In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Ifadah Center
for Humanities Studies and Research
presents:
Abridgment of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter:
Shrouding from the deceased's entire estate.
On the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him):
Food was brought to him
while he was fasting,
and he said:
"Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr was killed,
and he was better than me.
He was shrouded in a striped garment (burdah):
if his head was covered, his feet showed,
and if his feet were covered, his head showed.
And Hamzah was killed,
and he was better than me.
Then worldly wealth was spread out for us in abundance,"
or he said:
"We were granted of this world what we were granted,
and we truly fear that our good deeds have been hastened to us in reward."
Then he began to weep, until he left the food untouched.
Commentary on the hadith:
"Burdah"
means a striped cloak.
"Badat"
means became exposed and uncovered.
"Then worldly wealth was spread out for us"
points to the conquests and war spoils that later came about.
"That our good deeds have been hastened to us in reward"
means hastened here in this worldly life.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is commendable for a scholar to mention the biographies of the righteous and their worldly asceticism
in order to lessen attachment to worldly life.
It also shows the legitimacy of weeping
out of fear of falling short of joining the ranks of the righteous,
and being deeply concerned about that.
A person ought to remember Allah's blessings upon him
and acknowledge his shortcomings in showing proper gratitude for them.
Chapter: When no shroud is found except what covers either one's head
or one's feet, the head is covered.
On the authority of Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"We emigrated with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
seeking the Countenance of Allah,
so our reward became due from Allah.
Among us were those who passed away
without consuming any of their reward in this world,
among whom was Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr.
And among us were those whose fruit ripened and who are now harvesting it.
Mus'ab was killed on the day of Uhud,
and we found nothing to shroud him in except a striped garment (burdah)—"
in another narration:
"and he left only a woolen striped garment (namirah)—
if we covered his head with it, his feet were exposed,
and if we covered his feet, his head was exposed.
So the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded us to cover his head
and to put idhkhir grass over his feet."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Seeking the Countenance of Allah"
means desiring the pleasure of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.
"So our reward became due from Allah"
means the reward of the emigrant was guaranteed for us,
having attained his objective under the divine pledge of Allah Almighty.
"Among us were those who passed away without consuming any of their reward in this world"
means he acquired nothing of this world nor amassed its wealth,
restraining himself from its pleasures so that he might receive his full reward in the Hereafter.
"Whose fruit ripened"
means matured and became ready to harvest.
"Yahdibuha"
means picks and gathers it.
Idhkhir is a sweet-smelling desert plant.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that there is guidance toward the excellence of sincerity in one's deeds.
It also clarifies the great virtue of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
both the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Ansar.
Chapter: One who prepared a shroud during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and was not rebuked for it.
On the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd, who said:
A woman brought a woven garment (burdah).
Sahl asked the people,
"Do you know what a burdah is?"
Someone replied, "Yes,
it is a cloak woven with a finished border along its edge."
She said, "O Messenger of Allah,
I have woven this with my own hands to clothe you with it."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took it,
being in need of it.
He then came out to us wearing it as his waist-wrapper.
A man among the people felt it with his hand
and said, "O Messenger of Allah,
give it to me to wear!"
He replied, "Yes."
The Prophet remained seated in the gathering as long as Allah willed,
then he went back inside,
folded it up, and sent it to him.
The people said to the man,
"You did not do well!
You asked him for it
when you knew that he never turns down anyone who asks."
The man replied,
"By Allah, I did not ask him for it to wear it,
but rather that it might be my shroud the day I die."
In another narration:
"I hoped for its blessing since the Prophet (peace be upon him) had worn it,
so that I might be shrouded in it."
Sahl said,
"And it indeed became his shroud."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Chapter: One who prepared a shroud during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and was not rebuked for it."
"Ista'adda"
means prepared and readied beforehand.
"A burdah"
means a striped garment
in the custom of the Arabs, used as an outer wrap.
"A cloak woven with a finished border along its edge"
indicates that it was brand new,
its selvage still untrimmed and never worn before.
