From The Death To Burial In Islam
22 Necessary Things From The Death To Burial in Islam
1: Creed 2: Manners 3: Character 4: Act of Worship 5: Deeds
6:Tayammum–Dry Ablution
7:Masah–pass wet hand over feet
8:Menstruation Postnatal Bleeding
9:Salat–Namaz-Salat
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Funeral Regulations
There are three topics related to funeral regulations:
1:Requirements from the Time of illness to the Time of Death
2:What is Necessary from the Time of Death to the time of Burying
What is Necessary from the Time of Death to the time of Burying
- 1:Announcing the Death:
It is recommended to announce the death of the Muslim to his relatives, his friends, and to the righteous people of his quarter to attend his funeral. The Messenger of Allah ﷺannounced the death of An-Najashi to the people. He also announced the death the Zayd, Ja’far, and ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah when they were martyred.
Only the public proclamation in a loud voice, in the streets, at the gets of the Masjids is prohibited.
- 2:Weeping is Allowed, Wailing is Prohibited:
Wailing and crying for the death of anyone is prohibited.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«إِنَّ المْيِّتَ لَيُعَذَّبُ بِبُكَاءِ الْـحَيِّ»
Indeed, the deceased is tortured because of the weeping (the wailing) of the living. (Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
مَنْ نِيحَ عَلَيْهِ يُعَذَّبُ بِمَا نِيحَ عَلَيْه يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
He who was wailed over, will be tortured because of that wailing on the Day of Judgement. (Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺused to take a pledge form women not to wail; as narrated by Umm ‘Atiyyah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺalso said:
«إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنَ الصَّالِقَةِ وَالْـحَالِقَةِ وَالشَّاقَةِ»
I am innocent of those who wail, shave, or tear their clothes (in mourning). (Al-Bukhari)
As for weeping, there is no harm in it. When His ﷺ son Ibrahim died,
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ تَدْمَعُ وَالْقَلْبَ يَحْزَنُ ، وَلاَ نَقُولُ إِلاَّ مَا يَرْضَى رَبُّنَا وَإِنَّا بِفِرَاقِكَ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَمَحْزُونُون
Indeed , the eyes shed tears, the heart grieves, but we say nothing but what pleases our Lord. We are sad because of your death, O Ibrahim. (Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺalso wept upon the death of Umamah, his grand-daughter form Zaynab, may Allah be pleased with them. It was said to him: “Do you weep? Did not you prohibit us from weeping?” He said:
إِنَّمَا هِىَ رَحْمَةٌ جَعَلَهَا اللَّهُ فِى قُلُوبِ عِبَادِهِ ، وَإِنَّمَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الرُّحَمَاءَ
It is only mercy that Allah put in the hearts of His servants. Allah has mercy only on the merciful among His servants. (Al-Bukhari)
- 3:The Prohibition of Dressing as a Mourner for More than Three Days:
It is unlawful for the Muslim woman to dress as a mourner for more than three days, except in the case of the death of her husband . In that case it is obligatory for her to do so for four months and ten days. This is due to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ:
لَا تُحِدُّ الْـمَرْأَةُ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ عَلَى زَوْجٍ، فَإِنَّهَا تُحِدُّ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍٍ وَعَشْرًا
The woman is not to dress as a mourner upon the death of anyone for more than three days, except in the case of the husband. Then she is to do so for four months and ten (days). (Al-Bukhari)
- 4:Paying off his debts:
In is necessary to expedite paying any debts the deceased may have. This because the Messenger ﷺwould not pray for one with a debt until his debt was paid. He said:
«نَفْسُ الْـمُؤْمِنُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِدَيْنِهِ، حَتَّى يُقْضَى عَنْهُ»
The believers soul is suspended by its debt until it is rectified. (Al-Bukhari)
- 5:Al-Istirja- Supplication and Patience:
It is necessary for the family of the deceased to remain patient, particularly during this period of time. This is because the Prophet ﷺsaid:
«إِنَّماَ الصَّبْرُ عِنْدَ الصَّدْمَةِ الْأُولى»
Patience is only at the initial shock. (Al-Bukhari)
They should increase in supplications and reciting the phrase of Al-Istirja. “We are Allah’s and to Him we will return.”
[1] Meaning to not adorn herselsf with andy kohl, henna or fragrance.
[2] Meaning to utter the statement: “We are Allah’s and to Him we all will return” as explained in the Hadith that follows.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«مَا مِن عَبْدٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ»
There is no servant who suffers an affliction and He said:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِى فِى مُصِيبَتِى وَأَخْلِفْ لِى خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Innaalilaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon. Allaahumaa.’ Jurnee fee museebatee, wa akhliflee khayran minhaa.
