The Book of Prayer - Funerals

كتاب الجنائز

Chapter 24: Standing for funerals

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah

There passed a bier and the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up for it and we also stood up along with him. We said: Messenger of Allah, that was the bier of a Jewess. Upon this he remarked: Verily, death is a matter of consternation, so whenever you come across a bier stand up.

Ibn Juraij told me that Abu Zubair heard Jabir say that the Prophet (ﷺ) kept standing for a bier until it disappeared.

Again Abu Zubair heard Jabir say that the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions kept standing for a bier of a Jew until it disappeared from sight.

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abu Laila that while Qais b. Sa'd and Sahl b. Hunaif were both in Qadislyya a bier passed by them and they both stood up. They were told that it was the bier of one of the people of the land (non-Muslim). They said that a bier passed before the Prophet (ﷺ) and he stood up. He was told that he (the dead man) was a Jew. Upon this he remarked

Was he not a human being or did he not have a soul? And in the hadith narrated by 'Amr b. Murra with the same chain of transmitters, (the words) are:" There passed a bier before us."

Chapter 25: Abrogation of standing for funerals

It is narrated on the authority of Waqid

Nafi' b. Jubair saw me and we were standing for a bier, while he was sitting and waiting for the bier to be placed on the ground. He said to me: What makes you keep standing? I said: I am waiting that the bier may be placed on the ground (and I am doing that) on the hadith narrated to me by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri. Upon this Nafi' said: Verily, Mas'ud b. Hakam reported to me on the authority of Hadrat 'Ali b. Abu Talib that the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up first (for a bier) and then sat down.

Mas'ud b. al-Hakam al-Ansari informed Nafi' that he had heard Hadrat 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), son of Abu Talib, say about the biers

Verily, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to stand first but later on kept sitting; but it is also narrated that Nafi' ibn Jubair saw Waqid b. 'Amr standing for a bier till it was placed down.

This hadith has been narrated by Yahya b. Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters.

It is narrated on the authority of Muhammad b. Munkadir that he said

I heard from Mas'ud b. al-Hakam who narrated it on the authority of Hadrat 'Ali that he said: We saw the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up for a (bier) and we also stood up; he sat down and we too sat down.

This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 26: Supplicating for the deceased during the (funeral) prayer

Jubair b. Nufair says

I heard it from 'Auf b. Malik that the Prophet (ﷺ) said prayer on the dead body, and I remembered his prayer:" O Allah! forgive him, have mercy upon him, give him peace and absolve him. Receive him with honour and make his grave spacious; wash him with water, snow and hail. Cleanse him from faults as Thou wouldst cleanse a white garment from impurity. Requite him with an abode more excellent than his abode, with a family better than his family, and with a mate better than his mate. Admit him to the Garden, and protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of the Fire." ('Auf bin Malik) said: I earnestly desired that I were this dead body.

A hadith like this has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.

'Anas b. Malik said

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say (while offering prayer on a dead body): O Allah! forgive him, have mercy upon him. Give him peace and absolve him. Receive him with honour and make his grave spacious. Wash him with water, snow and hail, cleanse him from faults as is cleaned a white garment from impurity. Requite him with an abode more excellent than his abode, with a family better than his family, and with a mate better than his mate, and save him from the trial of the grave and torment of Hell. 'Auf b. Malik said: I earnestly desired that I were the dead person to receive the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as this dead body had (received).

Chapter 27: Where the Imam should stand in relation to the deceased when performing the funeral prayer

Samura b. Jundub said

I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he prayed for a woman who had died in the state of delivery. He stood in front of her waist.

This hadith has been narrated by Husain with the same chain of transmitters, but no mention is made of Umm Ka'b.

Samura b. Jundub said

I was a young boy during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) and I retained in my mind (what I learnt from him), and nothing restrained me from speaking except the fact that there were persons far more advanced in age than I. Verily, I said prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) over a woman who had died in the state of delivery, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up to say prayer in front of the middle part of her body. And in the tradition narrated on the authority of Ibn Muthanna the words are:" (The Holy Prophet) stood in the middle part of her body for offering prayer for her."

Chapter 28: Riding back after the funeral

It is reported on the authority of Jabir ibn Samura that an unsaddled horse was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he rode on it when he returned after having offered the funeral prayer of Ibn Dahdah and we walked on foot around him.

Jabir ibn Samura reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said (funeral) prayer on Ibn Dahdah

then an unsaddled horse was brought to him and a person hobbled it, and he (the Messenger of Allah) rode upon it and it bounded and we followed it and ran after it. One of the people said that the Prophet (ﷺ) remarked: How many among hanging bunches in the Paradise are meant for Ibn Dahdah?

Chapter 29: The Lahd (Niche), and setting up bricks over the deceased

'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 in case of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).

Chapter 30: Putting a piece of velvet in the grave

Ibn 'Abbas said that a piece of red stuff was put in the grave of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).

Chapter 31: The command to level the grave

Thumama b. Shafayy reported

When we were with Fadala b. 'Ubaid in the country of the Romans at a place (known as) Rudis, a friend of ours died. Fadala b. 'Ubaid ordered to prepare a grave for him and then it was levelled; and then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanding (us) to level the grave.