The Book of Funerals

Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us, saying: ‘Abd Allah informed us, from Hisham and al-Awza‘i, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Sa‘id, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘When you see a funeral, stand. Whoever follows it must not sit down until it is set down.’

Qutaybah informed us, saying: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Yahya, from Waqid, from Nafi‘ ibn Jubayr, from Mas‘ud ibn al-Hakam, from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib: The practice of standing for a funeral until the body is set down was mentioned, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood, then sat down.’

Isma‘il ibn Mas‘ud informed us, saying: Khalid narrated to us, saying: Shu‘bah narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir informed me, from Mas‘ud ibn al-Hakam, from ‘Ali, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stand, so we stood; and when we saw him sit, we sat.

Harun ibn Ishaq informed us, saying: Abu Khalid al-Ahmar narrated to us, from ‘Amr ibn Qays, from al-Minhal ibn ‘Amr, from Zadhan, from al-Bara’, who said: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for a funeral. When we reached the grave, before the burial niche had been dug, he sat down, and we sat around him as though birds were perched on our heads.

Hannad narrated to us, from Ibn al-Mubarak, from Ma‘mar, from al-Zuhri, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Tha‘labah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said about those killed at Uhud: ‘Shroud them in their blood, for no wound suffered for Allah’s sake will come on the Day of Resurrection except that it will be bleeding; its color will be the color of blood, and its fragrance will be the fragrance of musk.’

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us, saying: Waki‘ informed us, saying: Sa‘id ibn al-Sa’ib narrated to us, from a man called ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Mu‘ayyah, who said: Two Muslim men were killed on the day of al-Ta’if and were carried to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He ordered that they be buried where they had been killed. Ibn Mu‘ayyah had been born during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah.

Muhammad ibn Mansur informed us, saying: Sufyan narrated to us, saying: al-Aswad ibn Qays narrated to us, from Nubayh al-‘Anazi, from Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered that those killed at Uhud be returned to the places where they had fallen, for they had been moved to Medina.

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak informed us, saying: Waki‘ narrated to us, from Sufyan, from al-Aswad ibn Qays, from Nubayh al-‘Anazi, from Jabir, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Bury those killed where they fell.’

‘Ubayd Allah ibn Sa‘id informed us, saying: Yahya narrated to us, from Sufyan, who said: Abu Ishaq related to me, from Najiyah ibn Ka‘b, from ‘Ali, who said: I said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), ‘Your elderly, misguided uncle has died. Who will bury him?’ He said, ‘Go and bury your father, and do nothing until you come to me.’ I buried him, then came back. He instructed me, and I performed ghusl. He supplicated for me and mentioned a supplication that I did not memorize.

‘Amr ibn ‘Ali informed us, saying: ‘Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd Allah ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, from Isma‘il ibn Muhammad ibn Sa‘d, from his father, from Sa‘d, who said: ‘Make a side niche for me, and raise a structure over me, as was done for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).’

Harun ibn ‘Abd Allah informed us, saying: Abu ‘Amir narrated to us, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ja‘far, from Isma‘il ibn Muhammad, from ‘Amir ibn Sa‘d: When Sa‘d was dying, he said, ‘Make a side niche for me and raise a structure over me, as was done for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).’

‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Adhrami informed us, from Hakkam ibn Salm al-Razi, from ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la, from his father, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The side niche is for us, and the trench grave is for others.’

Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us, saying: Ishaq ibn Yusuf narrated to us, saying: Sufyan narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Humayd ibn Hilal, from Hisham ibn ‘Amir, who said: On the day of Uhud, we complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, digging a separate grave for each person is too difficult for us.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Dig deeply and do the work well, and bury two or three in one grave.’ They asked, ‘Whom should we place first, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Place first the one who knew the most Qur’an.’ He said: My father was the third of three in one grave.

Muhammad ibn Ma‘mar informed us, saying: Wahb ibn Jarir narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to us, saying: I heard Humayd ibn Hilal, from Sa‘d ibn Hisham ibn ‘Amir, from his father, who said: On the day of Uhud, some Muslims were struck down and people were wounded. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Dig graves and make them spacious. Bury two or three in one grave, and place first the one who knew the most Qur’an.’

Isma‘il ibn Mas‘ud informed us, from Yazid—namely, Ibn Zuray‘—who said: Shu‘bah narrated to us, from Abu Jamrah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was buried, a red qatifah (velvet-like cloth) was placed beneath him.

‘Amr ibn ‘Ali informed us, saying: ‘Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, saying: Musa ibn ‘Ulayy ibn Rabah said: I heard my father say: I heard ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir al-Juhani say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade us to pray or bury our dead at three times: when the sun rises until it has climbed higher; when midday heat is at its height, until the sun passes its zenith; and when the sun inclines toward setting.

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid al-Qattan al-Raqqi informed me, saying: Hajjaj narrated to us; Ibn Jurayj said: Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard Jabir say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered a sermon and mentioned a man among his Companions who had died and been buried at night, wrapped in an inadequate shroud. The Messenger of Allah rebuked them for burying someone at night, except when they were compelled to do so.

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak informed us, saying: Waki‘ narrated to us, from Sulayman ibn al-Mughirah, from Humayd ibn Hilal, from Hisham ibn ‘Amir, who said: On the day of Uhud, the people suffered severe hardship. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Dig graves and make them spacious, and bury two or three in one grave.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, whom should we place first?’ He replied, ‘Place first the one who knew the most Qur’an.’

Ibrahim ibn Ya‘qub informed me, saying: Sulayman ibn Harb informed us, saying: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Humayd ibn Hilal, from Sa‘d ibn Hisham ibn ‘Amir, from his father, who said: On the day of Uhud, wounds became severe, and this was brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said, ‘Dig graves, make them spacious and well prepared, bury two or three in one grave, and place first the one who knew the most Qur’an.’

Ibrahim ibn Ya‘qub informed us, saying: Musaddad narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd al-Warith narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Humayd ibn Hilal, from Abu al-Dahma’, from Hisham ibn ‘Amir, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Dig graves and prepare them well. Bury two or three together, and place first the one who knew the most Qur’an.’