Anas told that when some people passed a dead body on a bier and spoke highly of the dead man the Prophet said, “It is certain.” When they passed another and spoke very badly of the dead man he said, “It is certain.” ‘Umar asked what was certain, and he replied, “You spoke highly of this one, so paradise is certain for him; but you spoke very badly of that one, so hell is certain for him. You are God’s witnesses in the earth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version has “The believers are God's witnesses in the earth.”

‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “If four people give a good testimony about any Muslim, God will cause him to enter paradise.” ‘Umar said they asked whether this would apply if three testified, and he said it would. They further asked if it would apply if two testified, and he said it would; but they did not ask him about one. Bukhari transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not revile the dead, for they have come to what they have sent before them.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Jabir said God’s messenger had each pair of those killed at Uhud wrapped in a single garment and asked which of them knew more of the Qur’an. When one of them was pointed out to him, he had him put first in the side of the grave, and he said, “I shall be a witness to these men on the day of resurrection.” He ordered that they should be buried without the marks of blood being removed ; he did not pray over them, and they were not washed. Bukhari transmitted it.

Jabir b. Samura said the Prophet was brought an unsaddled horse which he rode when he went away after the funeral of Ibn ad-Dahdah, and they went on foot around him. Muslim transmitted it.

Zuhri said that Salim reported his father as saying, “I saw God’s messenger, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar walking in front of the bier.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said the traditionists seem to consider it is in mursat form.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “The bier should be followed and should not follow. Those who go in front of it are not accompanying it." Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Tirmidhi said that Abu Majid the transmitter is unknown.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who follows a bier and carries it three times has accomplished what is ’due to it from him." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a gharib tradition. In Sharh as-sunna it is reported that the Prophet carried the bier of Sa‘d b. Mu'adh between the two poles.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When you pray over the dead, make a sincere supplication for him." Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He reported that when God’s messenger prayed over a bier he said, “O God, forgive those of us who are living and those of us who are dead, those of us who are present and those of us who are absent, our young and our old, our male and our female. O God, to whomsoever of us Thou givest life keep him faithful to Islam whilst Thou givest him life, and whomsoever of us Thou takest in death take him as a believer. O God, do not withhold from us the reward of faith (the Arabic is variously explained either as translated above, or as the reward of the man who has died, or of the believer. The text is ajrahu which means 'his reward’, or ‘its reward.’ Cf. Mir gat, ii, 365.), or try us after his death.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Nasa'i transmitted it from Abu Ibrahim al-Ashhali who quoted his father’s authority, his version ending at “female”. Abu Dawud’s version has, “Grant him life as a believer and take him in death as a follower of Islam.” It ends, “Do not lead us astray after his death.”

Wathila b. al-Asqa‘ said God’s messenger led them in prayer over a Muslim and he heard him say, “O God, so and so son of so and so is in Thy protection and in Thy nearer presence, so guard him from the trial in the grave and the punishment in hell. Thou art faithful and true. O God, forgive him and show him mercy. Thou art the forgiving and the merciful One.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Mention the good qualities of your dead and refrain from mentioning their bad ones.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Nafi‘ Abu Ghalib said he prayed along with Anas b. Malik at a man's funeral and he stood opposite his head. Then some people brought along the bier of a woman of Quraish and said, “Abu Hamza (The kunya of Anas b. Malik, the Prophet’s servant), pray over her,” and he stood opposite the middle of the bier. Al-‘Ala’ b. Ziyad said to him, “Thus did I see God’s messenger do. He stood over the bier in the same position as you did in relation to her and in the same position as you did in relation to the man.” He replied, “That is so.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. In Abu Dawud’s version there is something similar, along with an addition containing the words “He stood at the woman’s buttocks.”

