There is a consensus among all the great Muslim jurists
that a funeral prayer for a deceased person is a collective
obligation or fard kifayah. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
commanded the Muslims to offer it, and they have been doing so
ever since they received this commandment.
Abu Hurairah reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon
him, was informed of the death of a person, he used to ask:
Does he owe anything to anyone?' If the answer was in the
affirmative, he would then ask: 'Has he (the deceased) left
anything to settle his debt?' If he had left something to
settle his debt, he would offer the funeral prayer for him.
Otherwise, he would say to the Muslims: 'Offer a (funeral)
prayer for your brother"' (Bukhari and Muslim).
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
said: "Whoever follows a funeral procession and offers
the prayer for the deceased, will get one kerat 68 of reward.
And whoever follows it and remains with it until the body is
buried, will get two kerats of reward, the least of which is
equal in weight to 'Mount Uhud' or he said 'one of them is
like Uhud.' The narrator is not certain as to the exact words
used by the Prophet, peace be upon him. This is reported by
the group.
Khabbab reported that he asked "O 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar!
Did you hear what Abu Hurairah says? He says that he heard
Allah's Messenger, saying. 'Whoever leaves his house to attend
a funeral prayer, offers funeral prayer, and then follows the
funeral procession until the body is buried will receive two
kerats of reward, each of which is like the mountain of Uhud.
And whoever offers the funeral prayer and then leaves for home
(This proves that a person does not need permission of the
family of the deceased to leave after attending the funeral)
will get a reward like the mountain of Uhud" (Muslim).
Ibn 'Umar sent Khabbab to 'Aishah asking her about the
statement of Abu Hurairah. She said, "Abu Hurairah has
told the truth." When Ibn ' Umar was informed about this
he said, "We have indeed lost many a kerat."
The prerequisites for a funeral prayer are the same as for
the obligatory prayers. Anyone intending to offer funeral
prayer must be in a state of purity, be free from all minor
and major impurities, must cover his or her "awrah,"
and stand facing the direction of the Ka'bah.
Malik reported from Nafi' that Abdullah Ibn 'Umar used to
say: "One should not offer a funeral prayer unless he is
in a state of purity."
The funeral prayer differs from the prescribed prayers in
that there is no fixed time for offering it. It may be offered
at any time, including the times when regular prayers may not
be offered. This is the opinion of the Hanafi and Shafi'i
schools. Ahmad, Ibn Al-Mubarak, and Ishaq dislike offering a
funeral prayer at sunrise, at noon when the sun is at its
zenith, and at dusk when the sun is about to set, except in
cases when it is feared that if delayed, the body might
decompose.
Certain requirements must be met for a valid funeral
prayer, and failure to meet any of these may invalidate the
prayer. These requirements are given below:
-1- Intention
The real intention is what is in the heart, and its verbal
utterance is not legally required. Allah says in the Qur'an:
"And they have been commanded no more than this: To
worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true in
(faith)." Qur'an 98.5 And the Prophet, peace be upon him,
said: "Verily, all deeds (of a person) will be judged in
the light of the intentions behind them, and every person will
attain what he intends."
-2- Standing Prayer
The majority of scholars regard it as an essential
condition for a valid funeral prayer to stand while praying if
one is physically able to do so. A funeral prayer offered
while sitting or riding, without any valid excuse, is not
valid.
It is reported in Al-Mughni "It is not permissible for
one to offer a funeral prayer while riding, as in this case an
essential condition - standing while praying - would be
missing." This is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Ash-Shafi'i,
and Abu Thaur. There is no difference on this point. It is
preferable to put one's hands together, placing the right on
the left, as is done in the prescribed regular prayer. Some
disagree, but in our view it is better and preferable.
-3- Loud Recitation of Four Takbirs
This is based on a report transmitted by both Bukhari and
Muslim on the authority of Jabir who said: "Allah's
Messenger, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayers for
Najashi (Negus) and said four takbirs. (That is, he said
Allahu akbar four times)
Tirmizhi said: Most of the learned Companions of the
Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and others followed
and acted in accordance with the above example of the Prophet.
They hold that four takbirs should be said in a funeral
prayer. Among these scholars are Sufyan, Malik, Ibn Al-Mubarak,
Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq.
It is sunnah to raise one's hands while uttering the first
takbir. There is nothing related from the Prophet, peace be
upon him, to show that he raised his hands in funeral prayer
except for the first takbir. Ash-Shawkani mentions various
opinions about takbirs and the arguments for them and says:
"In short nothing except the first takhir is reported
from the Prophet, peace be upon him. The acts and sayings of
the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah bless them) by
themselves do not constitute a conclusive argument. Therefore
one should raise one's hands only on saying the first lakhir.
For the rest of the (three) takbirs no such instruction is
available, except when one changes from one posture to another
as in the regular prayer. There is no such change of posture
required in the funeral prayer, so there is no need for
raising hands in other than the first "takbir".
(Abu Hanifah and Malik regard these as two essential
requisites of funeral prayer)
Ash-Shafi'i has in his Musnad narrated from Abu Umamah ibn
Sahl that one of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be
pleased with them) told him that when offering a (funeral)
prayer it is sunnah for the imam to say aloud Allahu Akbar
(first opening takbir), then to recite al-Fatihah silently in
his heart, and then send salutations to the Prophet, peace be
upon him, and then pray for forgiveness of the deceased.
Nothing else is to be recited in between takbirs. Finally, he
should end his prayer with salutations in his heart.
(According to the majority of scholars, reciting al-fatihah,
sending blessings upon the Prophet, supplicating for the
deceased, and salutations are sunnah. In the case of the imam,
however, it is sunnah to utter the takbir and salutations
aloud in order to communicate with those praying with him) The
author of Al-Fath says: "The chain of narrators of this
hadith is sound."
Bukhari reported from Talha ibn Abdullah that he said:
"I offered a funeral prayer that was led by Ibn Abbas. He
recited Al-Fatihah and said: 'This is a sunnah of the Prophet,
peace be upon him."' Tirmizhi also reported this and
remarked that this has been the practice of some of the
learned among the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be
pleased with them). Others prefer to recite Al-Fatihah after
the first takbir. This is the opinion of Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad,
and Ishaq. Some others hold that Al-Fatihah is not to be
recited in a funeral prayer. The funeral prayer should consist
of praise for Allah (thana), blessings (salawat) upon the
Prophet, peace be upon him, and a prayer (du'a) for
forgiveness of the deceased. This is the opinion of Al-Thawri
and other scholars of Kufah. Those who hold the recitation of
al-Fatihah in a funeral prayer obligatory argue that the
Prophet, peace be upon him, called it a prayer (salat) when he
said: "Offer prayer (sallu) for your deceased
friend." And as no prayer can be complete without al-Fatihah,
for the Prophet, peace be upon him, also told us "no
prayer is valid unless al-Fatihall is recited in it."
