“The Muslim has six courtesies due from the Muslim: He should greet him with Salam when he meets him; he should accept his invitation if he invites him; he should answer [by Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)] to him if he sneezes (and says Al- Hamdulillah); he should visit him if he falls sick; he should follow his funeral if he dies; and he should love for him what he loves for himself.”

“The Muslim has four things due from the Muslim: He should answer [by saying Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)] to him if he sneezes (and says Al-Hamdulillah); he should accept his invitation if he invites him; he should attend his funeral if he dies; and he should visit him if he falls sick.”

“Five are the rights of the Muslim: Returning his greeting, accepting his invitation; attending his funeral; visiting the sick; and answering (saying Yarhamuk-Allah) to the one who sneezes, if he praises Allah (says Al-Hamdu Lillah).”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came walking to visit me (when I was sick), as did Abu Bakr, when I was with Banu Salimah.

“The Prophet (ﷺ) did not visit any sick person until after three days.”

“When you enter upon one who is sick, cheer him up and give him hope of a long life, for that does not change anything (of the Divine Decree), but it will cheer the heart of the one who is sick.”

“What do you long for?” He said: “I long for wheat bread.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever has any wheat bread, let him send it to his brother.” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “If any sick person among you longs for something, then feed him.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon a sick person to visit him. He said: ‘Do you long for anything? Do you long for Ka’k (a type of bread)?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ So they sent someone to bring some Ka’k for him.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me: ‘When you enter upon one who is sick, tell him to pray for you, for his supplication is like the supplication of the angels.’”

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Whoever comes to his Muslim brother and visits him (when he is sick), he is walking among the harvest of Paradise until he sits down, and when he sits down he is covered with mercy. If it is morning, seventy thousand angels will send blessing upon him until evening, and if it is evening, seventy thousand angels will send blessing upon him until morning.’”

‘Whoever visits a sick person, a caller calls from heaven: ‘May you be happy, may your walking be blessed, and may you occupy a dignified position in Paradise.’”

‘Urge your dying ones to say La ilaha illallah.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Urge your dying ones to say: “La ilaha illallah.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Urge your dying ones to say: “La ilaha illallahul-Halimul-Karim, Subhan-Allahi Rabbil-‘Arshil-‘Azim, Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil-‘alamin (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Forbearing, the Most Kind. Glory is to Allah, Lord of the magnificent Throne; praise is to Allah, the Lord of the worlds).’” They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what about those who are alive?’ He said: ‘Even better, even better.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘When you visit one who is sick or dying, say good things, for the angels say: Amin to whatever you say.’ When Abu Salamah died, I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Abu Salamah has died.’ He said: ‘Say: “Allahummaghfir li wa lahu, wa a’qibni minhu ‘uqba hasanah (O Allah, forgive me and him, and compensate me with someone better than him).’” She said: ‘I said that, and Allah compensated me with someone better than him: Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’”

“Recite Qur’an near your dying ones,” meaning Ya-Sin.

“When Ka’b was dying, Umm Bishr bint Bara’ bin Ma’rur came to him and said: ‘O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahman! If you meet so-and-so, convey Salam to him from me.’ He said: ‘May Allah forgive you, O Umm Bishr! We are too busy to think of that.’ She said: ‘O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahman! Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “The souls of the believers are in green birds, eating from the trees of Paradise”?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ She said: ‘That is what I mean.’”

“I entered upon Jabir bin ‘Abdullah when he was dying, and I said: ‘Convey my Salam to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’”

“Do not grieve for your relative, for that is part of his Hasanat (merits).”

“The believer dies with sweat on his brow.”

“I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): ‘When does a person stop recognizing people?’ he said: ‘When he sees.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon Abu Salamah (after he had died), and his eyes were wide open. He closed his eyes, then he said: ‘When the soul is taken, the sight follows it.’”

“When you come to your dead ones, close their eyes, for the sight follows the soul. And say good things, for the Angels say Amin to what the members of the household say.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) kissed ‘Uthman bin Maz’un when he had died, and it is as if I can see him with his tears flowing down his cheeks.”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas and ‘Aishah that Abu Bakr kissed the Prophet (ﷺ) when he died.