"Hawashi al-thawb" refers to the borders and edges of a garment.
"He felt it (jassaha)"
means he touched it with his hand.
"Then he folded it"
means he folded up the burdah.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) accepted gifts.
It demonstrates the permissibility of expressing admiration for fine clothing seen on another person,
either to acknowledge its value
or to hint at requesting it from them,
where such a request is appropriate.
It shows the propriety of rebuking someone who outwardly violates proper decorum.
It illustrates the permissibility of asking for something in a polite manner.
It shows that it is permissible for a leader or person of authority to accept a gift from a poor person.
It shows the permissibility of asking a leader or ruler for a gift.
The hadith also demonstrates that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
sought blessings through the physical relics of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
It also contains encouragement toward altruism and selflessness.
Chapter: A woman's mourning for someone other than her husband.
On the authority of Zaynab bint Abi Salamah, who said:
When the news of Abu Sufyan's death arrived from the Levant,
Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) called for a yellow-tinted perfume on the third day.
She applied some of it to the sides of her face and her forearms,
and then said:
"By Allah, I have no personal need for perfume,
were it not that I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say:
'It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day
to mourn for a deceased person for more than three nights,
except for a husband,
for whom she must mourn for four months and ten days.'"
On the authority of Zaynab bint Abi Salamah, who said:
I entered upon Zaynab bint Jahsh
when her brother passed away.
She called for perfume, applied some of it to herself,
and then said:
"I have no need for perfume,
except that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
saying from the pulpit:
'It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day
to mourn for a deceased person for more than three nights,
except for a husband, for four months and ten days.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"The news of death arrived"
means the report of his demise reached them.
"Sufrah"
is a type of perfume characterized by a yellowish tint.
"Her 'aridayha"
refers to the sides of her face:
"'Arid"
is what grows along the sides of the jawline above the chin,
and it is also said that a person's 'arid
refers to the two sides of the cheeks.
"La-ghaniyyah"
means having no desire or need for it.
"To mourn (an tuhidda)"
means to abandon adornment, perfume, and everything that attracts suitors.
"Except for a husband"
means mourning on account of the death of her husband.
"She touched herself with it"
means she applied perfume to herself.
"I have no need for perfume,
except that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)"
means that the sole motive for doing so
was compliance with the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is permissible for a non-wife to refrain from adornment and luxuries out of grief for up to three days.
The hadith also indicates the merit of women wearing perfume and beautifying themselves in normal circumstances.
It highlights the great virtue of the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them).
It affirms the principle that a narrator does not abandon acting upon the hadith they transmit.
Chapter: The statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
"The deceased is punished on account of some of the weeping of his family over him,"
when wailing was part of his customary practice;
and what is permitted of weeping without wailing.
On the authority of Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with both of them), who said:
The daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a message to him, saying:
"My son is at the point of death, so please come to us."
So he sent someone offering greetings of peace and saying:
"To Allah belongs whatever He takes, and to Him belongs whatever He gives,
and everything with Him has an appointed term;
so let her be patient and seek Allah's reward."
But she sent back to him, adjuring him to come to her.
So he stood up, accompanied by Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah,
Mu'adh ibn Jabal,
Ubayy ibn Ka'b,
Zayd ibn Thabit,
and in one narration,
'Ubadah ibn al-Samit,
along with other men.
Then the child was lifted up to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
while his soul was rattling,
as if it were an old, dry waterskin.
In another narration:
while his soul was convulsing,
and in yet another narration:
while his breath was trembling heavily in his chest.
Thereupon, his eyes overflowed with tears.
Sa'd said:
"O Messenger of Allah, what is this?"
He replied:
"This is a mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants,
and Allah only shows mercy to those of His servants who are merciful."
Commentary on the hadith:
The daughter of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
was Zaynab, may Allah be pleased with her.
Her words, "My son,"
it was said that his name was 'Ali.
"Is dying,"
meaning he is on the verge of death,
that is, in the throes of death.