Prayer for peace and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be
upon him, may be said in any form. If someone were to say:
"O Allah, bless Muhammad," it should suffice. It is
better, however, to use the prayers transmitted through
tradition, like the following:: Extravagance in Shrouding is
Disliked
(Allahumma Salli 'ala-Muhammad wa'ala ali Muhammad kama
sallayta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim wa barik 'ala
Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad kama barakta' ala Ibrahim wa
'ala ali Ibrahim innaka hamidun Majid)." "O Allah!
Grant peace to Muhammad and his family as you did to Ibrahim
and his family. O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his family as you
blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly You are Most Glorious
and Most Praiseworthy.'
This should be said after the second takbir, as is obvious,
though there is nothing specifically reported in this regard
as to its precise place in the funeral prayer.
This is a basic element of funeral prayer according to the
consensus of juristic opinion. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
said: "When you offer a funeral prayer for a deceased
person, pray sincerely for him to Allah." This is
reported by Abu Daw'ud, Al-Baihaqi and Ibn Hibban, who said it
is a sound hadith.
For this purpose any supplication, even a brief one, may be
used. It is recommended, however, to use one of the following
supplications reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him:
-1- Abu Hurairah said: The Prophet, peace be upon him,
prayed in one of the funeral prayers: Allahumma anta Rubbuha
wa ant khalaqtaha wa anta razaqtaha wa ant hadaytaha lil lslam
wa anta qabadata ruha-ha wa anta alamu bisirriha wa 'alaniyatiha.
Ji'nashuf'ala-hafaghfir laha zanbaha "Oh Allah ! You are
her Sustainer, You are her Creator, You provided her with
sustenance, guided her to Islam, caused her to die, and You
best know her secret and public life. We plead to You on her
behalf to forgive her sins."
-2- Wa'ilah ibn al-Asqa reported: "The Prophet, peace
be upon him, led us in a funeral prayer for a man from among
the Muslims. I heard him saying: Allahumma inna fulana ibna
fulan fi zhimatika wa habla jawaraka, fa-qihu min fitnatal
qabri wa azhabin nar wa anta ahlal wafa' wal haq, allahumma
faghfirlahu war-rahmhufa innaka antal ghafurur Raheem. 'O
Allah! So-and-so, son of so-and-so, is under Your protection
and mercy, so protect him from the trial of the grave and the
torture of Hell Fire. You are the guardian of the truthful and
the faithful. OAllah! Forgive him and be merciful to him, as
You are the Most Merciful, Most Forgiving'." Narrated by
Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud.
-3- ' Awf ibn Malik reported: "I heard the Prophet,
peace be upon him, while offering a funeral prayer, say:
Allahumma-ghfir lahu war-rhamhu wa'fu anhu wa 'afahu wa akrim
nuzulahu wa wassi' mudkhalahu waghsilhu bi-ma' ind wa thalj wa
barad wa naqi minal khataya kama yunaqi athaubu danis minad
danas wa abdilhu daran khairan min darihi wa ahlan khairan min
ahlihi wa zaujan khairan min zaujihi wa qih fitnatal qabr wa
azhaban nar. 'O Allah! Forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon
him, heal him, be generous to him, cause his entrance to be
wide and comfortable, wash him with the most pure and clean
water, and purify him from sins as a white garment is washed
clean of dirt. Give him in exchange a home better than his
home (on earth) and a family better than his family, and a
wife better than his wife, and protect him from the trial of
the grave and the torture of Hell Fire'." This is
narrated by Muslim.
-4- It is reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, offered a funeral prayer and said:
Allahummaghfir lihayatina wa mayatina wa saghirina wa kahirina
wa zhakirina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyatahu minna
fa-ahyahu 'alal Islam wa man tawafthu minna fa-tawafthu 'ala
iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tudalana ba'dahu.
"O Allah! Forgive our living, our dead, our young, our
old, our males and our females, those of us who are present,
and those who are absent. O Allah! Whomsoever among us You
keep to live, make him to live in Islam, and whomsoever You
cause to die, let him die in faith. O Allah! Do not deprive us
of our reward for (supplicating for) him, and cause us not to
go astray after him." This is narrated by Ahmad and the
other Sunan books. (Authentic canonical collections of hadith)
If the deceased is a child, then it is desirable to pray:
Allahumma 'ij'alhu lana salafan wa zhukhran. "O Allah!
Make him our forerunner and make him (a means of) reward for
us and a treasure." Bukhari and Al-Baihaqi report it from
Al-Hasan. Nawawi said: "If the deceased is a child, a boy
or a girl, one should say what is reported in the hadith,
namely, "O Allah! Forgive our living, our dead, . . .
," and add the words: Allahumma 'ij'alhu faratan
li-abwaihi wa salafan wa zhukhran wa izatan wa i'tibaran wa
shafi'an wa thaqil bihi mawazlnahumma wa afrlghas sabra 'ala
qulubihima wa la taftinhumma ba'dahu wa la tuharim-humma
ajrahu. "O Allah, make him (or her) for hisparents a
forerunner, a treasure and an admonition, an honor, an
intercessor, and cause him (or her) to make their scales of
good deeds heavier (on the Day of Judgement). O Allah! Grant
them patience, and O Allah! Do not put them to trial after him
(or her) nor deprive them of his (or her) reward."
Ash-Shawkani said: There are no fixed times for these
prayers. One may use any of these after all the takbirs, or
after the first or second or third takbir, or divide it
between each two takbirs, or say any of these prayers in
between each two takbirs in the light of the practice of the
Prophet, peace be upon him. It is also said that supplications
should be done in the words given in the above reported hadith
for both male or female dead persons.
It is preferred to supplicate for the deceased after the
fourth takbir, even though the supplicant rnay have done so
after the third takbir. This is based on a narration by Ahmad
on the authority of ' Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa who said that when
his daughter died, at his funeral prayer for her he made four
takbirs. After the fourth takbir, he stood supplicating for as
much as he did in between the other takbirs. Then he said:
"The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to do the same in a
funeral prayer."
Ash-Shafi'i said: "After the fourth takbir one may
say, Allahumma la tuharimna ajrahu wa la taftinna ba'dahu. 'O
Allah! Do not deprive us of reward for (supplicating for)
him/her, nor put us to trial after him (or her)'."
Ibn Abu Hurairah said: "After the fourth takbir the
elders used to say: Allahumma Rabbana atina fi ad-Dunya
hasanatan wafi al-Akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'azhab an-Nar. 'O
Allah! Grant us good in this life and good in the life to
come, and save us from the torment of Hell Fire."
All jurists with the exception of Abu Hanifah are in
agreement that the two salutations (saying assalamu 'alaikum
wa rahmatullah), one to the right and the other to the left,
are obligatory. Abu Hanifah, however is of the view that they
are required, but not obligatory as a condition. Those who
hold it to be obligatory argue that the funeral prayer is a
prayer (salah), and as such it cannot be terminated except by
salutations (to the right and left).