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon us when we were washing his daughter Umm Kulthum. He said: ‘Wash her three or five times, or more than that if you think you need to, with water and lote leaves, and put camphor or a little camphor in (the water) for the last washing. When you have finished, call for me.’ When we finished, we called him, and he gave his waist-wrapper to us and said: ‘Shroud her with it.’”

“Hafsah narrated to me, from Umm ‘Atiyyah” and it is similar to the Hadith of Muhammad. And in the narration of Hafsah it says: “Wash her an odd number of times.” And: “Wash her face three or five times.” And “Start on her right, with the places washed in ablution.” And it says that Umm ‘Atiyyah said: “And we combed her hair into three braids.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me: ‘Do not show your thigh, and do not look at the thigh of anyone, living or dead.’”

‘Let the honest wash your dead.”

“Whoever washes a deceased person, shrouds him, embalms him, carries him and offers the funeral prayer for him, and does not disclose what he has seen, he will emerge from his sins as on the day his mother bore him.”

“Whoever washes a dead person, let him take a bath.”

“If I had known then what I know now, no one would have washed the Prophet (ﷺ) but his wives.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came back from Al-Baqi’ and I had a headache and was saying: ‘O my head!’ He said: ‘Rather, I should say, O my head, O ‘Aishah!’ Then he said: ‘It will not matter if you were to die before me, for I will take care of you, wash you, shroud you, offer the funeral prayer for you and bury you.’”

“When they started to wash the Prophet (ﷺ), a voice called out from inside (the house) saying: ‘Do not remove the shirt of the Messenger of Allah.’”

“May my father be sacrificed for you, you are pure; you were pure in life and you are pure in death.”

“When I die, then wash me with seven buckets from me well, the well of Ghars.”

“They used to claim that he was shrouded in Hibarah.” ‘Aishah said: “They brought a Hibarah Burd, but they did not shroud him in it.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was shrouded in three thin white Suhuli cloths.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was shrouded in three garments: The shirt in which he died, and a Najrani Hullah.

“The best of your garments are those which are white, so shroud your dead in them, and wear them.”

“The best of shrouds is the Hullah (two-piecer).”

“If anyone of you is charged with taking care of his brother (after death), let him shroud him well.”

“When Ibrahim the son of the Prophet (ﷺ) died, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to them: ‘Do not wrap him in his shroud until I look at him.’ He came to him, bent over and wept.”

“If one of the members of his family died, Hudhaifah would say: ‘Do not inform anyone of it, for I am afraid that that would be a public death announcement. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with these two ears of mine forbidding making public death announcements.’”

‘Hasten with the funeral (procession), for if the person was righteous then you are advancing him towards good, and if he was otherwise then it is evil which you are taking off of your necks.”

“ ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: ‘Whoever follows a funeral (procession), let him carry all (four) corners of it (in turn), for that is Sunnah. Then if he wishes let him voluntarily carry it, and if he wishes let him not do so.’”

“You should move with tranquility.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw some people riding on their animals in a funeral (procession). He said: ‘Do you not feel ashamed that the angels of Allah are walking on foot and you are riding?’”

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘The rider should travel behind the funeral (procession) but the one who is walking may walk wherever he wants.”

“I saw the Prophet (ﷺ), Abu Bakr and ‘Umar walking ahead of the funeral (procession).”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman used to walk ahead of the funeral (procession).”

‘The funeral should be followed and should not follow. There should be no one with it who walks ahead of it.”

“We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to attend a funeral, and he saw some people who had cast aside their upper sheets and were walking in their shirts only. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Are you adopting the practice of the days of ignorance?’ or; ‘Are you imitating the behavior of the days of ignorance? I was about to supplicate against you that you would return in a different form.’ So they put their sheets back on and never did that again.”

“Do not delay the funeral once it is ready.”

