Ibn al-Qayyim dealt with this subject under a separate chapter in which he mentions opinions of various scholars concerning the abode of souls. Mentioning the most correct position he explained, "It is said that the abodes of the souls in barzakh vary considerably. Some of them are in the highest reaches of the heavens, such as the souls of the Prophets, peace be upon them all. Their status also varies as observed by the Prophet, peace be upon him, during the night of Isra."

Some souls are in the form of green birds who roam around freely in Paradise. These are the souls of some of the martyrs, but not all of them. The souls of some martyrs are prevented from entering Paradise on account of their debts or some other similar thing. This is supported by a report by Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad from Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Jahsh that "A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and asked, 'O Allah's Prophet! What would I have if I am killed in the cause of Allah?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, 'Paradise.' But, when the man got up to go, the Prophet added, 'Unless you have some debts to pay. Gabriel has informed me about it just now'."

Some souls will be locked out at the gate of Paradise, in accordance with this hadith: "I have seen your companion locked out at the gate of Paradise." Other souls are restricted to their graves as is evident from the hadith about the martyr who had stolen a cloak (He had stolen it out of the spoils of war before their proper distribution) when he was killed, the people asked, "Will he have bliss in Paradise?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "By Him in whose hand is my soul, the cloak which he stole causes a fire to flare over him in his grave."

The abode of others is at the gate of Paradise, as described in a hadith by Ibn 'Abbas that, "The abode of martyrs is in a green dome, on a bright river, near the gate of Paradise. Their provision comes from Paradise in the morning and in the evening.'' (Ahmad) This does not apply to Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, whose hands were transformed into wings, and with these he flies wherever he wishes in Paradise.

Others remain confined to earth, for these souls cannot rise to heaven. Indeed, these are base, earthly souls which do not mix with the heavenly souls, just as they do not mix with them during their sojourn on earth. A soul that is oblivious to its Lord, blind to His love, negligent of His remembrance, and remiss in seeking His pleasure is a despicable earthly soul. After separation from its body, it cannot go anywhere, but remains here. On the other hand, the heavenly soul in this life clings to the love of Allah and to His remembrance, and seeks His pleasure and nearness. After separation from its body, it will join other kindred heavenly souls. In the barzakh (Literally an interval, a separation or a partition, Al-barzakh may be defined as the intervening state between death and the Last Day) and on the Day of Resurrection a person will be with those he loved. Allah will join some souls with others in the abode of barzakh and on the Day of Resurrection, placing the believer's soul with other pure souls, that is, other pure souls kindred to his soul. A soul, after separation from the body, joins other kindred souls who in their nature and deeds are similar to it and stays with them.

Some souls would be thrown in an oven or a pit along with other fornicators and harlots. Other souls would be in a river of blood, floating therein and swallowing rocks.The two categories of souls - the blessed and the damned - do not share a similar abode, for there are souls that reside in the highest reaches of heavens, while the others, low and mean earthly souls, cannot rise above the earth.

When one ponders the hadith and traditions on this subject carefully, one can easily find the reason for this. There is no contradiction in the sound traditions on this subject. In fact, they are all true and each supports the other. It is important, however, to understand the soul and to appreciate its essence and the laws that govern its functions. Indeed, the soul is something completely different from the body. It is in Paradise, but at the same time is attached to the grave and the body in it. It is the swiftest thing in moving, relocating, ascending, or descending from one place to another.These souls are divided into various categories: the ones that are free to move about, those that are confined, the ones that are celestial, and the others that are earthly and of a low order. After separation from their bodies, souls do experience health and sickness, and they feel far more pleasure and pain than they experienced when they were joined together.They are subject to confinement, pain, punishment, sickness, and grief as they are to various states of joy, rest, bliss, and freedom. How similar is its condition in the body to when it was in the womb of its mother! And likewise how analogous is its situation after separation from the body to when it came out of the womb into this world! There are four abodes of the soul, and each abode is bigger and greater than the previous one.