Ibn Mas'ud said: "Salutations at the end of a funeral
prayer are similar to those said at the end of any formal
prayer. The minimum that would suffice in this respect is to
say: "As-Salamu 'Alaikum" or "salamun 'alaikum"
(the peace be with you or peace be with you)."
Ahmad is of the opinion that one salutation - the
salutation to the right - is sunnah, and there is no harm if
one says it while looking straight ahead. This is based on the
practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions
who ended their funeral prayer with one salutation. No
difference of opinion among them is on record on this issue.
Ash-Shafi'i holds that two salutations, turning one's face
first to the right and then to the left, are commendable. Ibn
Hazm said: "The second salutation is remembrance of
Allah, and an act of virtue."
It is sunnah for the imam to stand opposite the head of a
male body, and opposite the middle of a female body. This is
based on a hadith reported from Anas that he offered a funeral
prayer for a male standing opposite his head. As soon as the
body of the man was removed, a female body was brought in for
funeral prayer. He led the prayer standing opposite the middle
of her body. Thereupon he was asked, "Did the Prophet,
peace be upon him, stand where you stood in the cases of a man
and a woman?" He answered: "Yes." This is
narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah and Tirmizhi, who
regards it as a sound hadith. Al-Tahawi said: This is the most
preferred position, because it is supported by other reports
from Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him.
If there are a number of bodies, including both male and
female, they should be placed in separate rows, between the
imam and the direction of the Ka'abah, with the best among
them nearer to the imam, and a single funeral prayer may be
offered for all of them.
If the deceased include both male and female, a separate
prayer for each may be offered. But it is also permissible to
offer one prayer for all of them at once. In such a case the
male should be placed immediately before the Imam and then the
female in the direction of the Qiblah.
It is reported by Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar that he offered a
funeral prayer for nine of the deceased, males and females. He
placed the males closest to the imam and then the females in
the direction of the Qiblah. He placed all of them in one row.
The funeral of Umm Kulthum, daughter of 'Ali and the wife of
'Umar, and her son called Zaid, was led by Sa'id ibn al-'As,
and among the people attending this funeral were Ibn Abbas,
Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id and Abu Qatadah. The little boy was
placed before the imam. A man said: "I do not like this
arrangement, and looked towards Ibn 'Abbas, Abu Hurairah, Abu
Sa'id and Abu Qatadah, and said to them: "What is
this?" They replied: "This is the sunnah of the
Prophet, peace be upon him,. This was narrated by Nasa'i and
Al-Baihaqi, and Al-Hafiz says its chain of authorities is
sound.
Another hadith says that if a funeral prayer is offered for
a child together with a woman, the boy should be placed nearer
the imam and the woman next to it in the direction of the
Qiblah. And if there are men, women and children, then the
children should be placed next to the men.
It is recommended that the people should make three rows (
The minimum number of people for a row is two persons) while
offering a funeral prayer, and that these rows should be
straight. This is based on a report from Malik ibn Habairah
who said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Every
believer who dies is forgiven by Allah if a group of Muslims
comprising three rows prays for him'." That is why, if
there were not many people attending a funeral prayer, Malik
ibn Habayrah would make them stand in three rows. This is
narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah, Tirmizhi, and
Al-Hakim, who considers it a sound hadith.
Ahmad said: "If the number of people present at the
funeral prayer is very small I would still prefer that they
make three rows." He was asked: "What if there are
only four people present?" He replied: "They may
make two rows, with two persons in each line." He did not
like three rows with each of them consisting of only one
person.
A larger gathering of people for the funeral prayer is
preferable, as is reported by 'Aishah who said: "The
Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'If a Muslim dies and his
funeral prayer is attended by a group of a hundred Muslims,
and they all sincerely pray for his forgiveness, he is
forgiven'." This is narrated by Ahmad, Muslim, and
Tirmizhi.
Ibn 'Abbas reported: "I heard the Prophet, peace be
upon him, saying: 'If a Muslim dies and a group of forty
people, who do not associate any one with Allah, pray for him,
their prayer is accepted and he is forgiven' ." This has
been narrated by Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Daw'ud.
A person who misses a part of a funeral prayer should make
up the missed takbirs--making them consecutively. This is
preferable, but if he cannot do it there is no harm. Ibn
'Umar, Al-Hasan, Ayyub Al-Sukhtiani, and Al-Awza'i are of the
opinion that such a person is not required to repeat the
missed takbirs, and he should finish his prayer with the
salutations led by the imam.
Ahmad said: "If he cannot make the missed takbirs,
there is no harm." The author of Al-Mughni prefers this
opinion and remarks: "It is supported by a saying of Ibn
' Umar and there is nothing on record from the Companions of
the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) to contradict it.
It is reported by 'Aishah that she said to the Prophet, peace
be upon him, "O Allah's Messenger, sometimes when I offer
a funeral prayer, I cannot hear some of the takbirs by the
imam?" He replied: "Say the takbir that you hear and
do not worry about the ones that you miss. You do not have to
repeat these later on." This statement is quite explicit.
These are consecutive--uninterrupted--takbirs and, if missed,
they need not be repeated like the ones in the 'Eid prayer.
There is a consensus among the jurists that funeral prayer
is offered for all Muslims, male or female, and young or old.
Ibn Al-Munzhir said: "The scholars are in agreement that
if it is established that an infant is born alive, that is, by
his crying, sneezing, or moving etc., then, if it dies, a
funeral prayer should be offered for it."
Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah reports that the Prophet, peace be
upon him, said: "One may ride one's mount behind the
funeral, and walk on foot a little ahead of it or to its right
or left. A funeral prayer should be offered for an aborted
baby, seeking for his parents the mercy and forgiveness of
Allah." This is reported by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud. Another
narration reads: "A person on foot may walk behind a
funeral, or ahead of it, or on its left side or right side or
still nearer to it." According to another report, "A
rider should ride behind the funeral, whereas one on foot may
walk anywhere. And a funeral prayer should be offered for a
child." This is reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, and Tirmizhi,
who consider it a sound hadith.
A miscarried fetus, less than four months old, may not be
washed, nor may a funeral prayer be offered for it. It should
be wrapped in a piece of cloth and buried. The majority of
jurists are in agreement on this point.
On the other hand, if a miscarried fetus is four months old
or older, and the existence of life in it is established, then
there is a consensus that it should be washed and a funeral
prayer offered for it. But if its life is not established by
its movements or other evidence, then according to Malik,
Al-Awza'i, AlHasan, and the Hanafi school, funeral prayer may
not be offered for it. They base their opinion on a hadith
transmitted by Tirmizhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Baihaqi on
the authority of Jabir that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
said: "If in a miscarried fetus life is established by
its movements, a funeral prayer should be offered for it, and
it is entitled to its share of inheritance." According to
this hadith offering a funeral prayer for a miscarried fetus
is conditioned upon proof of its life evident in signs of
life, such as its movement, etc.