"And let her seek reward,"
seeking reward (ihtisab)
means patient endurance and content acceptance of the decree of Allah Almighty,
hoping for His mercy and forgiveness.
"Adjuring him,"
meaning she urged him insistently by an oath.
"Then the child was lifted up to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,"
meaning he was handed over and presented to the Prophet, peace be upon him.
"While his soul was rattling,"
meaning it was agitated and trembling,
and the intent is that whenever it settled into one state,
it quickly shifted into another,
drawing closer to death,
never remaining stable in a single condition.
"As if it were an old, dry waterskin,"
meaning like a worn-out waterskin.
"His eyes overflowed,"
meaning they streamed with tears.
"While his soul was convulsing,"
meaning trembling like someone terrified.
"While his breath was trembling,"
meaning moving with a loud, raspy sound.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is deduced from the hadith
that it is permissible to summon people of virtue to a dying person
in the hope of receiving their supplications.
It also shows the permissibility of walking to offer condolences or visit the sick without prior permission,
unlike going to a banquet.
It indicates the recommendation to fulfill someone's oath.
It highlights the recommendation to urge the afflicted person to exercise patience even before the calamity occurs.
It encourages proper etiquette when asking questions.
It illustrates the perfection of his compassion, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his mercy toward the Ummah.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
"We attended the funeral of a daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
He said:
"And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was seated by the graveside."
He said:
"And I saw his eyes shedding tears."
He said:
"Then he said:
'Is there anyone among you who did not indulge in marital relations last night?'"
Abu Talhah replied:
"I did not."
He said:
"Then descend."
He said:
"So he descended into her grave."
Commentary on the hadith:
"We attended," meaning we were present at.
"A daughter," refers to Umm Kulthum, may Allah be pleased with her.
"Did not indulge last night,"
it means he did not commit a sin,
and it was also said:
he did not have intimate relations with his wife.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is deduced from the hadith
that it is permissible for men to lower a woman into her grave,
as they possess greater physical strength for that task.
It also shows the permissibility of sitting by the side of the grave.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi Mulaykah, who said:
"A daughter of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, died in Mecca,
and we went to attend her funeral.
Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, were also present,
and I was sitting between the two of them—
or he said:
'I sat next to one of them,
and then the other came and sat beside me.'"
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said to 'Umar ibn 'Uthman:
"Will you not forbid the weeping?
For the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
'Indeed, the deceased is punished on account of his family's weeping over him.'"
Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said:
"'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say something of that sort."
Then he narrated,
saying:
"I returned from Mecca with 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
until, when we were at al-Bayda',
he noticed a traveling party under the shade of a thorn tree.
He said:
He said:
'Go and see who that traveling party is.'
He said:
'So I looked,
and it was Suhayb.'
I informed him,
and he said:
'Call him to me.'
So I went back to Suhayb and said:
'Ride on and join the Commander of the Faithful.'
Later, when 'Umar was fatally wounded,
Suhayb entered weeping, saying:
'O my brother! O my companion!'
'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
'O Suhayb, do you weep over me,
when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"The deceased is punished on account of some of the weeping of his family over him"?'"
Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said:
"When 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, died,
I mentioned this to 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
She said:
'May Allah have mercy on 'Umar!
By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, never stated
that Allah punishes a believer on account of his family's weeping over him.
Rather, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Allah increases the punishment of the disbeliever on account of his family's weeping over him."'
And she said:
'The Qur'an is sufficient for you:
﴾And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.﴿'
At that, Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said:
'And Allah is the One Who brings about laughter and weeping.'
Ibn Abi Mulaykah said:
'By Allah, Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, did not utter a single word in reply.'"
"A daughter of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, died,"
she was Umm Aban.
"To attend her,"
meaning to be present at her funeral.
"On account of his family's weeping over him,"
this phrasing reflects what is typical and customary,
since it is well known that it is usually one's family that weeps over the deceased;
this is understood to apply to one who instructed that he be wept over.
"At al-Bayda',"
it is an open desert plain between Mecca and Medina.
"The traveling party" refers to camel riders on a journey,
usually designating a group of ten or more.
