When a man's child dies God most high asks His angels whether they have taken His servant's child and they reply that they have. He then asks whether they have taken the fruit of his heart (This is said by some to mean either children or grandchildren, and a basis for that meaning is found in Qur’an, ii, 155, where the plural ath-thamarat is interpreted that way), and when they reply that they have, He asks what His servant said. On their replying that he praised God and said, “We belong to God and to Him do we return,” God says, “Build a house in paradise for my servant and call it the house of praise.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God's messenger as saying, “If anyone comforts one who has been afflicted he will have a reward equivalent to his.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition which was known to him as traced back to the Prophet only among the traditions of ‘Ali b. ‘Asim the transmitter. He added that some transmitted it with this isnad from Muhammad b. Suqa in mauquf form.

Abu Barza reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who comforts a bereaved woman will be clothed with a striped garment in paradise.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

‘Abdallah b. Ja'far told that when the news of Ja'far’s death came the Prophet said, “Prepare food for Ja'far’s family, for they have heard something which takes up their whole attention.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba said he heard God’s messenger say, “If people wail for anyone he will be punished for it on the day of resurrection.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

‘Amra daughter of ‘Abd ar-Rahman said that when ‘A’isha was told that ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said the dead was punished because of the weeping of the living for him, she heard her say, “God forgive Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman ! He has not lied, but he has forgotten, or has made a mistake. What happened was just that God’s messenger came upon some people weeping for a Jewess and said, ‘They are weeping for her, and she is being punished in her grave.’ ” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

A daughter of ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan died in Mecca and we went to attend her funeral. Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbas were present and I was sitting between them. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar told ‘Amr b. ‘Uthman who was opposite him to make the people stop weeping, for God's messenger had said that the dead is punished because of his people’s weeping for him. Ibn ‘Abbas then said that ‘Umar used to say something of that nature, and told of an occasion when he had gone from Mecca with ‘Umar and they saw a party of riders under the shade of a gum-acacia tree when they came to al-Baida,. ‘Umar told him to go and see who these riders were, and when he looked he saw that Suhaib was among them, so he told ‘Umar and he asked him to call him. He therefore returned to Suhaib and told him to come over and attach himself to the Commander of the Faithful. Then when ‘Umar was smitten Suhaib entered weeping and saying, “Alas for the brother! Alas for the companion!” ‘Umar asked Suhaib if he was weeping for him when God’s messenger had said that the dead would certainly be punished because of some of the weeping of his family for him. Ibn ‘Abbas said that when ‘Umar died he mentioned that to ‘A’isha and she said, “God have mercy on ‘Umar! I answer by God that God’s messenger never said the dead will certainly be punished because of his family’s weeping for him; what he said was that God will increase the punishment of the infidel because of his family’s weeping for him.” She added, “What the Qur’an says is enough for you: ‘No bearer of a burden will bear another’s burden.’ ” (Qur’an, vi, 164; xvii, 15; xxxv, 18; xxxix, 7) Thereupon Ibn ‘Abbas said, “God is He who has caused laughter and weeping.” (Cf. Qur’an, liii, 43) Ibn Abu Mulaika said that Ibn ‘Umar remained silent. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

‘A’isha said that when the Prophet was told that Ibn Haritha, Ja'far and Ibn Rawaha (They were Zaid b. Haritha, Ja'far Abu Talib, and 'Abdallah b. Rawaha who were killed at Mu’ta in 7 A.H) had been killed, he sat down showing signs of grief, while she was looking at him through the sa’ir, i.e. the slit, of the door. A man came to him and mentioned that Ja'far’s women were weeping, and on being told to tell them to stop he went away. He came a second time saying they had not obeyed him, and he told him to tell them to stop. When he came a third time and said he could make no impression on them, God’s messenger, so ‘A’isha asserted, said, “Throw dust in their mouths.” Thereupon she said, “God humble you! You did not do what God’s messenger ordered you, nor did you stop annoying God’s messenger.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Umm Salama told that when Abu Salama died she said he had been a stranger in a strange land and that she would weep for him in a manner which would be talked of. She had made preparations for weeping and a woman who meant to assist her was on her way when she was met by God’s messenger who said, “Do you intend to bring the devil into a house from which God has twice driven him out?”(Abu Salama had emigrated both to Abyssinia and to Medina and this may be the reference here; or it may be explained as meaning that the devil was driven out first when he accepted Islam and secondly when he died as a Muslim) Umm Salama therefore refrained from weeping and did not weep. Muslim transmitted it.

