One of the rights that a Muslim has over a Muslim is that when he starts to leave this world, another Muslim will be with him a neighbor, a sincere friend, a devoted disciple, a selfless disciple, a close relative, a faithful child and a religious person. Presenting the proof of being a brother, even after his death, he should attend his prayers, funeral and burial, showing his respect and good behavior towards him. While seeing him off, he should go with him to the grave, get the possible support of him and the family of the deceased and seek forgiveness for him.
Participation in funeral prayer and burial of a Muslim is a permanent right as a Muslim. If it is the funeral of a neighbor, relative, relative, close relative and good person, its importance increases. By participating in a funeral, one remembers the helplessness of a person, the hereafter and the hereafter, the right of the deceased is fulfilled, the hope of forgiveness of the deceased increases due to the large number of participants in the funeral, and we sympathize with the deceased in mourning. Attendance and provision and burial are the cause of their support.
Participation in the funeral of Fakhr Kainat ﷺ of ordinary Muslims
The Holy Prophet ﷺ used to attend the funerals of ordinary Muslims, and he used to complain about not informing about the funeral. They used to go down to the graves of their close relatives and lay them in the graves or stand beside the graves and help and lead the burial.
Hazrat Sahl bin Haneef (RA) says: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to visit the Muslims with little force, and when one of them fell ill, he would visit him and take care of him and attend their funerals. (Mustadrik Hakim; Tafseer Surah Q:3735)
The reward for attending funeral prayers and funerals
Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever participates in the funeral prayer of a Muslim with faith and accountability, should remain with the funeral; Even if his funeral prayer is offered and he is buried, he will return with two carats, one carat is equal to the mountain of Uhud. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, chapter of the following of al-Janaiz min al-Iman: 47)
Faith means having faith in the promised reward for the action.
Accountability means to have the intention of reward, not to participate out of fear of hypocrisy, fame or meanness, or to complain of the deceased’s honor and relatives, but only to participate with the intention of obtaining reward and God’s pleasure.
One Qaraat for attending the funeral prayer
Hazrat Abu Huraira narrates that the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Whoever recites the funeral of someone, he will be rewarded with one carat, and whoever accompanies the funeral until the funeral is completed, he will receive another carat for him. A carat or small carat is equal to Mount Uhud. (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Chapter Maja’ fi Fazl al-Salawat Ali al-Janaiz: 1040)
Hazrat Abu Hurairah’s disciple Hazrat Abu Salama says: I narrated this hadith to Hazrat Ibn Umar, so he sent a man to Hazrat Aisha and asked for confirmation of this hadith. Hazrat Aisha said: Yes, Hazrat Abu Huraira narrated the correct hadith. Then Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We have wasted many qiraats (by not attending funerals)
Hazrat Mujahid says: The best of the Nafl deeds is to attend the funeral and burial of a Muslim. (Fath al-Bari, Utba al-Janaiz with reference to Sunan Abi Saeed: Followers of al-Janaiz)
The large number of worshipers in the funeral prayer is the reason for the forgiveness of the deceased
One of the great benefits of attending a funeral is that when a large group of Muslims participate in the funeral prayer of a deceased person, Allah Almighty forgives the deceased. The hope of forgiveness is created by the abundance of the congregation, if our participation increases the number of those who recite the funeral prayer, which increases the hope of the forgiveness of the deceased, then participation must be done.
Ghulam Kareeb, the freed slave of Hazrat Ibn Abbas, says: One of your boys died in Maqam Qadeed or Isfan near Makkah. Funeral prepared. Then you said to me: Karib! See people have gathered for the funeral prayer?
I came out and told that people are ready for the funeral prayer. Then Ibn Abbas asked: Will forty people have gathered? I said: Yes, then he said: Take the funeral out. I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saying:
Forty Muslims who do not associate anyone with Allah for whom they pray the funeral prayer, Allah, the Exalted and Exalted, will definitely accept their supplication (of forgiveness for the deceased). (Narrated by Muslim, Chapter Man, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Arbaun al-Akh:948)
Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The funeral prayer for a dead person is performed by a group of Muslims numbering one hundred (100), all of whom intercede (for forgiveness and forgiveness) for the deceased, then Allah Almighty He certainly accepts their intercession (for the deceased) (and forgives the deceased) (Narrated by Muslim, Chapter Man, peace and blessings be upon him). (Al-Alkh: 947)
If forty people pray the funeral prayer, there is more hope for forgiveness
Hazrat Murshad bin Abdullah Yazni says: When Hazrat Malik bin Habira was leading a funeral prayer, when he felt that the number of worshipers was low, he would form three rows of worshipers and then say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, say, Peace be upon him said: Jannah has become obligatory for the one who recites three rows of the funeral prayer for the deceased. (Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-Janaiz, Chapter Kaif As-Salaat Ali Al-Mit and Intercession: 1028)
Hazrat Mufti Saeed Ahmad Sahib Palan Puri, may God have mercy on him, writes: The meaning of this hadith is that whoever prays the funeral prayer of the deceased in a large congregation, he will be forgiven, and the large congregation refers to the three rows of the Al-Janaiz mosque, which are approximately (forty to ) used to be a hundred men.
Malik bin Habira RA used to do a trick in case of shortage of people and used to make people stand in three rows because Rahmat-e-Haq was a pretext, and a pretext was used.
Hazrat Shah Waliullah Sahib Quds-Sara has written in Hajjatullah Al-Balaga that the interpretation of texts is far from reliable. However, if that Taweel Aeed is narrated by a Fiqh Sahabi, then it is valid. Malik bin Habira is a companion, so this interpretation is reliable. (Taifah al-Ma’i: 4343)
From these traditions, it is known that if the number of Muslims in the funeral prayer of a Muslim reaches forty, then the hope of his forgiveness is created and when the number of those offering the prayer is close to a hundred, this hope increases further.
It is better to form an odd number of rows in the funeral prayer
Benefit: Some scholars have raised the issue that the rows should be odd in the funeral prayer and they arrange it in a big way, although after three rows there is no difference between odd and even. It is not correct to understand the word Salaas to mean that the ranks in the funeral should be odd. No matter the number of rows, the prayer is valid. (Taifah al-Ma’i: 4343)
Hazrat Mufti Saeed Ahmad Sahib, may God have mercy on him, writes in the margin of this passage: Hazrat Mufti Kifayatullah Sahib, may God have mercy on him, wrote in the Teaching of Islam 624: If there are more people, it is better to make three, five, or seven rows because it is in the hadith. : In Allah Witr, Allah the Exalted is One, He likes taq. This is a non-fiction. It should be taken into account in the procession of the funeral, but it is not properly arranged as a wajib. (Marginal Gift of Al-Al-Ma’i: 4343)
Readers! We should participate in the funeral prayers of everyone regardless of whether they are rich, poor, young, old, female or male. From the hadith above, we have come to know that participating in the funeral prayer not only benefits the deceased, but also the participants of the funeral.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the ability to live a few days in accordance with the religion (Amen, Lord of the worlds).