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Laila said that Sahl b. Hunaif and Qais b. Sa'd were sitting at al-QadisIya when a bier was brought past them. They stood up, and when they were told that it was one of the people of the land, i.e. of the dhimmis( Protected communities such as Jews and Christians), they replied that a bier came past God’s messenger and he stood up. On being told that it contained a Jew he said, “Is it not a soul?” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ubada b. as-Samit said that when God’s messenger followed a bier he did not sit down till the corpse was placed in the side of the grave. On being accosted by a learned Jew and told that that was how they did, God’s messenger sat down and said, “Act differently from them.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a gharib tradition and that Bishr b. Rafi' the transmitter was not strong.

‘Ali said that God’s messenger had told them to stand at a funeral, but later he sat and ordered them to sit. Ahmad transmitted it.

Muhammad b. Sinn said that when a bier came past al-Hasan b. ‘All and Ibn ‘Abbas al-Hasan stood up but Ibn ‘Abbas did not, so al- Hasan said, “Did God’s messenger not stand up out of respect for the bier of a Jew ?” He replied, “Yes, but thereafter he sat.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ja'far b. Muhammad told on his father’s authority that when al- Hasan b. ‘All was sitting a bier was brought past him and the people stood up till the bier had gone by. Al-Hasan then said, “A bier carrying a Jew was brought past when God’s messenger was sitting in its path, and just because he did not like having a Jew’s bier higher than his head he stood up.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Musa reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the bier of a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim passes you, stand up for it. You are not standing for its sake, but for the angels who are accompanying it.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Anas said that when a bier came past God’s messenger and he stood up he was told that it was carrying a Jew. He replied, “I stood up simply out of respect for the angels.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Malik b. Hubaira said he heard God’s messenger say, “If any Muslim dies and three rows of Muslims pray over him it will assure him [of paradise].” When Malik considered those who accompanied a bier to be few, he divided them into three rows in accordance with this tradition. Abu Dawud transmitted it. In Tirmidhi’s version he said that when Malik b. Hubaira prayed over a bier and found few people present, he divided them into three sections, then said that God’s messenger had stated, “If three rows pray over anyone it will assure him [of paradise].” Ibn Majah transmitted something similar.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying in the course of prayer over a dead body, “O God, Thou art its Lord, Thou didst create it, Thou didst guide it to Islam, Thou hast taken its spirit, and Thou knowest best its inner nature and outer aspect. We have come as intercessors, so forgive him.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib said he prayed behind Abu Huraira at the funeral of a boy who had never sinned and heard him say, “O God, protect him from the punishment in the grave.” Malik transmitted it.

Bukhari said without a complete isnad that al-Hasan (i.e. al-Hasan al-Basri (21-110. A.H )) recited Fatihat al-Kitab over an infant and said, “O God, make him for us a righteous deed which has gone before us, a recompense gone ahead, a treasure and a reward.”

Jabir reported the Prophet as saying, “Prayer should not be said over an infant which has not uttered a sound, neither may he inherit nor leave an inheritance.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but the latter did not mention “nor leave an inheritance”.

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari said God’s messenger forbade that the imam should stand on anything when the people were behind him, meaning on a lower level than he was. Daraqutnl transmitted it in al-Mujtaba in Kitab al-jana’iz.

‘Amir b. Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas told that Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said during his illness of which he died, “Make a niche for me in the side of the grave, and set up bricks over me as was done with God’s messenger.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that a piece of red stuff was put in God’s messenger’s grave. Muslim transmitted it.

Sufyan at-Tammar said he saw the grave of the Prophet humped. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abul Hayyaj al-Asadi told that ‘Ali said to him, “I am sending you on the same mission as God’s messenger sent me. Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling it.” Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir said God’s messenger forbade that graves should be plastered with gypsum, that any erection should be built over them, and that people should sit on them. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not sit on graves, and do not pray facing them.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is better that one of you should sit on live coals which burn his clothing and come in contact with his skin than that he should sit on a grave.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Urwa b. az-Zubair said there were two men in Medina, one of whom made a niche when digging a grave, the other of whom did not. The people said that the one who came first should do as he was accustomed to do, and the one who made a niche came and made one for God’s messenger. [Baghawi] transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “The niche in the side of the grave is for us and the excavation in the middle is for others.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from Jarir b. ‘Abdallah.