An-Nu‘man b. Bashir said that when ‘Abdallah b. Rawaha fainted his sister ‘Amra began to weep and shout, “Alas for the mountain! (The word which basically means a mountain is also used for a chief. In the next tradition from Abu Musa two expressions are used, one being the same as here and the other using a normal word for a chief. I have therefore kept the flavour of the original by retaining the word mountain) Alas for such and such! Alas for such and such !” eulogising him. When he came round he said, “I was asked about everything you said whether I am like that.” A version has the addition that when he died she did not weep for him. Bukhari tranmitted it.

Abu Musa said he heard God’s messenger say, “If anyone dies and the mourner gets up and says, ‘Alas for the mountain! Alas for the chief!’ and such like, God will put two angels in charge of him who will beat him on the breast and ask him whether he was like that.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib hasan tradition.

Abu Huraira said that a member of the family of God’s messenger died and that the women gathered and wept for him. ‘Umar then arose and forbade and repulsed them, but God’s messenger said, “Let them alone, ‘Umar, for the eye is tearful, the heart is afflicted, and the matter has happened recently.” Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when God’s messenger’s daughter Zainab died and the women wept, ‘Umar began to strike them with his whip, but God's messenger pushed him back saying, “Gently, ‘Umar.” He then said, “Beware of the devil’s clamour,” and added, “Whatever comes from the eye and from the heart is from God who is great and glorious and pertains to compassion, but what comes from the hand and from the tongue is of the devil.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Bukhari said without a full isnad that when al-Hasan b. ‘Ali died, his wife put a tent over his grave for a year; then when she removed it she heard one shouting and saying, “Have they found what they lost?” and another replied, “No, they have given up hope and gone away.”

‘Imran b. Husain and Abu Barza said that when they went out with God’s messenger to a funeral he saw some people who had removed their cloaks and were walking in shirts, and said, “Do you adhere to the practice of pre-Islamic times?” or, “Do you copy what was done in pre-Islamic times ? I feel inclined to invoke a curse on you that you should return metamorphosed.” Then they took their cloaks and did not do that again. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said God’s messenger forbade the following of a bier which was accompanied by a woman wailing shrilly. Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that a man who told him a son of his had died and that he was grieved asked him if he had heard anything from his friend which would comfort them regarding their dead. He replied that he had, for he had heard him say, “Their young ones roam freely in paradise. One of them meets his father, seizes the end of his garment and does not leave him until he brings him into paradise." Muslim and Ahmad transmitted it, the wording being the latter’s.

Abu Sa'id told a woman coming to God’s messenger and saying, “Messenger of God, the men have a monopoly of what you say, so appoint us a day on which we may come to you to teach us some of what God has taught you.” He told them to gather on such and such a day in such and such a place, and when they did so he came to them and taught them some of what God had taught him. Then he said, “No woman among you will be predeceased by three of her children without that being a curtain from hell for her." One of the women asked whether that applied if there were two, repeating the question twice, and he replied, “Two also, two also, two also." Bukharl transmitted it.

Mu'adh b. Jabal reported God’s messenger as saying, “No pair of Muslims will lose three [of their children] by death without God bringing them into paradise by His great mercy.” He was asked if that applied if they lost two, and said it did. He was also asked if it applied if they lost one, and said it did. Then he said, “By Him in whose hand my soul is, the abortion draws his mother to paradise by his umbilical cord when she seeks her reward for him from God." Ahmad transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted from “By Him in whose hand my soul is."

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone is predeceased by three of his children who did not grow old enough to sin, they will be a strong protection for him from hell.” When Abu Dharr said he had been predeceased by two, he told him that the same applied. Ubayy b. Ka'b Abu Mundhir, the chief of the Qur'an readers, said he had been predeceased by one, and he told him the same applied. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a gharib tradition.

