Hadith Text & Context

"Whoever follows the funeral of a Muslim man, seeking reward, and offers the prayer and buries him, will have two Qirats. And whoever offers the funeral prayer then goes back before the burial, then he returns with one Qirat of reward."

This noble tradition is recorded in Sunan an-Nasa'i (Hadith 1996) and other authentic collections, establishing the immense spiritual merit in accompanying the deceased Muslim brother from prayer to burial.

Meaning of Qirat

A Qirat represents a massive, immense measure of reward from Allah. Scholars explain it is like a great mountain in its magnitude. Some early scholars said one Qirat is equivalent to Mount Uhud in size, indicating the tremendous value Allah places on this act of compassion and brotherhood.

Scholarly Commentary

The complete reward of two Qirats is reserved for those who remain with the deceased until burial is completed. This demonstrates the virtue of seeing matters through to their proper conclusion and providing full honor to our Muslim brother.

The one Qirat reward for praying then departing shows that even partial participation brings great merit, encouraging maximum community involvement in this collective obligation (fard kifayah).

Spiritual Wisdom

This hadith teaches us about the importance of sincere intention ("seeking reward") in all acts of worship. It emphasizes Muslim brotherhood and the duty we owe to one another even after death.

The graduated reward system shows Allah's infinite mercy - He rewards according to one's capacity and effort, encouraging us to do what we can while motivating toward the complete, superior action.

Practical Application

Muslims should make effort to participate in funeral prayers and processions whenever possible. One should remain until burial completion to obtain the full two Qirat reward.

This tradition from The Book of Funerals in Sunan an-Nasa'i reminds us that every stage of accompanying the deceased is worship that draws us closer to Allah and strengthens community bonds.