“We are Allah’s and to Him we will return. O Allah! Reward me with good in my adversity, and compensate me with better than it,” except that Allah rewards him abundantly, and compensates him with is better.(Muslim)
He ﷺalso said:
يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَا لِعَبْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِ عِنْدِي جَزَاءٌ إِذَا قَبَضْتُ
صَفِيَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ احْتَسَبَهُ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ
Allah the Most High said, “There is nothing for My believing servant – from whom I take away the soul of his beloved, then he anticipates a reward from Me – except Paradise.” (Al-Bukhari)
- 6:The Obligation of Washing the Body:
When a Muslim passes away – whether young or old and whether his body is complete or not – it is obligatory to wash him. Those Muslim who are not washed are the martyrs killed by disbelievers in the battlefield.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لَا تَغْسِلُوهُمْ، فَإِنَّ كُلُّ جُرْحٍ أَوْ كُلَّ دَمٍ يَفُوحُ مِسْكًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ»
Do not wash them. Each wound – or each drop of blood – will be musk on the Day of Judgement. (Ahmad)
- 7:The Description of the Washing:
If water is poured over the body such that it covers all of it, it will be sufficient. But he following description is the most complete form of that recommended:
The deceased is put on something elevated. The one washing him should be an honest and righteous person.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لِيُغَسِّلْ مَوْتَاكُمْ الْـمَأْمُونَ»
Let the honest wash your dead. (Ibn Majah)
He should slightly press his stomach so that anything remaining would come out Then he wraps a piece of cloth around his hand, and intends to wash him. He starts by washing his private parts to remove any filth. Then he removes the piece of cloth and washes him in the manner of Wudhu’. Then he washes the entire body, beginning with the upper part down to the lower part, doing so three times. If perfect purity is not attained, he washes him five times, using soap or the like in the last washing.
If the deceased is a woman. Her hair should be undone and washed, then braided again. The Messenger of Allah ﷺcommanded doing this with his daughter Zaynab. (Al-Bukhari) Then camphor or some kind of fragrance should be applied.
- 8:Tayammum is Sufficient when Necessary:
When there is no water available to wash the dead, or the deceased is a man among women or a woman among men, then Tayammum should be performed on the body and it should be shrouded, the funeral prayer is performed, and the body is buried. Tayammum is a substitute for Ghusi when there is a necessity, just as in the case of one in a state of sexual impurity who is unable to perform Ghusl, he performs Tayammum and prays.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
إِذَا مَاتَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ لَيْسَ مَعَهُمُ امْرَأَةٌ غَيْرُهَا، وَالرَّجُلُ مَعَ النِّسَاءِ
لَيْسَ مَعَهُنَّ رَجُلٌ غَيْرُهُ فَإِنَّهُمَا يَتَيَمَّمَانِ وَيُدْفَنَانِ
If a woman dies among men and there was no woman besides her, or a man passes away among women and there was no man besides him, they should be given Tayammum and be buried.
Their status is similar to those who do not find water. (Al-Bayhaqi)
- 9:One of the couple is permitted to wash to other:
The husband is permitted to wash his wife and the wife is permitted to wash her husband. The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid to ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
«لَوْ مِتَِّ لَغَسَّلَنَّكِ وَكَفَّنْتُكِ»
If you would pass away, I would wash and should you.
‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, Washed his wife Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her.
The woman is permitted to wash to boy of six years old or less. As for a man washing a girl, the people of knowledge dislike it.
- 10:The Shroud is obligatory:
It is obligatory to shroud the Muslim after washing. This is to be done with whatever will cover the entire body. Mus’ab bin ‘Umayr, one of the martyrs of Uhud – may Allah be pleased with him – was shrouded with a cloth that was short, so Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered that his head and body be covered with it, and that his legs be covered with Idhkhir (lemon-grass). (Al-Bukhari) Thus, covering the whole body is inferred from this.
