Hadith Text

He who offers prayer for the dead, for him is (the reward of) one qirat; and he who follows the bier till it is placed in the grave, for him (is the reward of) two qirats. I (Abu Hazim, one of the narrators) said: Abu Huraira, what is a qirat? He said: It is like the hill of Uhud.

Scholarly Commentary

This noble hadith from Sahih Muslim establishes the immense spiritual reward for participating in funeral rites. The term "qirat" represents a measure of divine reward, which the Prophet ﷺ clarified as being comparable to Mount Uhud in magnitude - a massive mountain near Medina.

The scholars explain that the funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah) earns one qirat, while accompanying the deceased to the gravesite and remaining until burial completion earns two qirats. This distinction emphasizes the virtue of complete commitment to honoring the deceased until their final resting place.

Imam al-Nawawi comments that this demonstrates the superiority of following the funeral procession over merely praying. The wisdom lies in providing comfort to the deceased through companionship and fulfilling the collective obligation (fard kifayah) of burial.

The comparison to Mount Uhud serves to make the abstract reward tangible to human comprehension, illustrating Allah's boundless generosity in rewarding even simple acts of kindness toward fellow believers.

Legal Rulings

The funeral prayer is a collective obligation (fard kifayah) upon the Muslim community.

Accompanying the funeral procession is a stressed Sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah) that carries greater reward than the prayer alone.

The complete funeral rites - from preparation to burial - constitute an act of collective worship that strengthens community bonds.

Spiritual Benefits

Participation in funeral rites serves as a powerful reminder of mortality and the afterlife.

It cultivates compassion and reinforces the Islamic concept of brotherhood.

The substantial reward encourages Muslims to support one another during times of loss and grief.