"Under the shade of a thorn tree,"
it is a large tree belonging to the thorny acacia family.
"And join,"
meaning catch up with.
"When 'Umar was fatally wounded,"
meaning struck with the injury from which he passed away.
"O my brother!"
"O my companion!"
This form of address is for lamentation and expression of deep sorrow.
"May Allah have mercy on 'Umar,"
this exemplifies the refined etiquette practiced among the Companions,
serving as a courteous preamble and soft dismissal
of any discomfort arising from attributing an error to him.
"Sufficient for you," meaning it is enough for you.
﴾And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.﴿
Rather, each soul bears only its own burden.
Even if someone causes another's misguidance and sin,
he bears the sin of causing it, without diminishing anything from the sin of the direct perpetrator.
"Brings about laughter and weeping,"
meaning that tears are beyond the control of the child of Adam,
and he has no active hand in producing them,
let alone the deceased person;
how then could one be punished for them?
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is deduced from the hadith
that the prohibited weeping
is the weeping accompanied by wailing or raising the voice,
not the mere shedding of tears.
The hadith demonstrates the exemplary etiquette the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, maintained with one another.
It shows that scholarly disagreement among the Companions
was bounded by a noble ethical fence.
It demonstrates that the mutual love among the Companions remained steadfast,
never spoiled by disagreement over secondary legal matters.
The hadith illustrates the Companions correcting one another regarding narration and textual understanding.
It shows yielding gracefully to the evidence,
which is why Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, remained silent.
The hadith contains an affirmation of the punishment in the grave.
It highlights the legitimacy of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.
The hadith indicates that whoever requests or is known to approve of being wailed over after death, and is then wailed over,
will indeed be punished on account of that wailing.
It also indicates the general rule that a person is punished only for what they have directly earned or caused.
It demonstrates the virtue and high standing of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
and the Companions' deep awareness of such exalted ranks.
It shows the intense love of Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) for 'Umar.
It also shows the virtue of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both,
and his strict adherence to textual evidence.
It provides guidance on the necessity of reconciling religious texts
and the imperative to resolve any apparent contradiction between them.
Narrated 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that she said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) merely passed by a Jewish woman whose family was weeping over her,
and he said: 'They are indeed weeping over her, while she is being punished in her grave.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"She is being punished in her grave"—meaning she is punished on account of her disbelief.
Key benefits of the hadith:
The hadith affirms the reality of the punishment of the grave,
and that whoever dies in disbelief is punished in their grave.
The hadith also contains an indication of the prohibition of wailing.
Narrated Abu Burdah, from his father, who said:
"When 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was fatally wounded,
Suhayb began to cry out:
'O my brother!'
Whereupon 'Umar said: 'Did you not know that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"The deceased is punished by the weeping of the living"?'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"'Umar was fatally wounded' refers to the mortal wound that resulted in his death.
'Did you not know?' means: has this report not reached you?
Key benefits of the hadith:
The hadith exemplifies enjoining good and forbidding evil,
as well as reminding others of the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
in conjunction with enjoining good and forbidding evil.
The hadith also affirms the reality of the punishment of the grave.
Chapter: What is disliked regarding wailing over the deceased.
Narrated al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:
'Attributing a lie to me is not like lying about anyone else;
whoever intentionally lies against me,
let him take his seat in the Fire.'
And I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say:
'Whoever is wailed over
is punished because of that wailing.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Anyone else"—meaning anyone other than me.
"Let him take his seat in the Fire"—
meaning: let him prepare his dwelling place in the Hellfire.
"Whoever is wailed over"—meaning when people wail and lament over them.
Key benefits of the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced:
That wailing is forbidden by consensus (ijma'),
and that it is one of the practices of the pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah.
It also establishes the absolute prohibition of lying against the Prophet (peace be upon him),
which is among the major sins.
Chapter:
"He is not of us who tears his garments at the chest."
Narrated 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"He is not of us who strikes his cheeks,
tears his garments at the chest,
or cries out with the cries of the Jahiliyyah."