The soul's first abode is the womb of the mother, where there is confinement, compression, seclusion, and three layers of darkness.The second abode is its earthly habitat where it grows, does good and evil, and accumulates blessings for its ultimate success or failure. Its third abode is the abode of barzakh, which is more spacious and immense than the abode of this world. This abode, compared to the fourth one, is like this [third] abode compared to the first abode.

The fourth abode is the abode of eternity, either Paradise or Hell. There is no other abode after these.Allah causes the soul to pass through these abodes in stages, until it reaches the abode most suitable for it, an abode that only it deserves and for which it is [uniquely] suitable, because this abode was created for it, and the soul was given the ability to perform the deeds that lead precisely to this abode.

In each abode the soul enjoys a peculiar status and position altogether different from what it has in other abodes. Blessed indeed is soul's Originator and Creator, Who gives it life, causes it to die, makes it happy or subjects it grief and sorrow. Blessed is He Who appointed for it various levels of success and failure, and distinguished them by various grades in accordance with their knowledge, performance, faculties, and morality.Whoever truly understands and appreciates this cannot, but bear witness to the fact that there is no deity except Allah, Who has no partners. With Him alone rests all authority, praise, and all that is good, and to Him alone all affairs return for decision. His is the absolute authority, and all dominion, might, honor, wisdom, and perfection free of any defects or imperfections. He is known through the testimony of His truthful Prophets and Messengers. They did indeed come with Truth. Reason testifies to its truthfulness, and nature supports and confirms it. And anything that contradicts this testimony is untrue.

Covering graves or tombs is not permissible, because this involves unnecessary expense for an invalid cause, and may mislead the common man. 'Aishah reported: "The Prophet, peace be Up('ll him, left on a raid. I covered the door with a piece of cloth. The Prophet, peace be upon him, noticed the cloth when he retumed. He pulled at it until he tore it. Then he said: 'Allah did not order us to cover stones and clay'.'' (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim)

There are many sound and clear hadith conceming the unlawfulness of building mosques over graves or putting lights on them. Abu Hurairah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'May Allah destroy the Jews, because they used the graves of their prophets as places of worship.'' (Bukhari and Muslim)

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, cursed the women who visit graves and those who build mosques and place lights on them.'' (Reported by Ahmad and other compilers of the Sunan except Ibn Majah. Tirmidhi considers it a sound hadith) Abdullah Al-Bujali said: "I heard Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, five nights before his death, saying: 'I declare myself innocent before Allah of having an intimate friend from among you. Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, has taken me as an intimate friend just as he took Ibrahim as His intimate friend. Had I to take an intimate friend from among you, I would have taken Abu Bakr as my intimate friend. Before you there was a group who tumed the graves of their prophets and their righteous ones into mosques. Do not tum graves into mosques. I forbid you to do that'.'' (Muslim)

Abu Hurairah narrated: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'May Allah curse Jews and Christians for they turned the graves of their Prophets into places of worship'.'' (Muslim Bukhari and Muslim)

'Aishah reported: "Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah mentioned to Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, a church in which they saw drawings while in Abyssinia, whereupon he said: 'Those people used to build a place of worship over the grave of a righteous man among them when he died and make such drawings in it.These will be the worst of people in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection.'' (Bukhari and Muslim)

The author of Al-Mughni said: "It is not permissible to build mosques around graves because of the statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 'May Allah curse the women who visit graves and those who build mosques and place lights over them.''' (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i)

If it were permissible, the Prophet, peace be upon him, would not have cursed those who did it. Moreover, this practice wastes money and encourages adoration of graves similar in spirit to the adoration of idols. Because of this report it is not pemmissible to build mosques over graves. Besides, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "May Allah curse the Jews who tumed the graves of their prophets into places of worship," in order to wam others against pursuing a similar course. (Muslim and Bukhari)