Ahmad, Sa' id, Ibn Sirin, and Ishaq are of the opinion that
in the light of the above hadith, a miscarried fetus may be
washed and a funeral prayer may be offered for it. The words
used in this hadith are "a funeral prayer should be
offered for a miscarried fetus" because it has a soul and
is alive. The Prophet, peace be upon him, informed us that a
fetus receives a soul when it is four months old. Others
refute this argument with the assertion that there is
confusion in the chain of narrators of this hadith, and
besides, a stronger hadith contradicts it. But this alone does
not constitute a valid argument.
A martyr is one who is killed in a battlefield fighting the
enemies of Islam. All the hadith on this subject are quite
explicit that no funeral prayer may be offered for a martyr.
Bukhari has narrated from Jabir that the Prophet, peace be
upon him, ordered that the martyrs of the battle of Uhud be
buried while they were still bleeding. He neither washed them
nor offered a funeral prayer for them.
Ahmad, Ahu Daw 'ud and Tirmizhi reported that Anas said:
"The martyrs of Uhud were not washed. They were buried
with their wounds unwashed, and no funeral prayer was offered
for them."
There are, however, some hadith that are equally explicit
and state that a funeral prayer should be offered for martyrs.
Bukhari reported from 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir that one day the
Prophet, peace be upon him, went out and offered a funeral
prayer for the martyrs of Uhud, eight years after their death,
as if he were bidding farewell to both the living and the
dead.
Abu Malik Al-Ghafari reported: "The bodies of the
martyrs of Uhud were brought in batches of nine and placed
with the body of Hamzah, who served as the tenth. Then the
Prophet, peace be upon him, offered a funeral prayer for them.
After that the nine bodies were removed leaving Hamzah
undisturbed. Then a batch of another nine martyrs was brought
and placed beside Hamzah. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
offered a funeral prayer for them as well. This way the
Prophet offered funeral prayer for all of them. This hadith
has been narrated by Al-Baihaqi, who says: "This is the
most sound hadith on this subject. It is, however, a mursal
hadith. (Mursal: A hadith that rests on a chain of authonties
going no further back than the second generation after the
Prophet (peace be upon him))
The difference in the narrations in these various hadith
has led jurists to differ on this matter. Some take all of
them together, while others prefer some narrations over
others. Ibn Hazm holds that either--offering or not offering
(funeral prayer for the martyrs)--is permissible. It is
alright whether or not a funeral prayer is offered for the
martyrs. In one of his statements Ahmad has also expressed a
similar view. Ibn al-Qayyim approves of this view and says:
"The correct position in this regard is that one is given
a choice whether or not to offer a funeral prayer (for a
martyr), because there are reports in favor of both
positions." This is the opinion also of Ahmad, and he is
the proper person to describe the principles of his school. He
says: "What is apparent from this is that no funeral
prayer was offered for the martyrs of Uhud before burying
them. There were seventy people who fell martyrs in that
battle, and any funeral prayer for them could not have taken
place in secret."
The hadith reported by Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah that the
Prophet, peace be upon him, did not offer funeral prayer for
these martyrs is sound and very explicit. Jabir' s father was
among those who were killed that day, and he knew what few
besides him knew.
Abu Hanifah, Al-Thawri, Al-Hasan, and Ibn Al-Musayiyaib,
however, are inclined to the reports stating that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, did offer funeral prayer for the martyrs.
They hold that a funeral prayer must be offered for martyrs.
However, Malik, Ash-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and, according to one
report, Ahmad, prefer the reports that say no funeral prayer
is to be offered for martyrs. Ash-Shafi'i in his Kitab al-Umm
writes: "All reports received concerning this subject are
sound and show that the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not
offer funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud. Those who report
that he offered funeral prayer for them and said seventy
takbirs for Hamzah are not correct. Those who turn away from
these sound hadith should be ashamed of themselves. The hadith
reported by 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir also states that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, did so eight years after their death, as if
he were bidding them farewell. This does not constitute
abrogation of an established practice. (See Al-Umm. by
Ash-Shafi'i)
If one is wounded in a battle, but survives, remains in a
stable condition for a while, and then dies, he should be
washed, and a funeral prayer should be offered for him, even
though he may be a martyr. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
washed Sa'd ibn Mu'azh, and offered a funeral prayer for him,
after he died of his hand wounds. Sa'd was taken to the
mosque, where he remained for a few days, and then he died as
a martyr because of his infected wound.
If on the other hand, a wounded fighter does not survive in
a stable condition, or he just talked or drank water and
thereafter died, he is not to be washed or offered a funeral
prayer.
The author of Al-Mughni states: "It is recorded in
Futuh Al-Sham, that a man said: "I took some water to
give a drink to my cousin if he were still alive after some
injuries in the battle. On the way, I passed by Al-Harith ibn
Hisham, who was also wounded in the same battle. I wanted to
give him a drink, but he noticed that another wounded man was
looking toward him for a drink. At this he pointed that I
should first give this man a drink. I went toward him to give
him a drink, but he also found another man looking to him. So
he gestured that I should first give him the drink. Thus they
all died. None of them was washed or offered a funeral prayer
although they all died after the battle.
Anyone sentenced to death by an Islamic court is to be
washed and a funeral prayer should be offered for him. This is
based on a report by Bukhari that Jabir said: "A man from
the tribe of Aslam came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and
confessed to fornication. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
tried to avoid him four times, while the man repeated his
testimony against himself. Then the Prophet, peace be upon
him, asked the man: 'Are you mad?' The man said, 'No.' The
Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him, 'Are you married?' He
said, 'Yes.' Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered
that the man be stoned to death. He was stoned to death at the
place where ( 'Eid prayer) used to be offered. When the stones
struck the man, he tried to run away, but was overtaken and
killed. After his death, the Prophet, peace be upon him, spoke
well of him, and offered funeral prayer for him. Ahmad said:
"We know of no cases where the Prophet, peace be upon
him, refused to offer funeral prayer for any one except in
cases of one convicted of embezzlement (of zakat funds) and a
person who committed suicide."
The majority of Muslim scholars are of the opinion that a
funeral prayer may be offered for a person who is convicted of
embezzlement of public funds, or commits suicide or some
similarly sinful act.
An-Nawawi said: "Al-Qadi said: 'All Muslim scholars
hold that a funeral prayer be offered for all Muslims - those
sentenced to death under Islamic law, or stoned to death, or
those who committed suicide, or were born out of wedlock. The
reports about the Prophet, peace be upon him, not praying for
embezzlers and those guilty of suicide may be explained
perhaps by considering such refusal to be a form of reprimand
to these people. This is similar to his practice of refusing
to pray for those who died in debt, though he asked other
Muslims to offer the funeral prayer for them'."
