Riyad al-Salihin from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: Concealing the Unpleasant Traits Observed in the Deceased.
On the authority of Abu Rafi‘ Aslam, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
That the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever washes a deceased person and keeps his secrets, Allah will forgive him forty times."
Narrated by al-Hakim, who said it is authentic according to the criteria of Muslim.
Among the benefits of this hadith: Whoever takes charge of washing his Muslim brother upon his death earns a great reward.
The sanctity of a Muslim is protected both in life and in death.
Therefore, whoever sees a fault in his brother should conceal it and cover it up.
It is incumbent upon the one who washes his deceased Muslim brother to seek only the pleasure of Allah in doing so.
He should not desire any reward, compensation, gratitude, or any worldly gain from it.
Chapter: The Funeral Prayer, Following the Procession, Attending the Burial, and the Dislike of Women Following Funerals.
The virtue of following the funeral procession has already been mentioned.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer is performed for it, he will have a qirat of reward."
"And whoever attends until it is buried, he will have two qirats."
It was asked, "And what are the two qirats?"
He replied, "Like two great mountains."
Agreed upon.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
Encouragement to attend the funeral of the deceased.
Encouragement to take care of his affairs.
Urging people to gather for the deceased.
Drawing attention to the immense favor and honor Allah bestows upon the Muslim.
Increasing the reward for those who manage the affairs of the deceased after his death.
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him:
That the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever follows the funeral of a Muslim out of faith and seeking reward,"
"And remains with it until the prayer is performed and the burial is completed,"
"He will return with a reward of two qirats."
"Each qirat is like Mount Uhud."
"And whoever prays over it and then leaves before it is buried,"
"He will return with one qirat."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
It is appropriate for a Muslim to follow the funeral of his Muslim brother.
And to attend its burial out of faith and seeking reward.
Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to pray over the funeral and then leave.
Until the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reached him.
So he sent Khabbab to ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
He asked her, and she confirmed the report of Abu Hurayrah.
Ibn ‘Umar then said, "We have missed out on many qirats."
On the authority of Umm ‘Atiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
"We were forbidden from following funeral processions,"
"But it was not made a strict prohibition for us."
Agreed upon.
Its meaning is:
It was not emphasized as a prohibition in the same way as forbidden acts.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
A prohibition, in its essence, implies unlawfulness.
Unless there is evidence that renders it merely a matter of dislike (tanzih).
As is the case in this hadith.
Which is the statement of Umm ‘Atiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her:
"But it was not made a strict prohibition for us."
The virtue mentioned in the hadiths regarding following funeral processions
Is for men, not women.
Because women were forbidden from following them.
Chapter: The Desirability of Increasing the Number of People Praying over the Deceased.
And arranging them into three rows or more.
On the authority of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"There is no deceased person over whom a group of Muslims prays, reaching one hundred,"
"All of whom intercede for him,"
"But their intercession for him will be accepted."
Narrated by Muslim.
And on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying:
"There is no Muslim man who dies,"
"And forty men stand over his funeral who do not associate anything with Allah,"
"But Allah will accept their intercession for him."
Narrated by Muslim.
And on the authority of Marthad Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Yazani, who said:
Malik Ibn Hubayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, whenever he prayed over a funeral,
And the people were few,
He would divide them into three parts.
Then he said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever is prayed over by three rows has attained forgiveness."
Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi.
"Attained forgiveness" (awjab),
Meaning: Paradise has become mandatory for him.
Among the benefits of the hadiths:
The mention of specific numbers in these hadiths does not imply a limit.
Rather, it indicates what is superior.
The larger the congregation, the better and more beneficial it is for the deceased.
Those whose intercession is accepted and whose supplications are answered
Are the people of sincere monotheism (Tawhid).
Those who do not associate anything with Allah.
The desirability of the worshippers arranging themselves behind the Imam in three rows or more.
The hadiths contain an exhortation to pray sincerely for the deceased.
Chapter: What is Recited in the Funeral Prayer.
One performs four takbirs.
One seeks refuge with Allah after the first.
Then one recites the Opening of the Book (al-Fatihah).
Then one performs the second takbir.
Then one sends blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Saying:
"O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad."
And it is better to complete it by saying:
"As You sent blessings upon Ibrahim,"
Up to the words:
"Praiseworthy, Glorious."
And one should not say what many common people do by reciting [other things].
“Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)
For his prayer is not valid if he limits himself to that.
Then one performs the third takbir.
And supplicates for the deceased and the Muslims.
With what we will mention from the hadiths, if Allah the Exalted wills.
Then one performs the fourth takbir and supplicates.
Among the best of these is:
"O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward,"
"And do not put us to trial after him,"
"And forgive us and him."
The preferred view is to lengthen the supplication during the fourth takbir.
Contrary to what most people are accustomed to.
Due to the hadith of Ibn Abi Awfa,
Which we will mention, if Allah the Exalted wills.