Hisham b. ‘Amir told that the Prophet said on the day of Uhud, “Dig graves, make them wide, deep and beautiful, bury two or three together in a single grave, and put first the one who knew most of the Qur’an.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted up to “beautiful”.

On the day of Uhud my paternal aunt brought my father to bury him in our cemetery, but God’s messenger’s crier called out, “Take back the dead to the place where they fell.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi Abu Dawud, Nasa'i and Darimi transmitted it, the wording being Tirmidhi’s.

Ibn 'Abbas said God’s messenger was lowered gently into the grave head first. Shafi'i transmitted it.

He told that the Prophet entered a grave during the night, and when a lamp was lit for him he faced the qibla and said, “God have mercy on you if you were devoted to supplication with tears (The Arabic is awwah which cannot easily be translated by one word. It is variously explained as meaning one much given to sighing through fear of God, one much given to supplication from love of God, one much given to weeping from fefir, or one much given to prayer asking for God’s mercy. Cf. Mirqat, ii, 376) and to the recitation of the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, but in Sharh as- sunna its isnad is said to be weak.

Ibn ‘Umar told that when the dead was placed in the grave the Prophet said, “In the name of God, by God’s grace, and following the religion of God’s messenger.” A version has “And following the sunna of God’s messenger.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Abu Dawud transmitted the second version.

Ja'far b. Muhammad told in mursal form on his father’s authority that the Prophet cast three handfuls of earth on the dead with both hands, that he sprinkled water on his son Ibrahim’s grave, and that he put small pebbles on it. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna, and Shafi’i transmitted from “he sprinkled".

Jabir said God’s messenger forbade that graves should be plastered with gypsum, have any writing on them, or be trodden on. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He said that the Prophet’s grave was sprinkled and that the one who sprinkled the water over his grave from a water-skin was Bilal b. Rabah. He began where the head was and sprinkled it to his feet. Baihaqi transmitted it in Dalail an-nubuwa.

Al-Muttalib b. Abu Wada'a said that when ‘Uthman b. Maz'un died, was brought out on his bier and buried, the Prophet ordered a man to bring him a stone, but he was unable to carry it; so God’s messenger got up and, going over to it, rolled up his sleeves. Al-Muttalib remarked that the one who told him about God’s messenger said, “I still seem to see the whiteness of the forearms of God’s messenger when he rolled up his sleeves.” He then carried it and placed it at his head saying, “I am marking my brother’s grave with it, and I shall bury beside him those of my family who die.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Al-Qasim b. Muhammad told of his going to visit ‘A’isha and saying, “Mother, show me the grave of the Prophet and his two companions.” She showed him three graves which were neither high nor low, but were spread over with soft red pebbles in an open space. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said, “We went out with God’s messenger to the funeral of a man of the Ansar, but when we reached the grave the niche in the side had not yet been made, so the Prophet sat down facing the qibla and we sat down along with him.” Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Ibn Majah adding “quietly”. (Literally, as though the birds were over our heads. An explanation of the phrase is that when a bird alights on a camel’s head and begins to pick the ticks off it, the camel stands perfectly still so as not to frighten it away.)

‘A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “Breaking a dead man’s bone is like breaking it when he is alive.” Malik, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

I was present when the daughter of God’s messenger was being buried. He was sitting beside the grave and I saw his eyes shedding tears. He then asked, “Is there any of you who did not have sexual intercourse last night?” Abu Talha replied that he had not, so he told him to go down into her grave, and he did so. Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Amr b. al-‘As said to his son when he was in the throes of death, “When I die let no wailing woman or fire accompany me, and when you bury me scatter earth lightly over me, then stand round my grave as long as it takes to sacrifice an animal and have its flesh distributed, so that I may feel you near and know what to answer my Lord’s messengers.”( i.e. Munkar and Naklr who examine the dead in the grave) Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said he heard the Prophet say, “When one of you dies do not keep him long, but take him quickly to his grave, and have the opening verses of sura al-Baqara recited at his head and the concluding verses of the same sura at his feet.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman, saying the correct view is that it does not go farther back than him.