Ibn Hazm said: "Funeral prayer should be offered for
all Muslims, whether good or bad, including those sentenced to
death and those that die fighting or in revolt. The imam, or
any one other than him, may lead the funeral prayers. Likewise
funeral prayers should be said for an innovator, provided his
innovation does not become blasphemy, and prayer may also be
said for one who commits suicide or kills some one else. A
funeral prayer may be offered in all such cases even though
the deceased might have been the most evil person on the face
of the earth, provided he dies as a Muslim. This is based on a
hadith from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that has a general
bearing. "Offer a funeral prayer for your friend (a
fellow Muslim)," he is reported to have said on the death
of a Muslim. All Muslims are friends to one another. The
Qur'an says: "Verily! The believers are but a single
brotherhood" Qur'an 49.10 and "The believers, men
and women, are protectors, one of another." Qur'an 9.71
To prevent others from offering funeral prayers over a
Muslim is a most serious thing, for surely a sinful Muslim is
more in need of prayers from his Muslim brothers than a pious
and saintly person!
An authentic hadith records that a man died in Khayber, and
the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Offer a funeral
prayer for your friend. He has stolen something of the war
booty." The Muslims searched the deceased's personal
effects and found less than two dirham worth of beads in them.
In another sahih hadith 'Ata reported that a funeral prayer
may be offered for an illegitimate child, and his mother, and
for those who curse each other, (In cases of Lu'an, for
instance, when in the absence of any evidence of a spouse's
adultery both the man and wife are required to swear an oath
that he/she is telling the truth or face being cursed by Allah
if they were lying) as well as the person who is killed in
requital, and the person stoned to death, and the person who
flees from the battlefield and is put to death for it. ' Ata
said: "I will never abstain from offering a funeral
prayer for a person who says: 'I bear witness that there is no
deity except Allah.' Allah says: 'It is not fitting for the
Prophet and those who believe to pray for forgiveness for
pagans, even though they be of kin, after it is clear that
they are companions of the Fire'.'' Qur'an 9.113
Another authentic hadith says that Ibrahim An-Nakh'i said:
"Our predecessors never eschewed attending a funeral
prayer for any Muslim. They offered the funeral prayer for
those who had committed suicide, and it is a sunnah to offer
funeral prayer for those who are stoned to death." In
another sound hadith Qatadah reported: "I do not know of
any scholar who refused to offer a funeral prayer for anyone
witnessing that 'there is no god but Allah'." Ibn Sirin,
according to a sahih hadith, said: "I do not know of any
Muslim who considers it a sin to offer a funeral prayer for
another Muslim."
Abu Ghalib reported: "I asked Abu Amamah Al-Bahili:
'What if a man is known to drink liquor. Should a funeral
prayer be offered for him? ' He said: 'Yes, for he might [at
least] once in his life, while lying down for rest, have said:
"There is no deity but Allah," and he might have
been forgiven by Allah' ." In a sahih hadith Al-Hasan is
reported to have said: "Funeral prayer will be offered
for all those who declare 'There is no deity but Allah. ' It
will be offered for all Muslims; for it is an act of
intercession on behalf of the deceased."
A Muslim may not pray for a non-believer, for Allah says:
"Nor do you ever pray for any of them that dies, nor
stand at his grave, for they rejected Allah and His
Messenger," Qur'an 9.84 "It is not fitting for the
Prophet and those who believe to pray for forgiveness for
pagans, even though they be of kin, after it is clear to them
that they are companions of the Fire. And Ibrahim prayed for
his father's forgiveness only because of a promise he had made
to him. But when it became clear to him that he (his father)
was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him."
Qur'an 9.113-114
Likewise no prayer may be offered for their children, for
what applies to their parents applies to them as well, except
for children who accept Islam, because one of their parents
was a Muslim or they die or are taken prisoner separately from
either or both of their parents, then a funeral prayer may be
offered for the children.
It is permissible to offer funeral prayer for a deceased
anytime after his burial, even if a prayer was offered prior
to his burial. As mentioned above, the Prophet, peace be upon
him, offered funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud after
eight years. Zaid ibn Thabit reported: "Once we went out
with the Prophet, peace be upon him . When we reached al-Baqi
' (Famous cemetery in Madinah, where a large number of the
Prophet's companions are buried) we noticed a newly dug grave.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked about it and was told
that was the grave of such and such a woman. At this he said:
'Why did you not inform me of her death?' They replied, 'O
Prophet of Allah! You were fasting and were resting at the
time and we did not want to bother you. ' He said: 'Do not do
that again. So long as I am with you, make sure you inform me
when any one among you dies, for my prayers for the deceased
is a mercy for them.' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him,
went to the grave. We stood in rows behind him and he offered
a funeral prayer for her with four takbirs." This hadith
has been reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, Al-Baihaqi, Al-Hakim and
Ibn Hibban. The last two reporters regard it as a sound
hadith.
Tirmizhi said: This has been the practice of most of the
scholars, the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased
with them), as well as others. Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq
hold the same view. This hadith also shows that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, offered funeral prayer at a grave when a
funeral prayer had already been offered by his Companions for
the deceased before her burial, for they could not bury her
without a funeral prayer. From this hadith it is also obvious
that praying for the dead (before the burial) was a common
practice of the Companions, and was not limited only to the
Prophet, peace be upon him.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "These proven traditions of the
Prophet, peace be upon him, do not contradict the sound hadith
that reports the statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him:
'Do not sit by the graves, or offer prayer facing them.' This
is a sound hadith that bids us not to sit or pray at the
graves. What is forbidden is to offer formal prayer (salah)
facing a grave. Offering a funeral prayer at the grave is not
forbidden, for funeral prayer does not have to be offered at
any specific place. It is rather better offered outside a
mosque than inside it. The funeral prayer at the grave is
similar to offering it beside the coffin. In either case the
prayer is offered for the deceased, and his body, whether it
is in the coffin or in the grave, remains in the same
position. Offering prayers other than funeral prayers are
forbidden at graves, for there is a risk that this may tum
these graveyards into mosques, against which the Prophet,
peace be upon him, wamed us. He cursed those who tum graves
into places of worship, saying: 'Some evil people will be
overtaken by the Day of Judgement, including those (evil
people) who tum graves into mosques.' This warning has no
bearing on an act that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
repeatedly perfommed. "
Offering a funeral prayer for an absent person in another
city is pennissible, whether the city is near or far. In such
a case those offering funeral prayer should stand facing the
qiblah, even if the city where the absentee is located is not
in the direction of the qiblah. After making an intention to
pray for the absentee, takbirs should be said as they are
nommally said in funeral prayer over a deceased who is
present. This is based on a hadith reported by the group on
the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon
him, infomned people about the death of Negus the day he died,
and then took them out to offer funeral prayer for him. There
he arranged his Companions in rows and said four takbirs.
