He who attends the funeral till the prayer is offered for (the dead), for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attends (and stays) till he is buried, for him is the reward of two qirats. It was said: What are the qirats? He said: They are equivalent to two huge mountains. Two other narrators added: Ibn 'Umar used to pray and then depart (without waiting for the burial of the dead). When the tradition of Abu Huraira reached him, he said:" We have lost many qirats."
The Book of Prayer - Funerals
Sahih Muslim 945a
Hadith Text
He who attends the funeral till the prayer is offered for (the dead), for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attends (and stays) till he is buried, for him is the reward of two qirats. It was said: What are the qirats? He said: They are equivalent to two huge mountains. Two other narrators added: Ibn 'Umar used to pray and then depart (without waiting for the burial of the dead). When the tradition of Abu Huraira reached him, he said:" We have lost many qirats."
Commentary
This noble hadith establishes the immense reward for accompanying the deceased Muslim. The term "qirat" refers to a massive measure of divine recompense, likened to two enormous mountains in magnitude. This illustrates the profound spiritual significance Islam places on honoring the deceased and providing comfort to the departed soul through communal participation.
The distinction between one and two qirats demonstrates the virtue of complete commitment to the funeral rites. Attending only the prayer merits great reward, but remaining through burial demonstrates greater compassion and earns double recompense. This encourages Muslims to fully participate in this collective religious obligation.
Ibn 'Umar's lamentation upon learning of this hadith serves as a powerful lesson for the ummah. Even the most knowledgeable companions continuously sought to increase their good deeds, teaching us that we must constantly pursue opportunities for spiritual advancement and not neglect any means of drawing closer to Allah.
Legal Rulings
The funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah) is a collective obligation (fard kifayah) upon the Muslim community. Accompanying the deceased to burial is a highly recommended Sunnah (mustahabb).
This hadith provides evidence for the superiority of remaining until burial completion. The immense reward mentioned serves as motivation for Muslims to fully participate in funeral rites, strengthening communal bonds and fulfilling the rights of the deceased.