The Book of Prayer (Funerals)

Jabir said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade that the graves should be plastered or they be used as sitting places (for the people), or a building should be built over them.

A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Jabir b. 'Abdullah.

Jabir said that he was forbidden to build pucca graves.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is better that one of you should sit on live coals which would burn his clothing and come in contact with his skin than that he should sit on a grave.

A hadith like this has been narrated by Suhail with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not sit on the graves and do not pray facing towards them.

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not pray facing towards the graves, and do not sit on them.

'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. Zubair reported that 'A'isha ordered the bier of Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas to be brought into the mosque so that she should pray for him. The people disapproved this (act) of hers. She said: How soon the people have forgotten that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) offered not the funeral prayer of Suhail b al-Baida' but in a mosque.

'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. Zubair reported on the authority of 'A'isha that when Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas died, the wives of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent message to bring his bier into the mosque so that they should offer prayer for him. They (the participants of the funeral) did accordingly, and it was placed in front of their apartments and they offered prayer for him. It was brought out of the door (known as) Bab al-Jana'iz which was towards the side of Maqa'id, and the news reached them (the wives of the Holy Prophet) that the people bad criticised this (i. e. offering of funeral prayer in the mosque) saying that it was not desirable to take the bier inside the mosque. This was conveyed to 'A'isha. She said: How hastily the people criticise that about which they know little. They criticise us for carrying the bier in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) offered not the funeral prayer of Suhail b. Baida' but in the innermost part of the mosque.

Abu Salama b. 'Abd al-Rahman reported on the authority ot 'A'isha that when Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas died she said: Bring it (the bier) into the mosque so that I offer prayer for him. But, this act of hers was disapproved. She said: By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) offered prayer in the mosque for the two sons of Baida', viz, for Suhail and his brother.

'A'isha reported (that whenever it was her turn for Allah's Messenger [may peace be upon him] to spend the night with her) he would go out towards the end of the night to al-Baqi' and say: Peace be upon you, abode of a people who are believers. What you were promised would come to you tomorrow, you receiving it after some delay; and God willing we shall join you. O Allah, grant forgiveness to the inhabitants of Baqi' al-Gharqad. Qutaiba did not mention his words:" would come to you".

Muhammad b. Qais said (to the people): Should I not narrate to you (a hadith of the Holy Prophet) on my authority and on the authority of my mother? We thought that he meant the mother who had given him birth. He (Muhammad b. Qais) then reported that it was 'A'isha who had narrated this: Should I not narrate to you about myself and about the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? We said: Yes. She said: When it was my turn for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to spend the night with me, he turned his side, put on his mantle and took off his shoes and placed them near his feet, and spread the corner of his shawl on his bed and then lay down till he thought that I had gone to sleep. He took hold of his mantle slowly and put on the shoes slowly, and opened the door and went out and then closed it lightly. I covered my head, put on my veil and tightened my waist wrapper, and then went out following his steps till he reached Baqi'. He stood there and he stood for a long time. He then lifted his hands three times, and then returned and I also returned. He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Holy Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O 'A'isha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He gave me a nudge on the chest which I felt, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you? She said: Whatsoever the people conceal, Allah will know it. He said: Gabriel came to me when you saw me. He called me and he concealed it from you. I responded to his call, but I too concealed it from you (for he did not come to you), as you were not fully dressed. I thought that you had gone to sleep, and I did not like to awaken you, fearing that you may be frightened. He (Gabriel) said: Your Lord has commanded you to go to the inhabitants of Baqi' (to those lying in the graves) and beg pardon for them. I said: Messenger of Allah, how should I pray for them (How should I beg forgiveness for them)? He said: Say, Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you.

Sulaiman b. Buraida narrated on the authority of his father that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to teach them when they went out to the graveyard. One of the narrators used to say this in the narration transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr: " Peace be upon the inhabitants of the city (i. e. graveyard)." In the hadith transmitted by Zuhair (the words are):" Peace be upon you, the inhabitants of the city, among the believers, and Muslims, and God willing we shall join you. I beg of Allah peace for us and for you."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger, (may peace be upon him) as saying: I sought permission to beg forgiveness for my mother, but He did not grant it to me. I sought permission from Him to visit her grave, and He granted it (permission) to me.

Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) visited the grave of his mother and he wept, and moved others around him to tears, and said: I sought permission from my Lord to beg forgiveness for her but it was not granted to me, and I sought permission to visit her grave and it was granted to me so visit the graves, for that makes you mindful of death.

Ibn Buraida reported on the authority of his father that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I forbade you to visit graves, but you may now visit them; I forbade you to eat the flesh of sacrificial animals after three days, but you way now keep it as along as you feel inclined; and I forbade you nabidh except in a water-skin, you may drink it from all kinds of water-skins, but you must not drink anything intoxicating.

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.

Jabir b. Samura reported: (The dead body) of a person who had killed himself with a broad-headed arrow was brought before the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), but he did not offer prayers for him.