Ibn Hazm said: "The funeral prayer for an absentee may
be perfommed by a group of people under an imam. The Prophet,
peace be upon him, offered a funeral prayer for Negus, who had
died in Ethiopia, with his Companions standing in rows behind
him. There is consensus among the Companions regarding this
issue, and it should not be overlooked. Abu Hanifah and Malik,
however, disagree with this view, but they have no ground for
this disagreement."
There is no harm in offering funeral prayer in a mosque, if
there is no danger of it becoming unclean. This is based on a
narration of Muslim from 'Aishah who said: "The Prophet,
peace be upon him, offered a funeral prayer for Suhail ibn
Baida in the mosque, and the Companions likewise offered
funeral prayer for Abu Bakr and 'Umar in the mosque, and no
one objected to it, because the funeral prayer is similar to
other (formal) prayer. '
Abu Hanifah and Malik do not approve of it, citing a hadith
of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to the effect that whoever
offers a funeral prayer in the mosque would have nothing (i
.e. no reward) . This statement not only contradicts the
practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his
Companions, but is also a weak hadith due to other reasons.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "This is a weak hadith, and is
reported through a single transmitter, Salih, the freed slave
of Al-Tawamah, and he is an unreliable narrator. Some
scholars, however, hold that this hadith of the Prophet, peace
be upon him, is sound, and the words, reported by Abu Daw'ud,
"Whoever offers a funeral prayer in a mosque would have
nothing," mean such a person would not incur any burden
(of sin). Ibn AlQayyim said: 'It was not the usual practice of
the Prophet, peace be upon him, to offer a funeral prayer in
the mosque. Rather he would usually offer funeral prayers
outside the mosque except when for some reason he had to offer
it in the mosque. In certain cases he did offer funeral prayer
in the mosque, as in the case of Ibn Baida, which shows that
funeral prayer may be offered either inside or outside the
mosque, but to do so outside the mosque is preferable."
A majority of jurists disapprove of offering funeral prayer
in a graveyard. This is the view of 'Ali, Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr,
and Ibn 'Abbas, and also of 'Ata, An-Nakh'i, Ash-Shafi'i,
Ishaq, and Ibn Al- Munzhir, and they cite the Prophet's
hadith: "The entire earth is a mosque except for a
graveyard and a bathroom."
In a report from Ahmad it is said: "There is no harm
in offering a funeral prayer (as distinct from formal salah)
in a graveyard as the Prophet, peace be upon him, himself
offered a funeral prayer over a deceased while he was buried
in his grave. Abu Hurairah also offered a funeral prayer over
the grave of 'Aishah in the middle of the cemetery of
Al-Baqi', which was attended by Ibn 'Umar. And 'Umar ibn Abd
al-'Aziz did likewise."
A woman, like a man, may offer a funeral prayer, singly or
in a congregation. In fact, once when Umm 'Abdallah offered
funeral prayer for 'Utbah, 'Umar waited until she finished.
'Aishah ordered the body of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas to be brought
to her so that she could offer a funeral prayer over him.
An-Nawawi said: "Women may offer (funeral) prayer in
congregation just as they are permitted to perform other
sunnah prayers. Al-Hasan ibn Saleh, Sufiyan Al-Thawri, Ahmad,
and the Hanafi school also hold the same view. Malik, however,
is of the opinion that women should offer the funeral prayer
individually.
Jurists differ as to the most worthy person to lead a
funeral prayer. Some said: "The most appropriate person
is the legal guardian of the deceased, then the (Muslim)
ruler, then the father of the deceased, grandfather, or great
grandfather, then the son or the grandson, then the one
closest in relationship. This is the opinion of the Maliki and
Hanbali schools. Others said: The best person is the father,
then the grandfather, then the son, then the grandson, then
the brother, then the nephew, then the paternal uncle, and
then his son in accordance with their blood ties with the
deceased. This is the opinion of AshShafi'i and Abu Yusaf. Abu
Hanifah and Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan, however, are of the opinion
that the preferred order is the (Muslim) ruler if present at
the funeral, then the judge, then the imam of the locality,
then the guardian of a deceased woman, then the nearest blood
relative. Of the blood relatives, if both father and his son
are present, the father should be given precedence.
A certain etiquette is recommended while walking in a
funeral procession or carrying a coffin:
-1- Carrying a coffin and accompanying it to the graveyard
is recommended. According to the sunnah it is preferable to go
all around the coffin while carrying it. Ibn Majah,
Al-Baihaqi, and Abu Daw'ud At-Tayalisi report that Ibn Mas'ud
said: "If one walks in a funeral procession and carries
the coffin, one should do so from all the sides of the coffin,
for this is a sunnah of Prophet, peace be upon him." But
this is optional. Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet, peace
be upon him, said: "Visit the sick, and follow the
funeral procession, for it will (help) remind you of the
Hereafter." This was narrated by Ahmad with a sound chain
of narrators.
-2- A funeral procession must proceed at a fast pace. The
group reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the
Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Walk briskly while
carrying a coffin, for if the deceased is righteous, you would
be taking it to something better, and if he or she is an evil
person, then you will be getting him or her off your
necks." Ahmad, Nasa'i, and others reported that Abu
Bakrah said: "If you had seen us following a funeral
procession along with the Prophet, peace be upon him, you
would have thought that we were jogging." Bukhari
reported in his book on History that, when Sa'd ibn Mua'zh
died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, walked at such a fast
pace behind his funeral that our shoes came apart."
The author of Al-Fath said: "In short, it is
preferable to walk fast in a funeral, but this should not harm
or affect the coffin or put to hardship those carrying the
coffin or following it, because that would defeat the Islamic
goal of promoting hygiene and avoiding placing undue hardship
on other Muslims." Al-Qurtubi said: "This hadith
means that people should not delay the burial, because such a
delay is often the result of arrogance and vanity.
-3- One may walk in front of the funeral, behind it, to its
right side, or left side, or close to it. There is a
difference of opinion among the scholars on this point. The
majority of the scholars hold that walking in front of the
funeral is preferable, for the Prophet, peace be upon him, Abu
Bakr, and 'Umar used to walk in front of it, as narrated by
Ahmad, and compilers of Sunan.
The Hanafi school holds that walking behind a funeral is
preferable, as is indicated from the words of the Prophet,
peace be upon him, concerning following a funeral.
Anas ibn Malik is of the opinion that one may walk anywhere
in a funeral procession, as mentioned above in the hadith of
the Prophet, peace be upon him: "A rider should ride
behind the funeral, whereas one on foot may walk behind it, or
in front of it, or to its right side or left side, or close to
it." Apparently there is no hard or fast rule in this
regard, and the difference of opinion in this regard is quite
legitimate.
Abdur Rahman ibn Abza reported that Abu Bakr and 'Umar used
to walk in front of a funeral, while 'Ali walked behind it.