- 11:A Clean White Shroud is Recommended:
Whether the shroud is new or old, it is recommended that the shroud be white and clean. The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«الْبَسُوا مِنْ ثِيَابِكُمُ الْبَيَاضَ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ خَيْرِ ثِيَابِكُمْ وَكَفِّنُوا فِيهَا مَوْتَاكُمْ»
Wear white clothes ; since they are the best of your clothes, and shroud your dead with them. (At-Tirmithi )
It is desirable that the shroud should be scented with ‘Uwd.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«إِذَا أَجْمَرْتُمُ الْـمَيِّتَ فَأَجْمِرُوهُ ثَلَاثًا»
If you scent the deceased, sent him thrice. (Ahmad and Al-Hakim )
The shroud should be of three layers for the man and five layers for the woman. The Messenger of Allah ﷺwas shrouded in three white new winding sheets. There was neither shirt nor headwear. The Muhrim (one in the state of Ihram for the Hajj pilgrimage or ‘Umrah, the lesser
pilgrimage) is to be shrouded in his Ihram – the Rida’ (upper-wrap) and Lzar (waist-sheet) . He should not be perfumed, and his head should not be covered. The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid about the man who passed away on the Day of ‘Arafah:
اغْسِلُوهُ بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ وَكَفِّنُوهُ فِي ثَوْبَيْهِ، وَلاَ تُحَنِّطُوهُ، وَلاَ تُخَمِّرُوا رَأْسَهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُبْعَثُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مُلَبِّيًا
Wash him with water and lotus, and shroud him in his two pieces (of Ihram), and do not cover his head, for Allah will raise him on the Day of Resurrection pronouncing the Talbiyah. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
- 12:The Silk Shroud:
It is unlawful to shroud men with silk since it is prohibited for the Muslim man to wear silk. As for woman, although wearing silk is permitted for her, it is disliked to wrap her in a shroud of silk sheets. This is a form of extravagance and extremism – the two things prohibited in the Shari’ah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«لَا تَغَالَوْا بِالْكَفَنِ، فَإِنَّهُ يُسْلَبُ سَرِيعًا»
Do not exaggerate with shrouds, since they perish swiftly. (Abu Dawud )
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The living one is more worthy of the new than the dead. The shroud is for the pus and matter that comes out of the deceased.” (Al-Bukhari)
- 13:Performance of the Funeral Prayer for the Deceased:
Performance of the funeral prayer for the deceased Muslim, like his washing, his shrouding and burial, is a collective duty; if a group of them does it, the remainder of them are not required to do it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺused to perform the funeral prayer for the deceased Muslim, he even accepted that in the case of a believer in debt, when he died as a Muslim without paying the debt, that this did not prevent him from being prayed for. He said:
«صَلُّوا عَلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ»
Perform the Salah for your companion. (Al-Bukhari)
- 14:The Conditions for the Prayer for the Dead:
The conditions for Salat-ul Janazah, the funeral prayer, are the same as those for the prayer in general. The Muslim should be purified of both the minor and major impurities, covering the parts of the body that should be covered, and facing the Qibla. The Messenger of Allah ﷺcalled it Salah, thus whatever applies to Salah in general, applies to the funeral prayer as well.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺwould said:
«صَلُّوا عَلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ»
Perform the Salah for your companion.(Al-Bukhari)
- 15:The Obligatory Elements of the Funeral prayer:
The obligatory acts of the funeral prayer are:
Standing, for those who are able, and the intention since the Prophet ﷺsaid:
«إِنَّماَ لْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ»
Deeds are judged by their intentions. (Al-Bukhari)
Recitation of Al-Fatihah, praise and thanks to Allah, prayers and blessings for the Prophet ﷺfour Takbirs, supplication, and the Taslim.
- 16:How to Perform the Funeral Prayer:
The deceased – one or more than one – are placed facing the Qibla. The Imam stands with three rows or more behind him (facing the Qibla).
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثَةُ صُفُوفٍ فَقَدْ أَوْجَبَتْ»
For whomever three rows or more pray, his (entrance to Paradise) will be obligatory. (At-Tirmithi)
Then he raises his hands, intending the funeral prayer for the deceased. If they are more than one, he intends accordingly. Then he says, “Allahu Akbar.” Thenhe recites Al-Fatihah, praises Allah the Almighty, then he expresses gratitude to Allah, then says the Takbir, raising his hands it he wills or leaving them on his chest, the right on the left. Then he recites the Ibrahimite prayer for the Prophet ﷺ .Then he utters the Takbir and prays for the deceased. Then he utters the Takbir, supplicates and says the Taslim if he wills. Or utters the Taslim after the fourth Takbir, doing so with only one Taslim.
It is narrated in the Sunnah for the funeral prayer that the Imam performs the Takbir, then silently recites Al-Fatihah to himself after the first Takbir. Then he says prayers for the Prophet v and sincere supplications for the deceased with each Takbir, not reciting anything loudly in them, then saying the Taslim silently to himself. (Ash-Shafi’I and Al-Hafidh (Ibn Hajr) said that its chain is Sahih.)
