The Book of Prayer (Funerals)

'A'isha reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upom him) died, he was covered with a Yamani wrapper.

This hadith has been narrated by Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) one day in the course of his sermon made mention of a person among his Companions who had died and had been wrapped in a shroud not long (enough to cover his whole body) and was buried during the night. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) reprimanded (the audience) that a person was buried during the night (in a state that) funeral prayer could not be offered (over him by the Messenger of Allah). (And this is permissible only) when it becomes a dire necessity for a man. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) also said: When any one of you shrouds his brother, he should shroud him well.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: Make haste at a funeral; if the dead person was good, it is a good state to which you are sending him on; but if he was otherwise it is an evil of which you are ridding yourselves.

This hadith has been narrated by another chain of transmitters except with this variation (of words) that in the hadith narrated by Ma'mar (the words are): " I do not know whether the hadith is marfu'."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger as saying: Hasten at a funeral, for if (the dead person) is good, you would (soon) bring him close to the good. And if it is otherwise, it is an evil of which you are ridding yourselves.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who attends the funeral till the prayer is offered for (the dead), for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attends (and stays) till he is buried, for him is the reward of two qirats. It was said: What are the qirats? He said: They are equivalent to two huge mountains. Two other narrators added: Ibn 'Umar used to pray and then depart (without waiting for the burial of the dead). When the tradition of Abu Huraira reached him, he said:" We have lost many qirats."

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of narrators up to these words: " two great mountains." No mention is made of what followed (these words) ; and in the hadith transmitted by 'Abd al- A'la (the words are):" till (the burial) is complete." In the hadith transmitted by 'Abd ar-Razzaq (the words are):" till he is placed in the grave."

This hadith is narrated on thp authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters (with these words): " He who followed it (the bier) till he (the dead) is buried."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who offered prayer over the dead, but did not follow the bier, for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who followed it, for him is the reward of two qirats. It was asked what the qirats were. He said: The smaller amongst the two is equivalent to Uhud.

Nafi' narrated that it was said to Ibn 'Umar that Abu Huraira reported to have heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who follows the bier, for him is the reward of one qirat. Ibn 'Umar said: Abu Huraira narrated it too often. So he sent (a messenger to) 'A'isha to ascertain (the fact). She ('A'isha) testified Abu Huraira. Ibn 'Umar said: We missed so many qirats.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who offers prayer for the dead, for him is (the reward of) one qirat; and he who follows the bier till it is placed in the grave, for him (is the reward of) two qirats. I (Abu Hazim, one of the narrators) raid: Abu Huraira, what is this qirat? He said: It is like the hill of Uhud.

Dawud b. 'Amir b. Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas reported on the authority of his father that while he was sitting along with 'Abdullah b. 'Umar, Khabbab, the owner of Maqsura, said: Ibn 'Umar, do you hear what Abu Huraira says that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say:" He who goes out with the bier when taken out from its residence and offers prayer for it and he then follows it till it is buried, he would have two qirats of reward, each qirat being equivalent to Uhud; and he who, after having offered prayer, (directly) came back would have his reward (as great) as Uhud"? Ibn 'Umar sent Khabbab to 'A'isha in order to ask her about the words of Abu Huraira (and also told him) to come back to him (Ibn 'Umar) and inform him what 'A'isha said. (In the meanwhile) Ibn 'Umar took up a handful of pebbles and turned them over in his hand till the messenger (Khabbab) came back to him and told (him) that 'A'isha testified (the statement of) Abu Huraira. Ibn 'Umar threw the pebbles he had in his hand on the ground and then said: We missed a large number of qirats.

Thauban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who offered prayer for the dead, for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attended its burial, he would have two qirats as his reward. And qirat is equivalent to Uhud.

This hadith has been narrated by Qatada with the same chain of transmitters. And in the hadith transmitted by Sa'id and Hisham, (the words are): " The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) was asked about qirat, and he said: It is equivalent to Uhud."

'A'isha reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) saying: If a company of Muslims numbering one hundred pray over a dead person, all of them interceding for him, their intercession for him will be accepted.

'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported that his son died in Qudaid or 'Usfan. He said to Kuraib to see as to how many people had gathered there for his (funeral). He (Kuraib) said: So I went out and I informed him about the people who had gathered there. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: Do you think they are forty? He (Kuraib) said: Yes. Ibn 'Abbas then said to them: Bring him (the dead body) out for I have heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: If any Muslim dies and forty men who associate nothing with Allah stand over his prayer (they offer prayer over him), Allah will accept them as intercessors for him.

Anas b. Malik reported: There passed a bier (being carried by people) and it was lauded in good terms. Upon this the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. And there passed a bier and it was condemned in bad words. Upon this the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. 'Umar said: May my father and mother be ransom for you! There passed a bier and it was praised in good terms, and you said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. And there passed a bier and it was condemned in bad words, and you said: It has become certain, it has become certain, it has become certain. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) said: He whom you praised in good terms, Paradise has become certain for him, and he whom you condemned in bad words, Hell has become certain for him. You are Allah's witnesses in the earth, you are Allah's witnesses in the earth, you are Allah's witnesses in the earth.

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.

Qatada b. Rib'i reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Whenever a bier passed before him, he said: He is the one to find relief and the one with (the departure of him) other will find relief. They said: Apostle of Allah, who is al-Mustarih and al-Mustarah? Upon this he said: The believing servant finds relief from the troubles of the world, and in the death of a wicked person, the people, towns, trees and animals find rellef.

In the hadith transmitted by Yahya b. Sa'id on the authority of Qatada (the words are): (The believing servant) finds relief from the troubles of the world and its hardships and (gets into) the Mercy of Allah.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave the people news of the death of Negus on the day he died, and he took them out to the place of prayer and observed four takbirs.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave us the news of the death of Negus, the ruler of Abyssinia, on the day when he died, and he said (to us): Beg pardon for your brother. Ibn Shihab said that Sa'id b. Musayyib had told that Abu Huraira had narrated to him that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) drew them up in a row in a place of prayer, and offered prayer and recited four takbirs for him.

This hadith is narrated through another chain of transmitters.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) offered prayer for Ashama, the Negus, and recited four takbirs.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There died today the pious servant of Allah, Ashama. So he stood up and led us in (funeral prayer) over him.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A brother of yours has died, so stand up and offer prayer over him. So we stood up and drew ourselves up into two rows.

'Imran b. Husain reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A brother of yours has died; so stand up and offer prayer for him, i. e. Negus. And in the hadith transmitted by Zubair (the words are):" Your brother."

Sha'bi reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed prayer over a grave after the dead was buried and he recited four takbirs over him. Shaibani said: I said to Sha'bi: Who narrated it to you? He said: An authentic one, 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas. This is the word of a hasan hadith. In the narration of Ibn Numair (the words are): The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) went to the grave which had been newly prepared and prayed over it, and they also prayed who were behind him and he recited four takbirs. I said to 'Amir: Who narrated it to you? He said: An authentic one who saw him, i e. Ibn 'Abbas.

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters, but in one of them (these words are found): " The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) recited four takbirs."