'Aishah said: "The only reason the grave of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, was not made prominent was to stop people from tuming it into a mosque." Designating certain graves as places of prayers is similar to adoring idols and seeking their pleasure. The worship of idols started with the adoration of the dead, making images of them, touching them, and offering prayers at their graves. (The commentator on this said: "It points to what Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas conceming the reason why the people of Noah worshipped idols. They were known as Wadd, Sawa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr. These were pious people of whom they made images in order to remember them after their death and imitate them. Due to the lack of knowledge that became prevalent among the people, Satan made it appear beautiful to worship their images and likenesses, and to honor them, wipe over them, and approach them. Wiping them is passing one's hand over them to invoke their blessing and intercession. The same was done to the graves of nghteous people. This practice was initiated by idolaters, and then passed on to Jews and Christians and then to Muslims. Such objects are equivalent to idols.")

The author of al-Mughni said: "If a person died while in a ship on the sea, then, according to Ahmad, they should wait a day or two to find a place to bury him, unless they are afraid that the corpse would decay. If they cannot find a place (on land) to bury him, then the deceased should be washed, shrouded, a funeral prayer offered for him, then tied with a heavy weight, it be thrown into the water." This is the opinion of 'Ata and Al-Hasan. Al-Hasan said, "He is to be put in a basket and then thrown into the sea." Ash-Shafi'i said: "The body should be placed on two boards and let into the sea so that the boards might take it ashore, where some people might find it and bury it. But if one throws it into the sea, one would not be committing any sin."

The latter, i.e. burial at sea, is preferable, because it serves the purpose of covering the body which is comparable to burying him. Tying it between two boards is apt to expose it and cause it to be disfigured and mutilated. It might be thrown on the shore, mutilated and naked, or it might fall into the hands of pagans. That is why we believe the second course mentioned above is to be preferred.

It is not lawful to put a branch of a palm or flowers on a grave. The contrary is suggested by the following hadith reported by Bukhari and others from Ibn 'Abbas: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, passed by two graves and said, 'Those two are being punished for a minor matter. The first did not clean himself carefully after urinating. The second one used to spread lies.' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked for a fresh branch of a palm tree, broke it into two parts, and then placed a part on each of them, saying, 'I hope that this will reduce their punishment for as long as the branch remains fresh.' Al-Khattabi is of the opinion, however, that "This placing of a branch of a palm on the graves, while saying, "I hope that this will reduce their punishment for as long as it remains fresh," is a blessed effect of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and of his supplication to Allah to lighten their punishment."According to Al-Khattabi, "He hoped, as it were, that the two would be relieved of their punishment so long as the palm branch remained fresh. This, however, does not have anything to do with the freshness or dryness of the palm branch or its role in lightening the punishment as such. Though the masses in many of the Muslim countries place branches of palm over the graves of their relatives, this practice has no basis or merit in the light of Islamic teachings."

Al-Khattabi's opinion as reported above is correct. The Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, were familiar with this and practiced it. Bukhari reported that, "There is no evidence to show that anyone of them ever put a branch of a palm or a bunch of flowers on graves, except on the grave of Buraidah al-Asalmi, who had instructed his heirs in his will that two branches of palm be placed on his grave.'' (Bukhari) The idea that such a practice was lawful, and yet was unknown to all the Companions, except Buraidah, is not plausible. Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath: "Apparently Buraidah took the hadith in its general import and did not regard it as specifically related to those two men." Ibn Rashid said: "It is apparent from Bukhari's commentary that it was specifically done by the Prophet, peace be upon him, for those two men. He also quoted a statement of Tbn 'Umar, who, when he noticed a tent was set up over 'Abd ur Rahman's grave, said: 'Take it away; the only thing that can shade him is his deeds'." Ibn Umar's statement shows that he realized that placing anything over a grave does not benefit the deceased, except his own good deeds.