Commentary on the hadith:
"He is not of us"—
meaning: he is not among those who follow our Sunnah,
nor is he among those guided by our guidance.
"Strikes" (latm)—
means slapping or beating.
"Tears his garments at the chest"—
means ripping one's clothes open.
"Or cries out with the cries of the Jahiliyyah"—
meaning: the impermissible utterances made by the people of the Jahiliyyah,
such as their cries of
'O my support!' and similar lamentations.
Key benefits of the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced:
The prohibition of the practices of the Jahiliyyah.
It establishes the prohibition of striking the cheeks and wailing,
as well as the prohibition of ruining wealth when a calamity strikes.
Chapter: What is forbidden regarding shaving the head upon a calamity.
Narrated Abu Burdah ibn Abi Musa, who said:
"Abu Musa became severely ill
and fell unconscious,
while his head was resting in the lap of a woman of his household,
and he was unable to respond to her at all.
When he regained consciousness, he said:
'I disassociate myself from anyone whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) disassociated himself from;
indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
disassociated himself from the wailing woman (al-saliqah), the hair-shaving woman (al-haliqah), and the garment-rending woman (al-shaqqah).'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Became ill" (waji'a) means fell sick.
"Fell unconscious"
means he fainted.
"In the lap" (hujr) means in her care and embrace.
"A woman of his household"—
she was his wife, Safiyyah.
"Al-saliqah"—
is the woman who raises her voice in wailing at the time of calamity;
it is also said: she who slaps and scratches her face.
"Al-haliqah"—
is the woman who shaves her hair upon a calamity.
"Al-shaqqah"—
is the woman who tears her clothes upon a calamity.
Key benefits of the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced:
That loud lamentation and wailing,
striking the cheeks, tearing the clothes,
scratching the face, disheveling the hair,
and invoking woe and ruin—
all of these are strictly forbidden acts.
It also establishes the legitimacy of a sick person
enjoining good and forbidding evil.
Chapter: One who sits during a bereavement
with grief visible upon him.
Narrated 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
"When news reached the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
of the martyrdom of Ibn Harithah, Ja'far, and Ibn Rawahah,
he sat down, with grief visibly evident upon him,
while I was looking through a chink in the door—
that is, the crack of the door.
A man came to him and said:
'The women of Ja'far...'
and he mentioned their weeping,
so the Prophet commanded him to forbid them.
The man left,
then returned a second time saying:
'They have not obeyed.'
So he said:
'Forbid them.'
The man came a third time
and said:
'By Allah, they have overcome us, O Messenger of Allah!'
She said: I think he then said:
'Throw dust into their mouths.'
So I said:
'May Allah rub your nose in the dust!
You neither did what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded you,
nor did you spare the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from distress!'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Ibn Harithah"—
is Zayd ibn Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him.
"Ja'far"—
is Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him.
"Ibn Rawahah"—
is 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him.
"Grief was visibly evident upon him"—
as though he sought to suppress his sorrow,
but only that which was unavoidable
for human nature showed through.
"The women of Ja'far"—
refers to his wife and the women gathered with her.
"They have overcome us"—
meaning they refused to stop crying.
"Throw dust into their mouths"—
he commanded him to silence their mouths with dust,
specifying the mouths
because they are the instrument of wailing;
other interpretations have also been offered.
"May Allah rub your nose in the dust"—
meaning: may Allah bring you low by sticking your nose into ragham,
which is dust.
"Distress" ('ana)—
denotes hardship and exhaustion.
Key benefits of the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced:
The permissibility of sitting to receive condolences with composure and dignity.
It encourages patience and seeking Allah's reward in the face of calamity.
The hadith serves as evidence that one who is forbidden from an evil,
if they do not desist, may be penalized and disciplined if possible.
It establishes the legitimacy of repeating an enjoinment of good and prohibition of evil.
It shows the permissibility of dispatching a messenger to enjoin good and forbid evil.
It also encourages avoiding causing undue hardship and trouble in all matters.