She reported God’s messenger as saying, “If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says what God has commanded him, ‘We belong to God and to Him do we return ; O God, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it,’ God will give him something better than it in exchange.” When Abu Salama died she said, “What Muslim is better than Abu Salama whose family was the first to emigrate to God’s messenger? ”(He and his wife, Umm Salama, were among those who emigrated to Abyssinia. Abu Salama died of wounds received at the battle of Uhud, and the Prophet later married Umm Salama.) She then said the words, and God gave her God’s messenger in exchange. Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the soul of a believer comes out, two angels meet it and take it up.” Hammad said he mentioned some of the fragrance of its odour and made mention of musk, and said, “The inhabitants of heaven will say, ‘A good soul has come from the earth. God bless you and a body which you inhabited!' He will then be taken to his Lord who will tell them to take him away till the end of the appointed time."(A reference to the day of resurrection. Cf. Qur’an, vi, 2) He said, “When an infidel’s soul comes out (Hammad saying that he mentioned some of its stench and made mention of cursing), the inhabitants of heaven say, ‘A wicked soul has come from the earth,’ and they will be told to take him away till the end of the appointed time." Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger then put a seamless garment he was wearing over his nose thus( This would be indicated by putting his garment over his nose).Muslim transmitted it.

We went out with the Prophet to the funeral of a man of the Ansar and came to the grave. It had not yet been dug, so God’s messenger sat down and we sat down around him quietly. He had in his hand a stick with which he was making marks on the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment of the grave saying it twice or thrice. He then said, “When a believer is about to leave the world and go forward to the next world, angels with faces white as the sun come down to him from heaven with one of the shrouds of paradise and some of the perfume of paradise and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, 'Good soul, come out to forgiveness and acceptance from God.' It then comes out as a drop flows from a water-skin and he seizes it; and when he does so, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but take it and place it in that shroud and that perfume, and from it there comes forth a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, “Who is this good soul?' to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the best of his names by which people called him on the earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven and ask that the gate should be opened for him. This is done, and from every heaven its archangels escort him to the next heaven till he is brought to the seventh heaven, and God who is great and glorious says, ‘Record the book of my servant in ‘Illiyun (Cf. Qur’an, lxxxiii, 18) and take him back to earth, for I created mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I shall bring them forth another time.' His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘My Lord is God.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ and he replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ and he replies, ‘He is God’s messenger.’ They ask, ‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’ and he replies, ‘I have read God’s Book, believed in it and declared it to be true.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so spread out carpets from paradise for him, clothe him from paradise, and open a gate for him into paradise.’ Then some of its joy and fragrance comes to him, his grave is made spacious for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet odour comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.' He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly beautiful and brings good?” He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, bring the last hour; my Lord, bring the last hour, so that I may return to my people and my property.’ But when an infidel is about to leave the world and proceed to the next world, angels with black faces come down to him from heaven with hair-cloth and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Wicked soul, come out to displeasure from God.’ Then it becomes dissipated in his body, and he draws it out as a spit is drawn out from moistened wool. He then seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but put it in that hair-cloth and from it there comes forth a stench like the most offensive stench of a corpse found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, ‘Who is this wicked soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the worst names he was called in the world. When he is brought to the lowest heaven request is made that the gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him. (God’s messenger then recited, ‘The gates of heaven will not be opened for them and they will not enter paradise until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.)(Qur'an, vii, 40) God who is great and glorious then says, ‘Record his book in Sijjin (Cf. Qur’an, Ixxxiii, 7 ff) in the lowest earth,’ and his soul is thrown down. (He then recited, ‘He who assigns partners to God is as if he had fallen down from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or made to fall by the wind in a place far distant.')(Qur’an, xxii, 31). His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’. He replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘He has lied, so spread out carpets from hell for him, and open a gate for him into hell.’ Then some of its heat and hot air comes to him, his grave is made narrow for him so that his ribs are pressed together in it, and a man with an ugly, face, ugly garments and an offensive odour come to him and says, ‘Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is most ugly and brings evil?' He replies, ‘I am your wicked deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, do not bring the last hour.’ ” In a version there is something similar containing an addition: “When his soul comes out every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven invoke blessings on him, and the gates of heaven are opened for him, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul may be taken up beyond them. But his soul, i.e., the infidel’s, is pulled out along with the veins and every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven curse him, and the gates of heaven are locked, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul may not be taken up beyond them. Ahmad transmitted it.

He quoted his father to the effect that he used to tell that God’s messenger said, “The spirit of a believer is only a bird which feeds on (Here the Arabic is ta'luqu fi. Mirqat quotes Suyuti who explains it as in the translation above. The verb can have either the sense of being attached to something or of eating) the trees of paradise till God restores him to his body on the day He resurrects it.” Malik, Nasa’i and Baihaqi, in Kitab al-ba'th wan-nushur, transmitted it.

at Thy service; praise and grace are Thine, and the dominion ; Thou hast no partner." See Book XI, chap. ii) (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Walk quickly at a funeral, for if the dead person was good it is a good condition to which you are sending him on, but if he was otherwise it is an evil of which you are ridding yourselves.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “When you see a funeral stand up; but anyone who follows it must not sit down till the bier is placed on the ground.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas told that when some people passed a dead body on a bier and spoke highly of the dead man the Prophet said, “It is certain.” When they passed another and spoke very badly of the dead man he said, “It is certain.” ‘Umar asked what was certain, and he replied, “You spoke highly of this one, so paradise is certain for him; but you spoke very badly of that one, so hell is certain for him. You are God’s witnesses in the earth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version has “The believers are God's witnesses in the earth.”

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 mursat form.

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.

‘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 gharib tradition and that Bishr b. Rafi' the transmitter was not strong.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying in the course of prayer over a dead body, “O God, Thou art its Lord, Thou didst create it, Thou didst guide it to Islam, Thou hast taken its spirit, and Thou knowest best its inner nature and outer aspect. We have come as intercessors, so forgive him.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari said God’s messenger forbade that the imam should stand on anything when the people were behind him, meaning on a lower level than he was.Daraqutnl transmitted it in al-Mujtaba in Kitab al-jana’iz.

‘Amir b. Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas told that Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said during his illness of which he died, “Make a niche for me in the side of the grave, and set up bricks over me as was done with God’s messenger.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abul Hayyaj al-Asadi told that ‘Ali said to him, “I am sending you on the same mission as God’s messenger sent me. Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling it.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not sit on graves, and do not pray facing them.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Urwa b. az-Zubair said there were two men in Medina, one of whom made a niche when digging a grave, the other of whom did not. The people said that the one who came first should do as he was accustomed to do, and the one who made a niche came and made one for God’s messenger. [Baghawi] transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

On the day of Uhud my paternal aunt brought my father to bury him in our cemetery, but God’s messenger’s crier called out, “Take back the dead to the place where they fell.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi Abu Dawud, Nasa'i and Darimi transmitted it, the wording being Tirmidhi’s.

Jabir said God’s messenger forbade that graves should be plastered with gypsum, have any writing on them, or be trodden on. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Al-Muttalib b. Abu Wada'a said that when ‘Uthman b. Maz'un died, was brought out on his bier and buried, the Prophet ordered a man to bring him a stone, but he was unable to carry it; so God’s messenger got up and, going over to it, rolled up his sleeves. Al-Muttalib remarked that the one who told him about God’s messenger said, “I still seem to see the whiteness of the forearms of God’s messenger when he rolled up his sleeves.” He then carried it and placed it at his head saying, “I am marking my brother’s grave with it, and I shall bury beside him those of my family who die.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.