Qurra al-Muzani said that the Prophet asked a man who used to come to him along with a son of his whether he loved his son, and the man replied, “Messenger of God, may God love you as I love him." The Prophet missed him, and on enquiring what had happened to so and so’s son he was told that he had died. Thereupon he said, “Would you not like to find him waiting for you no matter to which gate of paradise you came?” A man asked whether that applied particularly to him, or to all of them, and he told him that it applied to them all. Ahmad transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God’s messenger as saying, “The abortion will dispute with his Lord when He causes his parents to enter hell, and will receive the reply, ‘You abortion who are disputing with your Lord, bring your parents into paradise.’ He will then draw them with his umbilical cord till he brings them into paradise.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Umama reported the Prophet as stating that God who is blessed and exalted says, “Son of Adam, if you show endurance and seek your reward from me in the first affliction, I shall be pleased with no lesser reward than paradise for you.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Al-Husain b. ‘Ali reported the Prophet as saying, “If any Muslim man or woman suffers a calamity and keeps it in his memory, even if it happened a long time ago, saying each time it is remembered, ‘We belong to God and to Him do we return,’ God who is blessed and exalted will give a fresh reward each time it is said, equivalent to the reward when it happened.” Ahmad and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-lman, transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the thong of someone’s sandal breaks he should say, ‘We belong to God and to Him do we return,' for it is one of the calamities.”

Umm ad-Darda’ said she heard Abud Darda’ say he heard Abul Qasim (i.e the Prophet) say that God who is blessed and exalted said, “I am sending after your time, Jesus, a people who will praise God when what they like happens to them, and seek their reward from God and show endurance when what they dislike afflicts them, though they do not possess forbearance and intelligence.” He asked, “My Lord, how can this be when they do not possess forbearance or intelligence?” God replied, “I shall give them some of my forbearance and my knowledge.” Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Shu'ab al-lman.

Buraida reported God's messenger as saying, “I forbade you to visit graves, but you may now visit them; I forbade you to eat the flesh of sacrificial animals after three days, but you may now keep it as long as you feel inclined; and I forbade you nabidh except in a water-skin, so you may drink it from all kinds of water-skins, but you must not drink anything intoxicating.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet visited his mother’s grave and wept and caused those around him to weep. He then said, "I asked my Lord's permission to pray for forgiveness for her, but I was not allowed; I then asked His permission to visit her grave and I was allowed; so visit graves, for they make one mindful of death.” Muslim transmitted it.

Buraida said that God's messenger used to teach them to say when they went out to the cemeteries, “Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the dwellings who are of the number of the believers and the Muslims. If God will, we shall join you. We ask God to grant us and you wellbeing.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn 'Abbas said that when God's messenger passed by some graves in Medina he turned his face towards them and said, “Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the graves. God forgive us and you. You have gone before us and we are coming after.” Tirmidhi transmitted it saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

‘A'isha said that whenever it was her turn for God's messenger to spend the night with her he would go out towards the end of the night to al-Baqi' and say, “Peace be upon you, household of a people who are believers. What you were being promised will come to you tomorrow, you receiving it after some delay, and if God will we shall join you. O God, grant forgiveness to the inhabitants of Baqi' al- Gharqad.” (This is the full name of the cemetery at Medina. Baqi' properly means a place with tree roots, and gharqad is the name of a thorny type of tree. The name was retained even when all signs of trees were removed.) Muslim transmitted it.

She said she asked God’s messenger what she should say, i.e. when visiting graves, and he told her to say, “Peace be upon the inhabitants of the abodes, believers and Muslims, and God show mercy to those of us who go before and those who go later. If God will we shall join you." Muslim transmitted it.

Muhammad b. an-Nu‘man who traced the tradition back to the Prophet reported him as saying, “If anyone visits the grave of his parents, or of one of them, every Friday he will be granted forgiveness and it will be recorded as filial piety.” Baihaqi transmitted it in mursal form in Shu'ab al-iman.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “I forbade you to visit graves, but you may now visit them, for they produce abstinence in this world and act as a reminder of the next.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said God's messenger cursed women who visited graves. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition. He added that some learned men consider this was before the Prophet gave licence to visit graves, and when he gave it both men and women were included. But some hold that he disapproved of women visiting graves because of the small amount of self-control they possess and their tendency to be greatly upset. The quotation from him ends here.