- 17:The One coming Late in the Funeral Prayer:
The one who is late has the choice if he wishes either to finish the Takbirs he missed of the funeral prayer, in succession, or to say the Taslim with the Imam.
When ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, told the Messenger of Allah ﷺthat sometimes she does not hear the Takbir,
The Messenger of Allahﷺsaid to her:
«مَا سَمِعْتِ فَكَبِّرِي، وَمَا فَاتَكِ فَلَا قَضَاءَ عَلَيْكَ»
Say what you hear of the Takbir, as for what you miss, you do not have to make it up.
- 18:The One Who was Buried without a Funeral Prayer:
If one is buried without the funeral prayer, then the prayer may be performed while he is in the grave. The Messenger of Allah ﷺand his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
performed the funeral prayer for the woman who used to clean the mosque after her burial.(Al-Bukhari)
Additionally it is prayed for those not present, evenif they are far away, since the Prophet ﷺprayed it for An-Najashi.An-Najashi was in Ethiopia and the Messengerﷺand the believers were in Al-Madinah.
- 19:The Supplication:
There are many reported versions of supplications the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say during the funeral prayer. The following are some of them:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ فُلاَنَ بْنَ فُلاَنٍ فِى ذِمَّتِكَ وَحَبْلِ جِوَارِكَ فَقِهِ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ
وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ وَأَنْتَ أَهْلُ الْوَفَاءِ وَالْحَمْدِ
اللَّهُمَّ فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا
اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ
اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلاَ تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ
Allaahumma inna fulaana bin fulaanin fi thimmatika wa habli jiwaarik, faqithi min fitnatil-qabri wa ‘athaabin-naar, wa Anta ahlul-wafaa’I wal haqq. Allaahumma faaghfir lahu warhamhu, faa innaka Antal-Ghafoorur-Raheem. Allaahum-maaghfir lihayyinna wa mayyitinaa, wa sagheerinaa wa kabeerinaa, wa thakarinaa wa unthaanaa, wa thakarinaa wa unthaanaa, wa haadhirinaa wa ghaa’ibinaa. Allaahumma man ahyaytahu mina fa ahyithi ‘alal-Islaam, wa man tawffaytahu mina fatawaffahu ‘alaal-eemeen. Allaahumma laa taharimnaa ajrahu wa laa tudhillanaa ba’dahu.
O Allah! Indeed so-and-so, the son of so-and-so is under Your protection and covenant, so protect him from the turmoil in the grave and from the chastisement of the Fire. You are the One Worthy of fulfillment and truthfulness. O Allah! Forgiving, the and have mercy on him ; since You are the Forgiving, the Merciful. O Allah! Forgive our living and our dead, our young and our old, our male and our female, our present and our absent. O Allah ! Whom You caused to be alive among us, let him live in Islam. And whom You cause to die among us, let him die in faith. O Allah ! Deprive us not of the reward and do not cause us to go astray after him.
If the deceased is young , He would ﷺsay:
اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لِوَالِدَيْهِ سَلَفًا وَذُخْرًا وَفَرَطًا، وَثَقِّلْ بِهِ مَوَازِينُهُمْ، وَأَعْظِمْ بِهِ أُجُورَهُمْ
وَلَا تَحْرِمْنَا وَإِيَّاهُمْ أَجْرَهُ،وَلَا تَفْتِنَّا وَإِيَّاهُمْ بَعْدَهُ
اَللَّهُمْ أَلْـحِقْهُ بِصَالِحِ سَلَفِ الْـمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي كِفَالَةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خًيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا
مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَعَافِهِ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ
Allaahum-maj’alhu liwaalidayhi salafan wa thukhran wa faratan, wa thaqqil bihi mawaazeenalhum, wa a’dhim bihi ujoorahum, wa laa tahrimnaa wa iyyaahum ba’dahu. Allaahumma alhiqhu bisalihi salafil-mu’mineena fee kafaalati Ibraaheema, wa abdihu daaran khayran min daarihi wa ahlaan khayran min ahlihi, wa ‘aafihi min fitnatil-qabri, wa min ‘athaabi jahannam.
O Allah! Make him an advancement for his parents, storing, overweighing and bearing down on the Scales of his parents, and augment by him their reward . O Allah ! Deprive neither us nor them of the reward, persecute neither us nor them after his death. O Allah! Let him join the righteous predecessors of the believers under the auspices of Ibrahim. O Allah ! Give him a residence better
than his residence and household better than his household. O Allah! Exempt him from torment in the grave and from the chastisement of the Fire.