When told that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were walking in front of the
funeral, 'Ali remarked: "They both know that walking
behind a funeral is better than walking in front of it, just
as the prayer of a person in congregation (jama'ah) is better
than the prayer of one offering it alone. But Abu Bakr and
'Umar did so in order to make it easy for others." This
was narrated by Al-Baihaqi and Ibn Abu Shaibah. Al-Hafiz said
its chain of authorities is sound.
Riding behind the funeral, without a valid excuse, is
disliked in the opinion of the majority of scholars. Doing so
after the burial, is not disliked, however, and is quite
acceptable, as indicated by a hadith narrated by Thawban,
which says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was brought a
mount to ride during a funeral, but he declined. But, when he
returned after the burial and was offered a mount, he rode on
it. They asked him about this (why he declined to mount during
the funeral procession) and he replied: "Verily, the
angels were walking with the funeral, so I did not like to
ride while the angels were walking. But, when the angels left,
I rode the mount." This was narrated by Abu Daw'ud,
Al-Baihaqi, and Al-Hakim, who said this hadith is sound
according to the criterion of Muslim and Bukhari. Tirmizhi
narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, walked with the
funeral of Ibn Ad-Dahdah, but on his way back he rode on
horseback. According to Tirmizhi this is a sound hadith.
This hadith does not contradict the other hadith in which
the Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said:
"A rider must stay behind a funeral," since this may
imp!y that such an act is disliked, though permissible. The
Hanafi school holds that there is no harm in riding, although
it is better to walk unless for some valid reason one is
unable to do so. And in light of the above hadith a rider
should stay behind the funeral procession. Al-Khattabi said:
"I know of no difference of opinion amongst scholars on
the point that a rider should stay behind a funeral
procession."
Recite or raise one's voice or any similar activity. Ibn
Al-Munzhir related that Qais ibn 'Abbad said: "The
Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, disliked raising
one's voice on three occasions, namely, funeral processions,
when remembering Allah, and on the battlefield."
Sa'id ibn Al-Musaib, Sa'id ibn Jubair, Al-Hasan, An-Nakh'i,
Ahmad, and Ishaq did not like it when anyone from the rear of
the funeral procession exhorted others to pray for forgiveness
of the deceased. Al-Awza'i said: This is a bid'a (innovation
in religion). Fuzhail ibn 'Amr said: "Once, while Ibn
'Umar was present at a funeral, he heard someone from behind
saying: 'Pray for Allah's forgiveness for the deceased. May
Allah forgive him.' Ibn 'Umar said: 'May Allah not forgive
you'."
An-Nawawi said: "You should know that the right manner
of accompanying a funeral procession is to remain quiet, as
the pious among the previous generations of Muslims did. One
should not raise one's voice for recitation or for the
remembrance of Allah, or for anything else. Keeping quiet is
better and is helpful in concentrating one's attention on the
funeral rites, which is needed at that time. This is the
correct position, and the fact that a large number of people
do otherwise does not change it. There is a consensus among
scholars that the way ignorant people recite in the funeral
processions, artificially prolonging sounds of various words
and mixing them up, is forbidden.
Mohammad 'Abduh issued a verdict concerning raising one ' s
voice for the remembrance of Allah while following the funeral
procession, in which he said: "In reference to the
raising of one's voice in a funeral procession for remembrance
of Allah, we find in Al-Fath, under the chapter on
"Funerals," that it is disliked for a person walking
in front of a funeral procession to make such remembrance
loudly. If one wants to make any remembrance, one may do it in
one's heart. Loud remembrance is something quite new, and
there is no precedent for it from the days of the Prophet,
peace be upon him, and his Companions, or from the generation
following them or their Successors. Such a practice must be
discouraged and stopped."
These are forbidden as they are vestiges of the Days of
Ignorance. Ibn Al-Munzhir said: "This practice is
disliked by all men of knowledge and scholars on record.
Al-Baihaqi said: 'Aishah, 'Ubadah ibn Al-Samit, Abu Hurairah,
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri, and Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, all
stated in their respective wills that their funeral
processions should not include anyone carrying fire (or
torches). According to Ibn Majah, Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, on his
deathbed, directed his heirs, saying: "Do not follow my
funeral procession carrying any censers (with fires in them to
burn frankincense for its aromatic smoke and fragrance)."
The people asked him: "Did you hear anything from the
Prophet concerning this?" He said: "Yes, I heard the
Prophet, peace be upon him, saying so. (Among the narrators of
this hadith is a man called Abu Huraiz, the freed slave of
Mu'awiyah, who is "unknown" amongst the narrators of
hadith)
If the burial takes place at night, however, fire or
torches may be used for light. Tirmizhi has reported on the
authority of Ibn Abbas that once at night the Prophet, peace
be upon him, entered a grave to bury a dead person, and a
lantern was given to him and he took it." Tirmizhi said:
This hadith from Ibn 'Abbas is sound.
Bukhari said: "A person accompanying a funeral
procession should not sit down until the coffin is placed on
the ground, and if he sits he should be asked to stand
up." He reports from Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri that the
Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Stand up when you see
a funeral procession, and he who accompanies it should not sit
down until the coffin is placed on the ground." Bukhari
also reports from Sa'id Al-Maqabari who narrated that his
father said: "We were attending a funeral, and Abu
Hurairah was holding Marwan's hand, and they both sat down
before the coffin was placed on the ground. At this Abu Sa'id
approached them, and taking Marwan by his hand said to him:
'Stand up! By Allah, this man (i.e., Abu Hurairah) knows that
the Prophet, peace be upon him, has forbidden us (to sit).'
Upon hearing this Abu Hurairah said: 'He is right.'' This has
also been reported by Al-Hakim, with the following addition:
"When Abu Sa'id told Marwan to stand up, he stood up and
then asked him: 'Why have you made me stand up?' At this Abu
Sa' id related this hadith to him. Then Marwan asked Abu
Hurairah why he had not informed him about that hadith. Abu
Hurairah replied: 'You were walking ahead of me, so when you
sat down I too sat down." Most of the Companions, their
successors, the Hanafi and Hanbali schools, Al-Awza'i and
Ishaq hold this vlew.
The followers of Ash-Shafi'i, however, hold that a person
walking in front of a funeral procession may sit down before
the coffin is placed on the ground. There is agreement among
scholars that for those walking ahead of the funeral
precession there is no harm if they arrive early at the place
of burial and sit down before its arrival.
Tirmizhi said: "It is related from some knowledgeable
Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and others that
they would walk ahead of a funeral procession, and would sit
down if they reached the place of burial before the coffin.
This is the opinion of Ash-Shafi'i, who holds that, if a
funeral arrives while one is seated, one need not stand upon
its arrival. Ahmad said: "There is no harm whether one
stands up or remains seated upon its arrival."
Ahmad has reported that Waqid ibn 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn Mu'azh
said: -I attended a funeral procession in the tribe of Banu
Salimah. I stood up on seeing the funeral procession.
