The Book of Funerals

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, from his father, from ‘A’ishah: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was shrouded in three white Suhuli garments, without a shirt or turban.

Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Hafs narrated to us, from Hisham, from his father, from ‘A’ishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was shrouded in three white Yemeni cotton garments, with neither a shirt nor a turban among them. Someone mentioned to ‘A’ishah the claim that he had been shrouded in two garments and a hibarah cloak. She said: ‘The cloak was brought, but they returned it and did not shroud him in it.’

‘Amr ibn ‘Ali narrated to us, saying: Yahya narrated to us, saying: ‘Ubayd Allah narrated to us, saying: Nafi‘ narrated to us, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar, who said: When ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy died, his son came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: ‘Give me your shirt so that I may shroud him in it. Pray over him and ask forgiveness for him.’ He gave him his shirt, then said: ‘When you have finished, let me know so that I may pray over him.’ ‘Umar pulled him aside and said: ‘Allah has forbidden you to pray over the hypocrites.’ He replied: ‘I have been given a choice between two matters.’ He recited: ‘Whether you ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them…’ Then he prayed over him. Thereafter Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: ‘Never pray over any of them who dies, nor stand at his grave.’ After that, he stopped praying over them.

‘Abd al-Jabbar ibn al-‘Ala’ ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar narrated to us, from Sufyan, from ‘Amr, who said: I heard Jabir say: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to the grave of ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy after he had been placed in his grave, and stood over it. He ordered that the man be brought out, and he was brought out for him. He placed him on his knees, put his own shirt on him, and blew some of his saliva over him. Allah, Exalted is He, knows best.

‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Zuhri al-Basri narrated to us, saying: Sufyan narrated to us, from ‘Amr, who heard Jabir say: Al-‘Abbas was in Madinah, and the Ansar sought a garment with which to clothe him. They could find no shirt that fit him except the shirt of ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, so they clothed him in it.

‘Ubayd Allah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us, saying: Yahya narrated to us, from al-A‘mash. (Another route:) Isma‘il ibn Mas‘ud narrated to us, saying: Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan narrated to us, saying: I heard al-A‘mash say: I heard Shaqiq say: Khabbab narrated to us, saying: We emigrated with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), seeking the countenance of Allah, Exalted is He, and our reward became assured with Allah. Some of us died without receiving any of their reward; among them was Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr, who was killed on the day of Uhud. We found nothing with which to shroud him except a namirah. When we covered his head with it, his feet showed; and when we covered his feet with it, his head showed. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instructed us to cover his head with it and place idhkhir over his feet. Among us are those whose fruit has ripened, and they are harvesting it. This is Isma‘il’s wording.

‘Utbah ibn ‘Abd Allah narrated to us, saying: Yunus ibn Nafi‘ narrated to us, from ‘Amr ibn Dinar, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Wash the pilgrim in ihram in the two garments in which he entered ihram. Wash him with water and lote leaves, and shroud him in his two garments. Do not apply perfume to him or cover his head, for he will be raised on the Day of Resurrection in the state of ihram.’

Mahmud ibn Ghaylan narrated to us, saying: Abu Dawud and Shababah narrated to us; they both said: Shu‘bah narrated to us, from Khulayd ibn Ja‘far, who heard Abu Nadr, from Abu Sa‘id, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The finest perfume is musk.’

‘Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Dirhami narrated to us, saying: Umayyah ibn Khalid narrated to us, from al-Mustamir ibn al-Rayyan, from Abu Nadr, from Abu Sa‘id, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Among the finest of your perfumes is musk.’

Qutaybah narrated to us, in his narration from Malik, from Ibn Shihab, from Abu Umamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf, who informed him that a poor woman fell ill. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was told of her illness. He used to visit the poor and ask after them. The Messenger of Allah said: ‘When she dies, let me know.’ Her funeral was taken out at night, and they disliked waking the Messenger of Allah. When morning came, he was told what had happened to her. He said: ‘Did I not instruct you to let me know about her?’ They replied: ‘Messenger of Allah, we disliked waking you at night.’ The Messenger of Allah went out, lined the people up at her grave, and pronounced four takbirs.

Suwayd ibn Nasr narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd Allah informed us, from Ibn Abi Dhi’b, from Sa‘id al-Maqburi, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mihran, that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘When a righteous man is placed on his bier, he says, “Carry me on, carry me on!” But when an evil man is placed on his bier, he says, “Woe to me! Where are you taking me?”’

Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Sa‘id ibn Abi Sa‘id, from his father, who heard Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘When the bier is placed down and the men lift it onto their shoulders, if the deceased was righteous, it says: “Take me forward, take me forward!” But if the deceased was not righteous, it says: “Woe to it! Where are you taking it?” Everything hears its voice except the human being. If a human being were to hear it, he would collapse.’

Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Sa‘id, from Abu Hurayrah, who traced it back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he said: ‘Hasten with the funeral bier. If the deceased was righteous, you are taking it ahead to goodness; if otherwise, it is evil that you are setting down from your necks.’

Suwayd narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd Allah narrated to us, from Yunus, from al-Zuhri, who said: Abu Umamah ibn Sahl told me that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘Hasten with the funeral bier. If it is righteous, you are taking it ahead to goodness; if it is otherwise, it is an evil that you are setting down from your necks.’

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la narrated to us, saying: Khalid narrated to us, saying: ‘Uyaynah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Jawshan informed us, saying: My father told me: I witnessed the funeral of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah. Ziyad came out walking in front of the bier. Some men from ‘Abd al-Rahman’s family and their freedmen faced the bier and walked backward, saying: ‘Slowly, slowly—may Allah bless you!’ They were creeping along. When we were on part of the road to al-Mirbad, Abu Bakrah caught up with us on a mule. When he saw what they were doing, he drove his mule toward them, raised his whip at them, and said: ‘Move aside! By the One who honored the face of Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I remember us being with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and we would nearly run alongside it.’ The people then spread out.

‘Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us, from Isma‘il and Hushaym, from ‘Uyaynah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, from his father, from Abu Bakrah, who said: I remember us being with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and we would nearly run alongside the bier. This is Hushaym’s wording.

Yahya ibn Durust narrated to us, saying: Abu Isma‘il narrated to us, from Yahya, that Abu Salamah told him, from Abu Sa‘id, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘When a funeral bier passes by you, stand. Whoever follows it should not sit down until it has been set down.’

Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Nafi‘, from Ibn ‘Umar, from ‘Amir ibn Rabi‘ah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: ‘When one of you sees a funeral bier and is not walking with it, let him stand until it passes him, or until it is set down before it passes him.’

Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from Salim, from his father, from ‘Amir ibn Rabi‘ah al-‘Adawi, from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: ‘When you see a funeral bier, stand until it passes you or is set down.’

‘Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us, saying: Isma‘il narrated to us, from Hisham. (Another route:) Isma‘il ibn Mas‘ud narrated to us, saying: Khalid narrated to us, saying: Hisham narrated to us, from Yahya, 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 bier, stand. Whoever follows it should not sit down until it has been set down.’