The Book of Funerals

Harun ibn ‘Abdullah narrated to us: Ma‘n narrated to us: Ibrahim ibn Sa‘d narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘None of you should wish for death. If he is a doer of good, perhaps he will increase in good; and if he is a wrongdoer, perhaps he will repent and make amends.’

‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman narrated to us: Baqiyyah narrated to us: al-Zubaydi narrated to us: al-Zuhri told me, from Abu ‘Ubayd, the freedman of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, who heard Abu Hurayrah say: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘None of you should wish for death. If he is a doer of good, perhaps he will live and increase in good, and that is better for him; and if he is a wrongdoer, perhaps he will repent and make amends.’

Qutaybah narrated to us: Yazid—meaning Ibn Zuray‘—narrated to us, from Humayd, from Anas, that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘None of you should wish for death because of harm that has befallen him in this world. Rather, let him say: “O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and cause me to die when death is better for me.”’

‘Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us: Isma‘il ibn ‘Ulayyah narrated to us, from ‘Abd al-‘Aziz. [A change of chain:] ‘Imran ibn Musa informed us: ‘Abd al-Warith narrated to us: ‘Abd al-‘Aziz narrated to us, from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Indeed, none of you should wish for death because of harm that has befallen him. If he must wish for death, let him say: “O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and cause me to die when death is better for me.”’

Ahmad ibn Hafs ibn ‘Abdullah narrated to us: My father told me: Ibrahim ibn Tahman told me, from al-Hajjaj—the Basran—from Yunus, from Thabit, from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Do not pray for death or wish for it. If anyone must pray for it, let him say: “O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and cause me to die when death is better for me.”’

Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Yahya ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Isma‘il narrated to us: Qays told me: I visited Khabbab, who had been cauterized seven times on his abdomen. He said: ‘Were it not that the Messenger of Allah had forbidden us to pray for death, I would have prayed for it.’

Al-Husayn ibn Hurayth informed us: al-Fadl ibn Musa informed us, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr. [A change of chain:] Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak narrated to us: Yazid narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim informed us, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures [death].’ Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman said: ‘Muhammad ibn Ibrahim is the father of Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah.’

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us, from Yahya, from al-A‘mash, who said: Shaqiq told me, from Umm Salamah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘When you visit a sick person, say good things, for the angels say “Amen” to what you say.’ When Abu Salamah died, I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what should I say?’ He said: ‘Say: “O Allah, forgive us and him, and grant me a good successor after him.”’ Then Allah, Mighty and Sublime, granted me Muhammad in his place.

‘Amr ibn ‘Ali narrated to us: Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal narrated to us: ‘Umarah ibn Ghaziyyah narrated to us: Yahya ibn ‘Umarah narrated to us: I heard Abu Sa‘id. [A change of chain:] Qutaybah informed us: ‘Abd al-‘Aziz narrated to us, from ‘Umarah ibn Ghaziyyah, from Yahya ibn ‘Umarah, from Abu Sa‘id, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Prompt your dying ones to say: “There is no god but Allah.”’

Ibrahim ibn Ya‘qub informed us: Ahmad ibn Ishaq told me: Wuhayb narrated to us: Mansur ibn Safiyyah narrated to us, from his mother, Safiyyah bint Shaybah, from ‘A’ishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Prompt those among you who are dying to say: “There is no god but Allah.”’

Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Yahya narrated to us, from al-Muthanna ibn Sa‘id, from Qatadah, from ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The believer’s death is accompanied by sweat on the forehead.’

Muhammad ibn Ma‘mar narrated to us: Yusuf ibn Ya‘qub narrated to us: Kahmas narrated to us, from Ibn Buraydah, from his father, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘The believer dies with sweat on his forehead.’

‘Amr ibn Mansur narrated to us: ‘Abdullah ibn Yusuf narrated to us: al-Layth told me: Ibn al-Had narrated to me, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim, from his father, from ‘A’ishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah died while he was between my chest and chin. After seeing the Messenger of Allah, I never again found the agony of death difficult for anyone.

Qutaybah narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Anas, who said: The last time I looked at the Messenger of Allah, he drew back the curtain while the people were standing in rows behind Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. Abu Bakr began to step back, but the Prophet gestured to them to remain where they were, then let the curtain fall. He passed away later that same day, which was a Monday.

Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la informed us: Ibn Wahb informed us: Huyayy ibn ‘Abdullah told me, from Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, who said: A man who had been born in al-Madinah died there, and the Messenger of Allah prayed over him, then said: ‘If only he had died somewhere other than his birthplace!’ They asked: ‘Why is that, Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘When a man dies somewhere other than his birthplace, the distance from his birthplace to the point where his trail ends in Paradise is measured for him.’

‘Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Mu‘adh ibn Hisham narrated to us: My father told me, from Qatadah, from Qasamah ibn Zuhayr, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet said: ‘When the believer is near death, the angels of mercy come to him with a white cloth and say: “Come out, content and with approval upon you, to Allah’s mercy and provision, and to a Lord who is not angry.” The soul comes out with a fragrance sweeter than musk. They pass it from one to another until they bring it to the gate of heaven, where they say: “How sweet is this fragrance that has come to you from the earth!” Then they bring it to the souls of the believers, who rejoice over it more than any of you rejoices when an absent loved one arrives. They ask him, “What happened to so-and-so? What happened to so-and-so?” They say, “Let him be; he was in the distress of the world.” When he asks, “Did he not come to you?” they say, “He was taken to his mother, the Abyss [Hell].” When the disbeliever is near death, the angels of punishment come to him with a coarse cloth and say: “Come out, displeased, with wrath upon you, to the punishment of Allah, Mighty and Sublime.” The soul comes out with a stench fouler than a putrid corpse. They bring it to the gate of the earth, where they say: “How foul is this stench!” Then they bring it to the souls of the disbelievers.’

Hannad narrated to us, from Abu Zubayd—who was ‘Abthar ibn al-Qasim—from Mutarrif, from ‘Amir, from Shurayh ibn Hani’, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.’ Shurayh said: I went to ‘A’ishah and said: ‘Mother of the Believers, I heard Abu Hurayrah mention a hadith from the Messenger of Allah which, if that is so, means we are doomed.’ She asked: ‘What is it?’ He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.” But there is no one among us who does not dislike death.’ She said: ‘The Messenger of Allah did say that, but it is not as you understand it. Rather, when the gaze becomes fixed, the chest rattles, and the skin shivers, then at that point: whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.’

Al-Harith ibn Miskin recited to us, while I listened: from Ibn al-Qasim, Malik told me. [A change of chain:] Qutaybah narrated to us: al-Mughirah narrated to us, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-A‘raj, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: Allah, Exalted, said: ‘When My servant loves to meet Me, I love to meet him; and when he dislikes meeting Me, I dislike meeting him.’

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us: Muhammad narrated to us: Shu‘bah narrated to us, from Qatadah, who said: I heard Anas relate from ‘Ubadah, from the Prophet, who said: ‘Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.’

Abu al-Ash‘ath informed us: al-Mu‘tamir narrated to us: I heard my father relate, from Qatadah, from Anas ibn Malik, from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.’