“Abu Musa Ash’ari left instructions, when he was dying, saying: ‘Do not follow me with a censer.’* They said to him: ‘Did you hear something concerning that?’ He said: ‘Yes, from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’”

“Whoever has the funeral prayer offered for him by one hundred Muslims, he will be forgiven.”

“A son of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas died, and he said to me: ‘O Kuraib! Get up and see if anyone has assembled (to pray) for my son.’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Woe to you, how many do you see? Forty?’ I said: ‘No, rather there are more.’ He said: ‘Take my son out, for I bear witness that I hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “No (group of) forty believers intercede for a believer, but Allah will accept their intercession.”

“If a funeral procession was brought and the number of people who followed it was considered to be small, they would be organized into three rows, then the funeral prayer would be offered.” He said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘No three rows of Muslims offer the funeral prayer for one who has died, but he will be guaranteed (Paradise).’”

“A funeral (procession) passed by the Prophet (ﷺ) and they praised (the deceased) and spoke well of him. He said: ‘(Paradise is) guaranteed for him.’ Then another funeral passed by and they spoke badly of him, and he (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said: ‘(Hell is) guaranteed for him.’ It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you said that (Paradise was) guaranteed for this one and that (Hell was) guaranteed for the other one.’ He said: ‘It is the testimony of the people, and the believers are the witnesses of Allah on earth.’”

“A funeral passed by the Prophet (ﷺ) and they praised (the deceased) and spoke well of him and mentioned his good characteristics. He said: ‘(Paradise is) guaranteed for him.’ Then another funeral passed by and they spoke badly of him and mentioned his bad characteristics, and he the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘(Hell is) guaranteed for him. You are the witnesses of Allah on earth.’”

It was narrated from Samurah bin Jundab Al-Fazari that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer for a woman who had died in nifas* and he stood level with her middle (i.e. her waist).”

*The postnatal bleeding period.

“I saw Anas bin Malik offering the funeral prayer for a man, and he stood level with his head. Then another funeral was brought, that of a woman, and they said: ‘O Abu Hamzah! Offer the funeral prayer for her.’ So he stood level with the middle of the bed (the body was upon). ‘Ala’ bin Ziyad said to him: ‘O Abu Hamzah! Is this how you saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) standing in relation to the body of a man and a woman as you have stood?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ Then he turned to us and said: ‘Remember this.’”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet (ﷺ) recited the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatihah) in the funeral prayer.

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to recite the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatihah) in the funeral prayer.”

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘When you offer the prayer for the deceased, supplicate sincerely for him.’”

“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer he would say: ‘Allahummaghfir lihayyina wa mayyitina, wa shahidina wa gha’ibina, wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaitahu minna fa'ahyihi ‘alal-Islam, wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa tawaffahu ‘alal- iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tudillana ba’dah. [O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those who are present and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whomever of us You cause to live, let him live in Islam, and whomever of us You cause to die, let him die in (a state of) faith. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him].’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer for a man among the Muslims and I heard him say: ‘O Allah, so-and-so the son of so-and-so is in Your case and under Your protection. Protect him from the trial of the grave and the torment of the Fire, for You are the One Who keeps the promise and You are the Truth. Forgive him and have mercy on him, for You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

“I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offering the funeral prayer for a man among the Ansar, and I heard him say: ‘Allahumma salli ‘alayhi waghfirlahu warhamhu, wa ‘afihi wa’fu ‘anhu, waghsilhu bi ma’in wa thaljin wa baradin, wa naqqihi min adh-dhunubi wal-khataya kama yunaqqath-thawbul-abyadu minad-danas, wa abdilhu bi darihi daran khayran min darihi, wa ahlan khayran min ahlili, wa qihi fitnatal-qabri wa ‘adhaban-nar. (O Allah, send blessing upon him, forgive him, have mercy on him, keep him safe and sound, and pardon him; wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of sins just as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Give him in exchange for his house that is better than his house, and a family that is better than his family. Protect him from the trial of the grave and the torment of the Fire).’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Abu Bakr and ‘Umar did not give us so much leeway in anything as they did with regard to the prayer for the deceased,” meaning that there was nothing affixed.

