterbirth when she seeks her reward from Allah for it.’ Ahmad transmitted it. Ibn Majah transmitted the words, ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul.’

Abdullah ibn Masud said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Whoever is preceded in death by three children who have not reached the age of accountability, they will be a strong fortress for him against the Fire.’ Abu Dharr said, ‘I have lost two.’ He replied, ‘And two.’ Ubayy ibn Kab, Abu al-Mundhir, the foremost of the Qur’an reciters, said, ‘I have lost one.’ He replied, ‘And one.’ Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a gharīb hadith.

Qurra al-Muzani said: A man used to come to the Prophet ﷺ with his son. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, ‘Do you love him?’ He replied, ‘Messenger of Allah, may Allah love you as I love him.’ The Prophet ﷺ later missed the boy and asked, ‘What has happened to so-and-so’s son?’ They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, he has died.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Would you not like to come to any gate of Paradise and find him waiting for you?’ A man asked, ‘Is that particular to him, or for all of us?’ He replied, ‘Rather, it is for all of you.’ Ahmad transmitted it.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The miscarried child will contend with its Lord when He admits its parents to the Fire. It will be told, “O miscarried child contending with its Lord, admit your parents to Paradise!” Then it will drag them by its afterbirth until it admits them to Paradise.’ Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Umama reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says, ‘Son of Adam, if you are patient and seek your reward from Me at the first shock of affliction, I will be satisfied with no reward for you less than Paradise.’ Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Al-Husayn ibn Ali reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘There is no Muslim man or woman who suffers a calamity and remembers it, even after a long time has passed, then renews the words “We belong to Allah and to Him we return,” but that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, renews for that person on that occasion and grants the like of its reward from the day the calamity befell them.’ Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi transmitted it in Shuʿab al-Iman.

Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘When the sandal strap of one of you breaks, let him say, “We belong to Allah and to Him we return,” for it is one of the calamities.’ Al-Bayhaqi transmitted it in Shuʿab al-Iman.

Umm al-Darda said: I heard Abu al-Darda say: I heard Abu al-Qasim ﷺ say: ‘Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: “Jesus, after you I shall send a community: when what they love befalls them, they praise Allah; when what they dislike befalls them, they seek their reward and show patience, though they have neither forbearance nor judgment.”’ He said, ‘My Lord, how can this be for them when they have neither forbearance nor judgment?’ He said, ‘I shall give them of My forbearance and My knowledge.’ Al-Bayhaqi transmitted both reports in Shuʿab al-Iman.

Burayda said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I had forbidden you to visit graves, but now visit them. I had forbidden you to keep the meat of sacrificial animals beyond three days, but now keep as much as you wish. I had forbidden you to prepare nabidh except in a waterskin; now drink it from all kinds of vessels, but do not drink anything intoxicating.’ Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said: The Prophet ﷺ visited his mother’s grave and wept, causing those around him to weep. He said, ‘I asked my Lord for permission to seek forgiveness for her, but I was not permitted. I asked Him for permission to visit her grave, and He permitted me. So visit graves, for they remind one of death.’ Muslim transmitted it.

Burayda said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out to the graveyards, he would teach them to say: ‘Peace be upon you, inhabitants of these dwellings, among the believers and Muslims. If Allah wills, we shall join you. We ask Allah to grant us and you well-being.’ Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn Abbas said: The Prophet ﷺ passed by some graves in Medina, turned toward them, and said, ‘Peace be upon you, people of the graves. May Allah forgive us and you. You have gone ahead of us, and we are following after you.’ Al-Tirmidhi transmitted it and said: This is a hasan gharīb hadith.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: Whenever it was the Messenger of Allah’s ﷺ night with her, he would go out at the end of the night to al-Baqiʿ and say, ‘Peace be upon you, abode of a believing people. What you were promised has come to you; you have received it after a delay. If Allah wills, we shall join you. O Allah, forgive the people of Baqiʿ al-Gharqad.’ Muslim transmitted it.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: She asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, what should I say?’—meaning during visits to graves. He replied, ‘Say: Peace be upon the inhabitants of these dwellings among the believers and Muslims. May Allah have mercy on those of us who went ahead and those who came later. If Allah wills, we shall join you.’ Muslim transmitted it.