I used to enter my house in which God’s messenger was and put off my garment, saying that only my husband and my father were there; but when ‘Umar was buried along with them, I swear by God that I did not enter it without having my clothes wrapped round me owing to modesty regarding ‘Umar. (The tradition refers to the time after the death of the Prophet and Abu Bakr who were buried in ‘A’isha’s house. When 'Umar died he was buried beside them. As ‘A’isha was not related to him she felt she must observe the usual conventions regarding men who were not near relatives, even although ‘Umar was dead, for it evidently seemed to her as if he were really in the house.) Ahmad transmitted it.

She said that when the Prophet had a complaint he would blow on himself, ejecting saliva, reciting the Mu'awwidhat (See n. 1, p, 197.), and wipe himself with his hand. She said, “When he suffered from the pain of which he died, I would blow on him ejecting saliva and recite the Mu'awwidhat as he did, and would take the Prophet’s hand to wipe him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Muslim she said, “When one of his family was ill he would blow on him ejecting saliva and recite the Mu'awwidhat.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “The believing man or woman continues to have affliction in person, property and children so that they (this is a little difficult to translate. The Arabic has “he”, but the pronoun refers to the man or woman mentioned. I have therefore compromised by using the plural) may finally meet God free from sin.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Malik transmitted something similar. Tirmidhi said this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Muhammad b. Khalid as-Sulami on his father’s authority said his grandfather reported God’s messenger as saying, “When God has previously decreed for a servant a rank which he has not attained by his action, He afflicts him in his body, or his property, or his children. He then enables him to endure that so that He may bring him to the rank previously decreed for him by God.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, "On the day of resurrection, when people who have suffered affliction are given their reward, those who are healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a gharib tradition.

‘Amir ar-Ram told that God’s messenger mentioned illnesses and said, "When a believer is afflicted by illness and God who is great and glorious cures him of it, it serves as an atonement for his previous sins and a warning to him for the future; but when a hypocrite becomes ill and then is cured he is like a camel which has been tethered and then let loose by its owners, but does not know why they tethered it and why they let it loose.” When a man asked God’s messenger what illnesses were, adding that he swore by God he had never been ill, he said, "Get up and leave us ; you do not belong to our number.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He said that God’s messenger said to an invalid whom he visited, "Cheer up, for God most high says, ‘It is my fire to which I give power over my believing servant in the world to be his portion of hell on the day of resurrection.” Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al- iman, transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s messenger as stating that the Lord who is glorious and exalted says, "By my might and glory, I will not take out of the world anyone I intend to forgive till I get payment for every sin which hangs on his neck by illness in his body and scarcity in his provision.” Razin transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a Muslim is afflicted with some trouble in his body the angel is told to record for him his good deeds which he was accustomed to do. Then if God cures him He washes and purifies him [from sins], and if He takes him in death He forgives him and shows mercy to him.” Transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Thauban told how when they went out with the Prophet to a funeral he saw some people riding and said, “Are you not ashamed ? God’s angels are on their feet, while you are on the backs of animals." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Abu Dawud transmitted something similar. Tirmidhi said it has been transmitted from Thauban in mauquf form.

Ibn ‘Abbas said the Prophet recited Fatihat al-Kitab at funerals. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba reported the Prophet as saying, “A rider should go behind the bier, and those on foot should walk behind it, in front of it, on its right and on its left keeping near it. Prayer should be said over an abortion and forgiveness and mercy supplicated for its parents.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. In the version of Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah he said, “The rider should go behind the bier and those on foot wherever they wish round about it, and prayer should be said over an infant." In al-Masabih it is given on the authority of al-Mughira b. Ziyad.

‘Uthmān reported God’s messenger as saying, “The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur’ān.” Bukhārī transmitted it.

When we were in the Suffa (A kind of verandah at the mosque in Medina where certain poor people lived) God’s mes­senger came out and asked, “Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthān or al-‘Aqīq (Two wādis not far from Medina where camels were sold) and bring two large-humped she-camels without being guilty of sin or severing ties of relationship?” We replied, “Messenger of God, we would all like that.” He said, “Does not one of you go out in the morning to the mosque and teach or recite two verses of God’s Book? That is better for him than two she- camels, and three verses are better for him than three she-camels, and four verses are better for him than four she-camels, and so on than their numbers in camels.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abū Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Would one of you like, when he returns to his family, to find there three large, fat pregnant she-camels? When we replied that we would, he said, “Three verses which one of you recites in his prayer are better for him than three large, fat, pregnant she-camels.” Muslim transmitted it.