It was narrated from ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan that the Prophet (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer for ‘Uthman bin Maz’un, and he said four Takbir over him.

“I prayed with ‘Abdullah bin Abi Awfa Al-Aslami, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), offering the funeral prayer for a daughter of his. He said Takbir over her four times, and he paused for a while after the fourth. I heard the people saying Subhan- Allah to him throughout the rows. Then he said the Salam and said: ‘Did you think that I was going to say a fifth Takbir?’ They said: ‘We were afraid of that.’ He said: ‘I was not going to do that, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say four Takbir, then pause for a while, and he would say whatever Allah willed he should say, then he would say the Salam.’”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet (ﷺ) said Takbir four times.

“Zaid bin Arqan used to say the Takbir four times in the funeral prayer, and he said the Takbir five times for one funeral. I asked him (about that) and he said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do that.’”

It was narrated from Kathir bin ‘Abdullah, from his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said the Takbir five times.

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘The (funeral) prayer should be offered for a child.’”

“If a child utters a sound (after being born), the funeral prayer should be offered for him and (his relatives) may inherit from him.”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Offer the (funeral) prayer for your children, for they have gone ahead of you (i.e. to prepare your place in Paradise for you).”

“I said to ‘Abdullah bin Abi Awfa: ‘Did you see Ibrahim, the son of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?’ He said: ‘He died when he was small, and if it had been decreed that there should be any Prophet after Muhammad (ﷺ), his son would have lived. But there is no Prophet after him.’”

“Then Ibrahim the son of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed and said: ‘He has a wet-nurse in Paradise, and if he had lived he would have been a Siddiq and a Prophet. If he had lived his maternal uncles, the Egyptians, would have been set free and no Egyptian would ever have been enslaved.’”

“When Qasim the son of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died, Khadijah said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the milk of Qasim’s mother is overflowing. Would that Allah had let him live until he had finished breastfeeding.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘He will complete his breastfeeding in Paradise.’ She said: ‘If I know that, O Messenger of Allah, it makes it easier for me to bear.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘If you wish, I will pray to Allah to let you hear his voice.’ She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, rather I believe Allah and His Messenger.’”

“They (the martyrs) were brought to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Day of Uhud, and he started to offer the funeral prayer for them, ten by ten. Hamzah lay where he lay, and they were taken away but he was left where he was.”

“Which of them had memorized more Qur’an?” And if one of them was pointed out to him, he would put him in the niche-grave first. And he said: “I am a witness over them.” He commanded that they should be buried with their blood, and that the funeral prayer should not be offered for them and they should not be washed.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded that the weapons and armor should be removed from the slain of Uhud, and they should be buried in their clothes stained with blood.

“I heard Jabir bin ‘Abdullah say: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded that the slain of the battle of Uhud should be returned to the battlefield; they had been moved to Al-Madinah.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever offers the funeral prayer in the mosque will have nothing (i.e., no reward).’”

“By Allah! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not offer the funeral prayer for Suhail bin Baida’ anywhere but in the mosque.”

“There are three times during the day when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade us to offer the funeral prayer or bury our dead: When the sun has fully risen (until it is higher up in the sky), when it is overhead at noon until it has passed the meridian, and when it is starting to set until it has set.”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed a man in his grave at night, and he lit a lamp in his grave.

“Do not bury your dead at night unless you are forced to.”

“Offer the funeral prayer for your dead by night or by day.”

“When ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy died, his son came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, give me your shirt so that I may shroud him in it.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Notify me when he is ready (i.e., when he has been washed and shrouded).’ When the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to offer the funeral prayer for him: ‘You should not do that.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer for him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: ‘I have been given two choices: “...ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites) or ask not forgiveness for them...’” [9:80] Then Allah revealed: ‘And never pray (the funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave.’” [9:84]

“The leader of the hypocrites in Al- Madinah died, and left instructions that the Prophet (ﷺ) should offer the funeral prayer for him and shroud him in his shirt. He offered the funeral prayer for him and shrouded him in his shirt, and stood by his grave. Then Allah revealed the words: ‘And never pray (the funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave.” [9:84]

‘Offer prayer for everyone who dies, and strive in Jihad under every chief.”

