‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Ka‘b told on his father's authority that when death came to Ka‘b,( Ibn Majah in Jana'iz. 4 gives Ka'b b. Malik.) Umm Bishr, daughter of al-Bara’ b. Ma'rur visited him and said, “Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman, if you meet so and so, give him a greeting from me." He replied, “God forgive you, Umm Bishr, I shall be too occupied to do that.” She said, “Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman, have you not heard God’s messenger say that the souls of believers are in green birds which are suspended on and feed on (The Arabic uses ta'luqu followed by bi. Mirqat explains the meaning in the sense given above) the trees of paradise?” On his replying that he had, she said that that was what she meant. Ibn Majah and BaihaqI, in Kitab ul-ba‘th wannushur, transmitted it.

He quoted his father to the effect that he used to tell that God’s messenger said, “The spirit of a believer is only a bird which feeds on (Here the Arabic is ta'luqu fi. Mirqat quotes Suyuti who explains it as in the translation above. The verb can have either the sense of being attached to something or of eating) the trees of paradise till God restores him to his body on the day He resurrects it.” Malik, Nasa’i and Baihaqi, in Kitab al-ba'th wan-nushur, transmitted it.

Muhammad b. al-Munkadir told that he visited Jabir b. 'Abdallah when he was dying and said, “Give a greeting to God’s messenger.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

God’s messenger came in where we were when we were washing his daughter and said, “Wash her with water and lotus leaves three or five times, or more than that if you think fit, and put camphor, or some camphor, in the last washing, then inform me when you are finished.” When we had finished we informed him, and he threw us his lower garment saying, “Put it next her body.” A version has, "Wash her an odd number of times, three, or five, or seven, beginning with the right side and the places where ablution is performed.” She said that they braided her hair in three plaits and placed them behind her back. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

'A’isha said that God’s messenger was shrouded in three cotton garments of white Yemeni stuff from Sahul (This is said to have been cither the place where the cloth was woven, or the place from which it was exported), among which was neither a shirt nor a turban. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “When one of you shrouds his brother he should use a shroud of good quality.” Muslim transmitted it.

at Thy service; praise and grace are Thine, and the dominion ; Thou hast no partner." See Book XI, chap. ii) (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Mu`adh b. Jabal reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone’s last words are ‘There is no god but God,’ he will enter paradise.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a servant of God is accustomed to worship Him in a good manner, then becomes ill, the angel who is entrusted with him is told to record for him actions equivalent to those which he did when he was well till God sets him free from his illness or takes him in death.” Transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Ibn 'Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Wear your white garments, for they are among your best garments, and shroud your dead in them. Among the best types of collyrium you use is antimony (ithmid) for it makes the hair sprout and clears the vision." Abu Da wad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted' up to “shroud your dead in them."

'All reported God’s messenger as saying 'Do not be extravagant in shrouding, for it will quickly be decayed." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

When Abu Sa'id al-Khudri was about to die he called for new clothes and put them on, then said he had heard God’s messenger say, “The dead will be resurrected in the clothes in which he died." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God's messenger as saying, “The best shroud is a lower garment and one which covers the whole body, (The Arabic has al-kulla, which means the two garments known as the izar (lower garment) and rida' (a cloak which covers the whole body)) and the best sacrifice is a horned ram." Abu Dawud transmitted it; and Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Abu Umama.

Ibn ‘Abbas said God’s messenger commanded that those killed at Uhud should be stripped of iron and skins and buried in their clothing without having the blood washed off. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Sa'd b. Ibrahim told on his father’s authority that ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf was brought food when he was fasting and said, “Mus'ab b. ‘Umair who was better than I am was killed and was shrouded in a cloak [which was so short that] if his head was covered his feet appeared and if his feet were covered his head appeared. ([Sa'd] added that he thought he said ‘And Hamza who was better than I am was killed.’) Then we were given such great worldly wealth as we have been given (or, We have been given such worldly goods as we have been given), and I am afraid that my good things have been given me in advance.” He then began to weep and left the food untouched. Bukhari transmitted it.

