16. Burials

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Yahya related to me from Malik from Jafar ibn Muhammad from hisfather that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, was washed in a long shirt. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ayyub ibn Abi Tamima as-Sakhtayani from Muhammad ibn Sirin that Umm Atiyya al-Ansariyya said,"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, cameto us when his daughter died and said, 'Wash her three times, or five,or more than that if you think it necessary, with water and lotusleaves, and at the end put on some camphor, or a little camphor, andwhen you have finished let me know.' When we finished we told him, andhe gave us his waist-wrapper and said, 'Shroud her with this.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr thatAsma bint Umays washed Abu Bakr as-Siddiq when he died. Then she wentout and asked some of the muhajirun who were there, "I am fasting andthis is an extremely cold day. Do I have to do ghusl?" They said,"No." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard people ofknowledge say, "When a woman dies and there are no women with her towash her and no man who has the right by blood ties to take charge ofthat for her and no husband to take charge of it for her, she shouldbe purified by tayammum ,that is, by wiping her face and hands withearth." Malik said, "When a man dies and there are only womenwith him, they also should purify him with earth ." Maliksaid, "There is no particular way with us for washing the dead nor anyrecognised way to do it. They are just washed and purified." Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather from A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, was shrouded in three pure white cotton garments,none of which was a long shirt or a turban. Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said that hehad heard that when Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was ill he asked A'isha, "Howmany shrouds did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, have?" and she replied, "Three pure white cotton garments."Abu Bakr said, "Take this garment (a garment he was wearing on whichred clay or saffron had fallen) and wash it. Then shroud me in it withtwo other garments." A'isha said, "Why's that?", and Abu Bakr replied,"The living have greater need of the new than the dead. This is onlyfor the body fluids that come out as the body decays." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Humayd ibnAbdar-Rahman ibn Awf that Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As said, "A dead manis clothed in a shirt and a waist-wrapper and then wrapped in a third,and if he only has one garment he is shrouded in that." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that the Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr andUmar as well as the khalifas up until this time and Abdullah ibn Umar,would walk in front of the bier. Yahya related to me from Muhammad ibn alMunkadir that Rabia ibnAbdullah ibn alHadir told him that he had seen Umar ibn al-Khattableading people in front of the bier at the funeral of Zaynab bintJahsh. Yahya related to me from Malik that Hisham ibn Urwa said, "I onlyever saw my father in front of a funeral procession." He added, "Thenhe would come to al-Baqi and sit down until the procession passedhim." Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab said, "Walkingbehind the bier is in contradiction to the sunna." Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that Asmabint Abi Bakr said to her family, "Perfume my clothes with incensewhen I die and then embalm me. Do not put any of the embalmingsubstance on my shroud, and do not follow me with a burning torch." Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburithat Abu Hurayra forbade anyone to follow him with a burning torchafter his death. Yahya said, "I heard Malik disapprove ofthat." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, announced the death of an Najashi to everyoneon the day that he died, and went out with them to the place ofprayer, and then formed them into rows and said "Allah is greater"four times. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abu Umama ibnSahl ibn Hunayf told him that once a poor woman fell ill and theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was toldof her illness, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, used to visit poor people frequently and ask afterthem. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, "Let me know if she dies." Her bier was brought out at night-time and they did not want to wake up the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace. In the morning the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was told what hadhappened to her and he said, "Didn't I tell you to let me know if shedied?" They replied, "Messenger of Allah, we did not want to wake youup and make you come out in the night." Then the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out and formed everyoneinto rows by her grave and said "Allah is greater" four times. Yahya related to me that Malik asked Ibn Shihab about a man whocaught some of the takbirs said over the corpse and missed the rest,and Ibn Shihab said, "He completes what he has missed." Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburifrom his father that he had asked Abu Hurayra, "How do you pray overthe dead?" and Abu Hurayra replied, "By the Life of Allah, I will tellyou! I follow with the family and when the corpse is put down I say'Allah is greater' and praise Allah and ask for blessings on HisProphet. Then I say, 'O Allah, he is Your slave and the son of Yourmale slave and Your female slave. He used to testify that there is nogod but You and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your Messenger, andYou know that best. O Allah, if he acted well, then increase for himhis good action, and if he acted wrongly, then overlook his wrongactions. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not try usafter him.'" Allahumma inna huwa abduka wa'bnu abdika wa'bnuamatika. Kana yash-hadu an la ilaha illa ant wa anna Muhammadan abdukawa rasooluka, wa anta alamu bihi. Allahumma in kana muhsinan zid fiihsanihi, wa in kana musiyan fa tajawaz an sayatihi. Allahumma latahrimna ajrahu wa lataftina badahu. Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said that heheard Said ibn al-Musayyab say, "I once prayed behind Abu Hurayra overa child who had never done a wrong action and I heard him say, 'OAllah, give him protection from the torment of the grave.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused not to recite when praying over a dead person. Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Abi Harmala, themawla of Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Sufyan ibn Huwaytib, that Zaynab bintAbi Salama died during the time that Tariq was amir of Madina and herbier was brought out after subh and put in al-Baqi. He said that Tariqused to pray subh right at the beginning of its time. He added, "Iheard Abdullah ibn Umar say to the family, 'You can either pray overyour dead now or you can wait until the sun comes up.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarsaid, "The prayer for a dead person can be done after asr and subh ifthese have been prayed at their times." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umaribn Ubaydullah that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, ordered that the body of Sad ibn Abi Waqqasbe brought past her in the mosque so that she could make dua for him.Some people disapproved of her doing that, and she said, "How hastypeople are! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, only prayed over Suhayl ibn Bayda in the mosque." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarsaid, "The prayer over Umar ibn al-Khattab was done in the mosque." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Uthman ibnAffan and Abdullah ibn Umar and Abu Hurayra used to pray over thedead, both men and women, in Madina. They would put the men nearer tothe imam and the women nearer to the qibla. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar,when he prayed over the dead, would say, "Peace be upon you" loudenough for whoever was near to him to hear. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to say, "No-one should pray over a dead person unless he is inwudu." Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "I have not seenany person of knowledge disapproving of praying over either a childborn of adultery or its mother." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died onMonday and was buried on Tuesday and people prayed over himindividually with no one leading them. Some people said that he wouldbe buried near the mimbar, and others said that he would be buried inal-Baqi. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq came and said, "I heard the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'No prophet wasever buried except in the place where he died.' "So a grave was dugfor him there. When he was about to be washed they wished to take offhis shirt but they heard a voice saying "Don't take off his shirt," sothey did not take off his shirt and he was washed with it on, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that hisfather said, "There were two men in Madina, one of whom dug graveswith a niche in the side wall for the body, and the other who did not,and they said, 'Whichever one comes first can do the job,' and the onewho dug graves with a niche came first and dug the Messenger ofAllah's grave, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Umm Salama,the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, usedto say, "I did not believe that the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, had died until I heard the pickaxesfall." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that A'isha,the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, "I saw three moons fall into my room, and I related my vision toAbu Bakr as-Siddiq. Then, when the Messenger of Allah died, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, and was buried in my house, Abu Bakrsaid to me, 'This is one of your moons, and he is the best of them.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from more than one reliable sourcethat Sad ibn Abi Waqqas and Said ibn Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl died atal-Aqiq and were carried to Madina and buried there. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that hisfather said, "I would not want to be buried in al-Baqi. I would preferto be buried elsewhere. The one who is buried in al-Baqi is one of twopeople. Either he is unjust (dhalim), and I would not like to beburied with him, or he is salih, and I would not like his bones to bedisturbed for me." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Wafid ibnAmr ibn Said ibn Muadh from Nafi ibn Jubayr ibn Mutim from Masud ibnal-Hakam from AIi ibn Abi Talib that the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, used to stand up when a funeralprocession passed by, and then sit down again afterwards. ahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that AIi ibn AbiTalib used to rest his head on graves and lie on them. Maliksaid, "As far as we can see ,it is only forbidden to sit on graves torelieve oneself." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Bakr ibn Uthman ibn Sahlibn Hunayf that he had heard Abu Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf say, "Weused to attend funeral processions, and the last of the people wouldnot sit until they had been given permission ." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibnJabir ibn Atik that Atik ibn al-Harith, the grandfather of Abdullahibn Abdullah ibn Jabir on his mother's side, told him that Jabir ibnAtik had told him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, came to visit Abdullah ibn Thabit and found him inhis death-throes. He called to him but he did not reply. The Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "We belong toAllah, and to Him we are returning," and added, "You are being takenfrom us, Abur-Rabi`." The women cried out and wept, and Jabir beganto silence them. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "Leave them, and when the necessary time comes, noneof the women should cry." They said, "Messenger of Allah, what is thenecessary time?" and he replied, "When he dies." The dying man'sdaughter said, "By Allah, I hope that you will be a martyr, for youhave completed your preparations for battle," and the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah has madehis reward fall according to his intention. What do you consider dyinga martyr to be?" They said, "Death in the way of Allah." The Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There areseven kinds of martyr other than those killed in the way of Allah.Someone who is killed by the plague is a martyr, someone who drowns isa martyr, someone who dies of pleurisy is a martyr, someone who diesof a disease of the belly is a martyr, someone who dies by fire is amartyr, someone who dies under a falling building is a martyr and awoman who dies in childbirth is a martyr." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr fromhis father that Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman told him that she had heardA'isha, the umm al-muminin, say (when it was mentioned to her thatAbdullah ibn Umar used to say, "The dead are tormented by the weepingof the living"), "May Allah forgive Abu Abd ar-Rahman. Of course hehas not lied, but he has forgotten, or made a mistake. The Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by a jewishwoman whose family were crying over her and he said, 'You are cryingover her, and she is being tormented in her grave. ' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, "No muslim who has three children diewill be touched by the Fire except to fulfil Allah's oath." Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Amribn Hazm from his father from Abu'n-Nadr as-Salami that the Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If three ofa muslim's children die, and he remains content with that, they willbe a protection for him from the Fire." A woman who was with theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Ortwo, Messengerof Allah?", and he said, "Or two." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard from Abu'l-HubabSaid ibn Yasar from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, said, "The mumin continues to be struckby misfortune in his children and close friends until he meets Allahwith no wrong actions." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasimibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, "Let the misfortune that befalls me bea comfort to the Muslims in their misfortunes." Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahmanfrom Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet may Allah bless him and granthim peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "If a misfortune befalls some one and he says, asAllah has ordered, 'We belong to Allah and to Him we are returning. OAllah, reward me in my misfortune and give me better than itafterwards,' Allah will do that for him" (Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhirajiun. Allahumma' jurniy fi musiybatiy, wa a qibhiy khayran minha,illa faala 'llahu dhalika bihi.). Umm Salama said, "When AbuSalama died I said that, and then I said, 'Who is better than AbuSalama?' " And then Allah left her the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, and he married her. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that al-Qasimibn Muhammad said, "One of my wives died and Muhammad ibn Kab alQuradhi came to console me about her. He told me of one among the BaniIsrail who was a diligent, worshipping, knowing and understanding manwho had a wife that he admired and loved, and she died. He grievedover her intensely and lamented her until he withdrew into a house andlocked himself in, hidden from everyone, and no-one visited him. Awoman heard about him and went to him, saying, 'I need him to give mean opinion. Nothing will satisfy me except what he says about it.'Everyone went away, but she stuck to his door and said, 'I must seehim.' Someone said to him, 'There is a woman who wishes to ask youropinion about something,' and she insisted, 'I will only talk to himabout it.' When everyone had gone away, and she still had not lefthis door, he said, 'Let her in.' So she went in and saw him and said,'I have come to ask your opinion about something.' He said, 'What isit?' She said, 'I borrowed a piece of jewellery from a neighbour ofmine, and I have worn it and used it for a long time. Then they sentto me for it. Should I let them have it back?' He said, 'Yes, byAllah.' She said, 'I have had it for a long time.' He said, 'It ismore correct for you to return it to them, since they have lent it toyou for such a long time.' She said, 'Yes. May Allah have mercy onyou. Do you then grieve over what Allah has lent you and then takenfrom you, when He has a greater right to it than you?' Then he sawthe situation he was in, and Allah helped him by her words." Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu'r-Rijal Muhammad ibn Abdar-Rahman heard his mother Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman say, "The Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, cursed both men andwomen who dug up," meaning those who dug up graves. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that A'isha, thewife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used tosay, "Breaking the bone of a muslim when he is dead is like breakingit when he is alive." She meant if done in wrong action. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from Abbadibn Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, told him that she had heard theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saybefore he died, while he was leaning on her breast and she waslistening to him, "O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me and joinme with the highest company." Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard that A'isha said,"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, 'No prophet dies until he is given the choice.' " She continued,"I heard him say ,'O Allah, the highest company,' and I knew that hewas going." Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarsaid that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, "When you die, your place will be shown to you in themorning and the evening. If you are one of the people of the Garden,then you will be with the people of the Garden, and if you are one ofthe people of the Fire, then you will be with the people of the Fire.You will be told, 'This is your place of waiting until Allah raisesyou on the day of rising.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "The earth eats all of the son of Adam except thecoccyx. He was created from it, and on it he is built." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abd ar-Rahmanibn Kab ibn Malik al-Ansari told him that his father, Kab ibn Malik,used to relate that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "The ruh of the mumin is a bird that sits inthe trees of the Garden until Allah returns it to his body on the dayHe raises him ." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said, 'If My slavelongs to meet Me, I long to meet him, and if he is averse to meetingMe, I am averse to meeting him.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "A man said to his family that he had never done agood action, and that when he died they were to burn him and thenscatter half of him on the land and half of him on the sea, and byAllah, if Allah destined it for him He would punish him with apunishment which He had not punished anyone else with in all theworlds. When the man died, they did as he had told them. Then Allahtold the land to collect everything that was in it, and told the seato collect everything that was in it, and then He said to the man,'Why did you do this?' and he said, 'From fear of You, Lord, and Youknow best.' " Abu Hurayra added, "And He forgave him." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "Every child is born on the fitra and it is hisparents who make him a jew or a christian. Just as a camel is bornwhole - do you perceive any defect?" They said, "Messenger of Allah,what happens to people who die when they are (very) young?" He said,"Allah knows best what they used to do." Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "The Hour will not come until a man passes by thegrave of another and says, 'If only I were in his place.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Amr ibnHalhalaad-Dili from Mabad ibn Kab ibn Malik that Abu Qatada ibn Ribiused to relate that a funeral procession passed by the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, "One isrelieved and another others are relieved from." They said, "Who is theone relieved and the one from whom others are relieved?" He said, "Aslave who is mumin is the one who is relieved from the exhaustion andsuffering of this world to the mercy of Allah, and a wrong-actingslave is the one from whom people, towns, trees and animals arerelieved." Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umaribn Ubaydullah, said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, when Uthman ibn Madhun's funeral processionpassed by him, "You have gone and you were not involved in any of it." Malik related to me from AIqama ibn Abi Alqama that his mothersaid that she had heard A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, rose one night and put on his clothesand then went out. I ordered my slave-girl, Barira, to follow him, andshe followed him until he got to al-Baqi. He stood near it as long asAllah willed and then he left. Barira arrived back before him and toldme and I did not say anything to him until morning, and then Imentioned it to him and he explained, 'I was sent out to the people ofal-Baqi to pray for them.' " Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abu Hurayra said,"Make your funerals speedy, for it is only good that you are advancinghim towards, or evil that you are taking off your necks."