Thereupon Naf'i ibn Jubair said to me: 'Sit down. I will give
you the reason for this. Mas'ud ibn Al-Hakim Az-Zurrqi told me
that he heard 'Ali ibn Abi Talib saying: -The Prophet, peace
be upon him, commanded us to stand up upon seeing a funeral
procession, but later on he would remain seated, and bade us
to do the same.' ' - Muslim has reported it in these words:
"We saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, standing, so we
stood. Then he sat down, and we too sat. Tirmizhi said: 'This
hadith from 'Ali is sound, and it includes four of the
successors of the Companions who related it successively.
According to some people of knowledge this is the common
practice.''
Ash-Shafi'i said: -This is the most authentic report on the
subject. This hadith abrogates the one cited previously which
says: 'Stand up when you see a funeral procession.' - Ahmad
said: -One may or may not stand up for a funeral procession,
depending on one's preference. He argues that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, used to stand up for a funeral, but later
on he would remain seated.' This is also the opinion of Ishaq
ibn Ibrahim. Ahmad, Ishaq ibn Hubaib, and Ibn Al-Majishun of
the Maliki school.
An-Nawawi said: "Considering all these opinions,
standing up upon seeing a funeral procession is
desirable." Al-Mutawalli and Ahmad also hold this view.
Ibn Hazm said: "Standing up upon seeing a funeral
procession is recommended, even if it is a funeral of a
disbeliever or a pagan, until the coffin is placed on the
ground or disappears from sight. But if someone remains seated
there is no harm. Those who hold it as a desirable act cite
what is related by the group on the authority of Ibn 'Umar who
reported from 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah that the Prophet, peace be
upon him, said: "When you see a funeral procession stand
up for it, and remain standing until it disappears from sight
or (the coffin) is placed down on the ground." Ahmad
said: "Whenever Ibn 'Umar saw a funeral procession he
would stand up for it and would remain standing until it
passed by."
Sahl ibn Hanif and Qais ibn Sa'd reported that they were
sitting in Qadisiyyah (A town in Syria) and a funeral
procession passed by them. On seeing it both of them stood up
for it. They were told it was the funeral of a non-Muslim.
They said: -Once when a funeral procession was passing by, the
Prophet, peace be upon him, stood up for it. And when told
that it was funeral procession of a Jew, he exclaimed: 'Does
he (a Jew) not possess a soul?'' (Bukhari and Muslim) Ibn
Mas'ud and Qais used to stand up for a funeral procession.
The wisdom behind standing, according to Ahmad, Ibn Hibban
and Al-Hakim, as stated in a hadith related from the Prophet,
peace be upon him, is "to show respect to Him Who seizes
the souls" or in the words of Ibn Hibban "as a mark
of respect to Allah Who seizes the souls."
In short, there is disagreement on this issue among the
scholars. Some disapprove of standing for a funeral
procession, while others prefer it. Some leave it to the
individual's discretion. Each of these scholars supports his
stand with specific arguments, and one may follow any of these
opinions.
Umm 'Atiyah reported: "We were forbidden to accompany
funeral processions, but this prohibition was not mandatory
for us." (Reported by Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim & Ibn
Majah) Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported: "Once while we were
with the Prophet, peace be upon him, he saw a woman - whom we
thought he did not recognize - so he waited until she reached
him. It was Fatimah, his daughter. He asked her: 'What caused
you to leave your house?' She said: 'I came to visit the
family living in this house in order to offer my condolences
and to comfort them in their grief.' He said: 'Did you
accompany them to the graveyard?' She said: 'God forbid! How
could I do that, when I know what you have said in this
respect.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Had you
accompanied the funeral procession to the graveyard, you would
never have seen Paradise, not until your grandfather's father
had seen it! (Reported by Ahmad, Al-Hakim, Nasa'i, and
Baihaqi. The scholars, however, question the validity of this
hadith, claiming it is not a sound hadith, because among its
narrators is Rabi'ah ibn Saif, who is not trustworthy)
Muhammad ibn Al-Hanafiyyah reported that 'Ali said:
"The Prophet, peace be upon him, went out and saw a group
of women sitting outside. When he asked them why they were
sitting there, they told him that they were waiting for the
funeral procession. He asked them: 'Are you going to wash the
body?' They said: 'No.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked
them: 'Are you going to carry the coffin?' They said: 'No.' He
asked them: 'Will you place the body in the grave?' They said:
'No.' At this he said to them: 'Then go back to your homes
with your sins and without gaining any reward." (Reported
by Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim. But one of its narrators is Dinar
ibn 'Omar, who is not reliable. Abu Hatim says he is not well
known, Azdi describes him as matruk (unacceptable), and
Al-Khalili in his Al-Irshad calls him "a liar.") Ibn
Mas'ud, Ibn 'Umar, Abu Amamah, 'Aishah, Masruq, Al-Hasan,
An-Nakh'i, Awza'i, Ishaq, and the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali
schools hold this view. They all disapprove the participation
of women in funeral processions. According to Malik, it is not
disliked for an old woman to leave her home to attend a
funeral. In his opinion, a young woman afflicted by the death
of a dear one may also accompany a funeral procession without
any disapproval, provided she is well covered and her presence
does not cause any temptation.
Ibn Hazm contends that the argument put forth by the
majority of scholars is not sound, and that it is permissible
for women to accompany funeral processions. He said: "We
do not disapprove of women attending a funeral procession, nor
do we prevent them from doing so. Among the traditions
reported on this subject there is no authentic hadith. There
are either mursal (Mursal: Report of a successor (tab'i)
directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion who
might have heard it directly) or majhul (unknown) or such as
cannot be presented as an argument." Then he mentions the
hadith by Umm 'Atiyyah and says: "Even if it were a sound
hadith it does not prove prohibition, but merely shows that it
is disliked. In fact the reverse is true if we take into
account the hadith narrated by Shu'bah on the authority of
Waki', who in turn narrated it from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, who
heard it from Wahab ibn Kaysan, who heard it from Muhammad ibn
'Amr ibn 'Ata who reported it from Abu Hurairah that once when
the Prophet, peace be upon him, attended a funeral, 'Umar saw
a woman there and yelled at her. The Prophet, peace be upon
him, said: "Leave her, O 'Umar! Verily her eyes shed
tears, the soul feels the pangs, and the promised hour is
near." (The chain of authorities of this hadith is sound)
In a sound hadith it is reported from Ibn 'Abbas that he did
not regard it as a disliked act.
The author of Al-Mughni said: "If one sees or hears
something that is forbidden while attending a funeral, and one
is capable of countering and rectifying it, one should do so.
If not, then one may do one of two things: voice his
disapproval of it, and continue with the funeral which will
free one from any responsibility of any such disapproved acts,
without abandoning the good for the bad. The second course
open to a person in such a case is to leave the funeral
procession, especially when one is able to leave it, so that
one's continued participation will not lead one to hear or see
a forbidden thing."
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