He who offered prayer for the dead, for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attended its burial, he would have two qirats as his reward. And qirat is equivalent to Uhud.
The Book of Prayer - Funerals
Sahih Muslim 946a
Hadith Text
He who offered prayer for the dead, for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attended its burial, he would have two qirats as his reward. And qirat is equivalent to Uhud.
Commentary
This noble hadith from Sahih Muslim elucidates the immense spiritual rewards for participating in funeral rites. The term "qirat" refers to a massive mountain-like measure of divine reward, specifically compared to Mount Uhud near Medina - a substantial mountain of great significance to Muslims.
The wisdom behind this graduated reward system manifests Allah's mercy. Offering the funeral prayer earns one qirat, while accompanying the deceased to burial doubles the reward. This encourages complete fulfillment of our duties toward our deceased brethren, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of Islamic brotherhood that extends even beyond death.
Scholars explain that attending the burial requires additional effort, time, and emotional commitment, hence the greater recompense. This teaching emphasizes the importance of communal responsibility in Islam and the spiritual benefits of participating in all aspects of funeral rites, thereby earning tremendous divine favor equivalent to mountains of reward.