It was narrated from Jabir bin Samurah that a man from among the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) was wounded, and the wound caused him a great deal of pain. He went and took a spearhead, and slaughtered himself with it. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not offer the funeral prayer for him, and that was as an admonition for others.

“Why did you not tell me?” Then he went to her grave and offered the funeral prayer for her.

“We went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) and when we reached Al-Baqi’, we saw a new grave. He asked about it and they said: ‘(It is) so-and-so (a woman).’ He recognized the name and said: ‘Why did you not tell me about her?’ They said: ‘You were taking a nap and you were fasting, and we did not like to disturb you.’ He said: ‘Do not do that; I do not want to see it happen again that one of you dies, while I am still among you, and you do not tell me, for my prayer for him is a mercy.’ Then he went to the grave and we lined up in rows behind him, and he said four Takbir (i.e. for the funeral prayer).”

“Why did you not tell me?” Then he said to his Companions: “Line up in rows to pray for her,” and he offered the funeral prayer for her.

“A man died whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to visit, and they buried him at night. When morning came, they told him. He said: ‘What kept you from telling me?’ They said: ‘It was night and it was dark, and we did not like to cause you any inconvenience.’ Then he went to the grave and offered the funeral prayer for him.”

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer at a grave after the burial.

It was narrated from Ibn Buraidah from his father that the Prophet (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer for a deceased person after he had been buried.

“There was a black woman who used to sweep the mosque, and she passed away at night. The following morning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was told of her death. He said: ‘Why did you not call me?’ Then he went out with his Companions and stood at her grave, and said Takbir over her, with the people behind him, and he supplicated for her, then he went away.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Najashi has died.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his Companions went out to Al-Baqi’, and we lined up in rows behind him, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went forward, then he said four Takbir.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Your brother Najashi has died, so offer the funeral prayer for him.” Then he stood and we prayed behind him. I was in the second row and two rows prayed for him.”

“Your brother Najashi has died, so stand and pray for him.” So we formed two rows behind him.

“Pray for a brother of yours who has died in a land other than yours.” They said: “Who is he?” He said: “Najashi.”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer for Najashi and said four Takbir.

“Whoever offers the funeral prayer will have one Qirat and whoever awaits until (the burial) is finished will have two Qirat.” They said: ‘What are these two Qirat?’ He said: ‘Like two mountains.’”

“Whoever offers the funeral prayer will have one Qirat and whoever attends the burial will have two Qirat.” The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about the Qirat and he said: “(It is) like Uhud.”

‘Whoever offers the funeral prayer will have one Qirat; and whoever attends until the burial is over, will have two Qirat. By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! The Qirat is greater than this (mountain of) Uhud.”

“When you see a funeral (procession) stand up for it until it has passed by or it is placed on the ground.”

“A funeral has passed by the Prophet (ﷺ) and he stood up and said: ‘Stand up out of recognition of the enormity of death.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up for a funeral, and we stood up, until he sat down, then we sat down.”

“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) followed a funeral, he would not sit down until it had been placed in the niche-grave. A rabbi came to him and said: ‘This is what we do, O Muhammad!’ So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat down and said: ‘Be different from them.’”

“I could not find him, meaning the Prophet (ﷺ), and he was in Al-Baqi’. He said: “As-salamu ‘alaykum dara qawmin mu’minin. Antum lana faratun wa inna bikum lahiqun. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahum wa la taftinna ba’dahum. (Peace be upon you, O abode of believing people. You have gone ahead of us and verily we will join you soon. O Allah, do not deprive us of their reward and do not put us to trial after them).”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach them, when they went out to the graveyard, to say: As-salamu ‘alaykum ahlad-diyar minal-mu’minina wal- muslimin, wa inna insha’ Allah bikum lahiqun, nas’alul-laha lana wa lakumul-‘afiyah (Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the abodes, believers and Muslims, and we will join you soon if Allah wills. We ask Allah for well-being for us and for you).’”