- 20:Following the Funeral procession and its Virtue:
Following the funeral procession is a Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«عُودُوا الْـمَرِيضَ ، وَاتَّبِعُوا الْـجَنَائِزَ، تُذَكِّرُكُمُ الْآخِرَةَ»
Visit the sick, and follow the funeral procession; this reminds you of the Hereafter. (Muslim)
The burial should be done quickly due to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ:
أَسْرِعُوا، فَإِنْ تَكُ صَالِحَةً فَخَيْرٌ تُقَدِّمُونَهَا إِلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ يَكُ سِوَى ذَلِكَ فَشَرٌّ تَضَعُونَهُ عَنْ رِقَابِكُمْ
Hasten (the burial) , if he is righteous, you are hastening him to good. If not, then it is evil you are removing from your necks. (Al-Bukhari)
It is desirable to walk in front of the body as the Prophet ﷺand Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, used to walk in the front of the body to be buried.
The virtue of the funeral procession is clear from the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
مَنِ اتَّبَعَ جَنَازَةَ مُسْلِمٍ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَيُفْرَغُ مِنْ دَفَنِهَا
بِقِيرَاطَيْنِ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ كُلُّ قِيرَاطٍ مِثْلُ أُحُدٍ
وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَرَجَعَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُدْفَنَ فَإِنَّهُ يَرْجِعُ بِقِيرَاطٍ
Whoever follows the funeral procession of a Muslim out of faith and hoping for reward (from Allah), then he stays until the funeral prayer and the burial end, will return with two Qirats, each one of them is as huge as the mount of Uhud, And whoever attends it until the funeral prayer will have a reward equal to one Qirat.(Al-Bukhari)
- 21:What is Disliked while Following the Funeral:
It is disliked for women to go out to follow the funeral. This is because of the saying of Umm ‘Atiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, “We were prohibited from following funeral, but without being strict on us.” (Muslim)
Similarly it is disliked to raise the voice while attending the funeral procession with remembrance of Allah or recitation. The Companions of the Messenger ﷺ ,may Allah be pleased with them, disliked raising the voice for three things:
- i) The funeral.
- ii) The remembrance (of Allah).
- iii) And while fighting.
It is also disliked to sit before laying down the body.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«إِذَا اتَّبَعْتُمُ الْـجَنَازَةَ فَلَا تَجْلِسُوا حَتَّى تُوضَعُ بِالْأَرْضِ»
If you follow the funeral, do not sit till it is placed in the earth. (Al-Bukhri Muslim)
- 22:The Burial:
Burying the dead, by completely covering the body with dirt, is a duty.
Allah the Almighty says:
ثُمَّ اَمَاتَهٗ فَاَقْبَرَهٗۙ
Then he causes him to die and puts him in his grave. (80:21)
Following are the rules for the burial:
- i) Deepening the grave in order to prevent carnivorous animals and predatory birds from reaching it, and to prevent any order lest it would cause harm to the living.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«اِحْفِرُوا وَأَعْمِقُوا وَأَحْسِنُوا وَادْفِنُوا الْإِثْنَيْنِ وَالثَّلَاثَةَ فِي قَبْرٍ وَاحِدٍ»
Dig and deepen well. And bury two and three in one grave.
They said :
“Who should be buried first?” He ﷺ said:
«قَدِّمُوا أَكْثَرَهُمْ قُرْآنًا»
Precede with the one who memorized most of the Qur’an. (At-Tirmithi)
- ii) Although burying at the bottom of the grave is allowed, it is better to use a Lahd, because the Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«اَللَّحْدُ لَنَا وَالشَّقُّ لِغَیْرِنَا»
The Lahd is for us, while Shaqq is for the others.
Lahd refers to a niche placed on the right side of the grave, while Shaqq is the hole in the center of the grave.
- iii) It is desirable for each of those who attend the burial to throw three handfuls of dirty on the grave near the head of the body; as the Messenger of Allah ﷺdid, as mentioned by Ibn Majah with a chain that has no harm in it.
- iv) The body is to be entered from the end of the grave and to be placed on his right side facing the Qibla. The bands of his shroud should be untied. The following should be said while placing the body there:
«بِسْمِ اللهِ وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ»
Bismillaah, wa ‘alaa millati rasoolillaah.
“In the Name of Allah, and in conformity with the religion of the Messenger of Allah.” (Abu Dawud and Al-Hakim); as the done by Himﷺ.
- v) The woman’s grave should be covered with a cloth at the time of her burial. The predecessors used to cover the woman’s grave during her burial. This was not done in the case of the man.