Jabir said that God’s messenger came to ‘Abdallah b. Ubayy after he had been placed in his grave and ordered him to be taken out. He then placed him on his knees, blew some of his saliva into him, and clothed him with his shirt. He said that he had clothed ‘Abbas with a shirt. ( i.e.. Jabir said the Prophet had clothed ‘Abbas with a shirt) (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Walk quickly at a funeral, for if the dead person was good it is a good condition to which you are sending him on, but if he was otherwise it is an evil of which you are ridding yourselves.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a corpse is placed on a bier and men carry it on their shoulders, if it was a good man it says, ‘Take me quickly’; but if it was not good it says to its bearers, ‘Woe to it, where are you taking it?’ Everything but mankind hears its voice, and were a human being to hear it he would faint.” Bukhari transmitted it.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “When you see a funeral stand up; but anyone who follows it must not sit down till the bier is placed on the ground.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said that when a funeral passed by God’s messenger stood up [to show respect] and they stood up along with him. They told him it was a Jewish funeral and he replied, “Death is a fearful event, so when you see a funeral stand up.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ali said, “We saw God’s messenger stand up so we stood up; he then sat down and we sat down,” the reference being to a funeral. Muslim transmitted it. The version of Malik and Abu Dawud says, “He stood up for a funeral, then sat down afterwards.”(There is some doubt as to whether this means that he sat down after the funeral had passed, or whether the point is that the Prophet’s practice had been to stand up but that he later stopped doing so. Cf. the tradition from ‘Ali on p. 353)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone attends the funeral of a Muslim out of faith and seeking a reward from God, and stays till prayer is offered and the burial is complete, he will return with a reward of two qirats, each qirat being equivalent to Uhud (The qirat is a small weight, a twentieth, or twenty-fourth of a dinar. Here it is used somewhat figuratively. The statement that it is equivalent to the hill Uhud is a way of expressing that the reward will be very great); and if anyone prays over the dead and returns before the burial, he will come back with one qirat.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

He said the Prophet gave the people news of the death of the Negus on the day on which he died, took them out to the place of prayer, drew them up in rows and said “God is most great” four times. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Laila said that Zaid b. Arqam used to say “God is most great” four times over their dead at funerals, but once he said it five times. On being questioned about it he replied that God's messenger used to do so. Muslim transmitted it.

Talha b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Auf said he prayed behind Ibn ‘Abbas at a funeral and he recited Fatihat al-Kltab (Qur'an, sura i). He then said that it was to let them know it was a sunna. Bukhari transmitted it.

God’s messenger prayed at a funeral and I have retained in my memory some of his supplication. He was saying, “O God, forgive him, show him mercy, grant him security, pardon him, grant him a noble provision and a spacious lodging, wash him with water, snow and ice, purify him from sins as Thou hast purified the white garment from filth, give him a better abode in place of his present one, a better family in place of his present one, and a better spouse in place of his present one, cause him to enter paradise and preserve him from the trial in the grave and the punishment in hell.” A version has “And guard him from the trial in the grave and the punishment in hell.” He added that the result was that he wished he had been that dead man. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Salama b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman told how, when Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas died, ‘A’isha said, “Take him into the mosque so that I may pray over him.” When objection was made to this she said, “I swear by God that God’s messenger prayed in the mosque over Suhail and his brother, the sons of Baida’. ” Muslim transmitted it.

Samura b. Jundub said, “I prayed behind God’s messenger over a woman who had died in childbirth, and he stood opposite her waist.” (Bukhar! and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God's messenger came upon a grave where an interment had taken place at night and asked when this person had been buried. On being told that he had been buried the previous night, he asked why they had not informed him. They told him that they had conducted the burial in the darkness of night and had not liked to waken him, whereupon he stood up, and when they formed a row behind him he prayed over the dead. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira said that a negress (or a youth) used to sweep the mosque. God’s messenger missed her, and when he asked about her (or him) the people told him he had died. He asked why they had not informed him, and it appeared as if they had treated her (or him) as of little account. He asked the people to lead him to the grave, and when they did so he prayed over her (The wording of this tradition causes some difficulty owing to the indefiniteness as to whether the person was a man or a woman. Sometimes the alternative is mentioned, as in the translation, but sometimes merely the masculine singular pronoun and at others merely the feminine singular pronoun is used) and then said, "These graves are full of darkness for their occupants, but God will illuminate them for them by reason of my prayer over them.” (Bukhari and Muslim, the wording being Muslim’s.)

Kuraib the client of Ibn ‘Abbas told that a son of ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas died in Qudaid or ‘Usfan and he asked him to go out and see how many people had gathered for the funeral. Going out and finding that people had gathered for the funeral, he told him. Ibn ‘Abbas asked him if he thought there would be forty present, and when he replied that that was so, he gave orders for the body to be brought out, adding that he had heard God’s messenger say, "If any Muslim man dies and forty men who associate nothing with God stand over his bier, God will accept them as intercessors for him.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported the Prophet as saying, "If a company of Muslims to the number of a hundred pray over a dead person, all of them interceding for him, their intercession for him will be accepted.” Muslim transmitted it.

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.