“We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a funeral, and he sat facing the Qiblah (prayer direction).”

“We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a funeral, and we came to a grave. He sat down and we sat down, as if there were birds on our heads.”

“When the deceased was placed in the grave, the Prophet (ﷺ) would say: ‘Bismillah, wa ‘ala millati rasul-illah (In the Name of Allah and according to the religion of the Messenger of Allah).’” Abu Khalid said on one occasion, when the deceased was placed in the grave: “Bismillah wa ‘ala sunnati rasul- illah (In the Name of Allah and according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah).” Hisham said in his narration: “Bismillah, wa fi sabil-illah, wa ‘ala millati rasul-illah (In the Name of Allah, for the sake of Allah and according to the religion of the Messenger of Allah).”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed Sa’d gently in his grave and sprinkled water on it.”

It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was brought into his grave from the direction of the Qiblah, and he was placed in his grave gently.

“I was present with Ibn ‘Umar at a funeral. When the body was placed in the niche-grave) he said, ‘Bismillah wa fi sabil-illah wa ‘ala millati rasul-illah’ (In the Name of Allah, for the sake of Allah and according to the religion of the Messenger of Allah). When he started to place bricks in the niche-grave he said: ‘Allahumma ajirha min ash-shaitani wa min ‘adhabil-qabr. Allahumma Jafil-arda ‘an janbaiha, wa sa’id ruhaha, wa laqqiha minka ridwana (O Allah, protect him from Satan and from the torment of the grave; O Allah, keep the earth away from his two sides and take his soul up and grant him pleasure from Yourself).’ I said: ‘O Ibn ‘Umar, is this something that you heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) or is it your own words?’ He said: ‘I could have said something like that, but this is something that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The niche-grave is for us and the ditch-grave is for others.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The niche-grave is for us and the ditch-grave is for others.’”

“Make a niche-grave for me, and block it up with bricks as was done for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).”

“When the Prophet (ﷺ) died, there was a man in Al-Madinah who used to make a niche in the grave and another who used to dig graves without a niche. They said: ‘Let us pray Istikharah to our Lord and call for them both, and whichever of them comes first, we will let him do it.’ So they were both sent for, and the one who used to make the niche-grave came first, so they made a niche-grave for the Prophet (ﷺ).”

“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died, they differed as to whether his grave should have a niche or a ditch in the ground, until they spoke and raised their voices concerning that. Then ‘Umar said: ‘Do not shout in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), living or dead,’ or words to that effect. So they sent for both the one who made a niche and the one who dug graves without a niche, and the one who used to make a niche came and dug a grave with a niche for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then he (ﷺ) was buried.”

“I came one night to guard the Prophet (ﷺ), and there was a man reciting loudly. The Prophet (ﷺ) came out and I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, this man is showing off.’ Then he died in Al-Madinah, and they finished preparing him, then they carried his dead body. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Be gentle with him, may Allah be gentle with him, for he loved Allah and His Messenger.’ Then his grave was dug and he (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said: ‘Make it spacious for him, and may Allah make it spacious for him.’ Some of his Companions said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you are grieving for him.’ He said: ‘Yes indeed, for he loved Allah and His Messenger.’”

“Dig the grave deep, make it spacious and prepare it well.”

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) marked the grave of ‘Uthman bin Maz’un with a rock.

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade plastering over graves.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade writing anything on graves.”

It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade building structures over graves.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the funeral prayer, then he came to the grave of the deceased and scattered three handfuls of earth from the side of (the deceased’s) head.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If one of you were to sit on a live coal that burns him, that would be better for him than if he were to sit on a grave.”

‘If I were to walk on a live coal or a sword, or if I were to sew shows to my feet, that would be better for me than walking on the grave of a Muslim. And I see no difference between relieving myself in the midst of graves or in the middle of the marketplace.”