As for the transmitted supplications after the third takbir,
Among them is:
On the authority of Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman,
‘Awf ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, prayed over a funeral,
And I memorized his supplication, as he was saying:
"O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him,"
"Grant him well-being and pardon him,"
"Honor his reception and expand his entrance,"
"Wash him with water, snow, and hail,"
"And cleanse him of sins,"
"As a white garment is cleansed of filth,"
"Replace his home with a better home than his,"
"And his family with a better family than his,"
"And his spouse with a better spouse than his,"
"And admit him into Paradise,"
"And protect him from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Fire."
Until I wished that I were that deceased person.
Narrated by Muslim.
"Honor his reception" (akrim nuzulahu),
Meaning: make his portion in Paradise the best.
"His entrance" (madkhalahu) means the place he enters.
Which is his grave, into which Allah admits him.
"Filth" (danas) means dirt.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
One should be keen to memorize knowledge.
To acquire it from its masters and convey it to the people.
The funeral prayer
Is a plea to Allah to have mercy on the deceased and overlook his faults.
The permissibility of purification with water, snow, and hail.
The superiority of white garments over others.
And that they signify purity and clarity.
Affirmation of the punishment of the grave.
The permissibility of a person wishing to be in the place of that deceased person,
Due to the excellent, accepted supplication he is receiving.
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, Abu Qatadah,
And Abu Ibrahim al-Ashhali, from his father,
And his father was a Companion,
May Allah be pleased with them all,
From the Prophet, peace be upon him,
That he prayed over a funeral,
And said:
"O Allah, forgive our living and our dead,"
"Our young and our old,"
"Our males and our females,"
"Those of us who are present and those who are absent."
"O Allah, whoever among us You keep alive,"
"Keep him alive upon Islam,"
"And whoever among us You take in death,"
"Take him in death upon faith."
"O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward,"
"And do not put us to trial after him."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
The permissibility of supplicating for both the living and the dead.
All goodness lies in a person dying upon faith.
And living upon Islam.
The desirability of a servant supplicating
That Allah rectify his outward and inward state.
And that He cause him to die in the best state.
A warning against a person feeling secure regarding himself,
Against turning away from the state of goodness he is in.
Rather, he must always ask Allah for steadfastness upon faith.
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying:
"When you pray over the deceased,"
"Make your supplication for him sincere."
Narrated by Abu Dawud.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
The desirability of supplicating for the deceased with sincerity and presence of heart.
Part of sincerity in supplicating for the deceased
Is to single him out in supplication.
And to be earnest in beseeching Allah.
Because this prayer is essentially a request for forgiveness and intercession for the deceased.
And its acceptance is hoped for from the one who persists.
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
From the Prophet, peace be upon him, regarding the funeral prayer:
"O Allah, You are its Lord,"
"And You created it,"
"And You guided it to Islam,"
"And You took its soul,"
And You know best what is hidden and what is manifest within them.
We have come to You as intercessors for him.
So He forgave him.
Narrated by Abu Dawud.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
Supplicating to Allah the Exalted to forgive whoever died as a monotheist.
And to overlook his lapses.
The testimony of the servants is based on what is apparent.
While they entrust the inner secrets of the creation to their Lord.
He who knows the secret and what is even more hidden.
On the authority of Wathilah Ibn al-Asqa', may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, led us in prayer.
Over a man from among the Muslims.
And I heard him saying:
"O Allah, so-and-so, son of so-and-so,
is under Your protection and the bond of Your neighborhood.
Protect him from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the Fire.
For You are the Lord of faithfulness and praise.
O Allah, forgive him and have mercy upon him.
Indeed, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Narrated by Abu Dawud.
"Under Your protection and neighborhood":
Meaning under Your covenant and security.
"Protect him from the trial of the grave":
Meaning, save him from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the Fire.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
A person is attributed to his father, not his mother, in this world and the hereafter.
The recommendation of asking Allah, the Majestic and Exalted,
To protect the deceased from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of Hell.
We seek refuge in Allah from both.
The affirmation of the punishment of the grave and its trial.
And that it is a reality.
The recommendation of praising Allah as He deserves
When supplicating and beseeching Him.
On the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Abi Awfa, may Allah be pleased with them both:
That he performed four takbirs over the funeral of a daughter of his.
Then he stood after the fourth for the duration of the time between two takbirs.
Seeking forgiveness for her and supplicating.
Then he said:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to do this."
And in another narration:
He performed four takbirs.
Then he paused for a while,
Until I thought he was going to perform a fifth takbir.
Then he performed the taslim to his right and to his left.
When he finished,
We asked him, "What is this?"
He replied:
"I am not adding anything for you beyond what I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, doing."
Or:
"This is how the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, acted."
Narrated by al-Hakim.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
The legitimacy of supplicating between the final takbir and the taslim.
The eagerness of the Companions to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
The permissibility of asking someone who performed an action whose reason is not apparent, so that he may explain it.
Riyadh al-Salihin.