From the example of early generations, we learn that one body is to be buried in a grave. It is disliked if more than one body is buried in a grave, unless there is a large number of corpses, and there is a scarcity of graves, and it is impossible to bury them separately. In such a case, it is permissible to bury more than one body in a grave. This is based on a hadith reported by Ahmad and Tirmidhi, who said, "The Ansar came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, on the day of the Battle of Uhud, saying: 'O Allah's Messenger! We are afflicted with physical injury and we are tired, what do you command us to do?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Dig it, enlarge it, and deepen it, then place two or three men in one grave.' They asked: 'Whom should we put in first?' He said: 'The one who knows the most Qur'an'." Tirmidhi stated that it is a sound hadith. 'Abd-ur Razzaq reported from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa' with a sound chain of narrators that, "a man and a woman were buried together in the same grave. The man would be placed first, and then the woman behind him."

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "Some of the latter jurists hold it desirable while others do not agree because they regard it as an innovation (bid'ah). The Companions never did it. The Prophet, peace be upon him, shall receive a reward for every good done by anyone from among his community (Ummah) without in the least diminishing the reward of the doer.This is because he is the one who invited his community to every good, and led them to it, and because the one who calls others to truth always has a reward similar to that of those who follow it without in any way diminishing their reward. Whatever guidance or knowledge his community gained, they gained it only through him, so he shall have a reward equal to that of his followers whether they formally dedicate it to him or not.

The children of Muslims who die prior to the age of puberty go to Paradise. 'Adi ibn Thabit reported that he heard al-Bara' saying, "When Ibrahim, son of the Prophet died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Verily, he will have suckling in Paradise'.'' (Bukhari) Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath, "Bukhari indicates his view on this subject when he makes the statement that 'they are in Paradise'." Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If any Muslim has three children and they die prior to reaching the age of puberty, Allah will cause him to enter Paradise on account of His mercy to them."

It is clear from this hadith that those children who become a reason for others to enter Paradise, would themselves be in a far better position to enter it, because they are the real cause of the mercy of Allah.

As for children of non-Muslims, they are similar to the children of Muslims with respect to their entry into Paradise. An-Nawawi said, "This is the sound view held by the eminent scholars, and it is supported by Allah's words, 'We will not punish anyone until We have sent a Messenger.' (Qur'an 17.15) Now if an adult is not punished for the reason that the truth did not reach him, it is far more reasonable to assume that a child will not be punished." A report by Ahmad from Khansa, daughter of Mu'awiyah ibn Sarim, states that he related her aunt's following account: "I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Who will be in Paradise?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Prophets will be in Paradise, martyrs will be in Paradise, and babies will be in Paradise'." Al-Hafiz said that this hadith has a sound chain of narrators.

Allahl al-Sunnah wa Al-Jama'ah agree that each person will be questioned after his death, whether he is buried or not. Even if a person were eaten by carnivorous animals or bumt to ashes and thrown into the air or drowned in the sea, he or she would be questioned about his or her deeds, and rewarded with good or evil depending on his or her deeds in life. Both the body and the soul together experience punishment or reward.

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "The early Muslim community and its prominent scholars held that after death, a person is either in bliss or torment both physically and spiritually. After its separation from the body, the soul endures a state of happiness or punishment. At times, when the soul rejoins the body, both of them receive torture or joy. On the Day of Resurrection, the souls will be returned to the bodies and they will rise from their graves and stand before the Lord of the worlds. The Muslims, Christians, and Jews, all believe in the resurrection of the body.

Al-Maruzi related that Imam Ahmad said, "The punishment in the grave is a reality, and only he who is misguided or wants to misguide others denies it."

Hanbal said, "I asked Abu Abdallah about the punishment in the grave. He said, 'These are the sound hadith and we believe in them and affirm them. We affirm everything that comes from the Prophet, peace be upon him, with a sound chain of narrators. If we were to confirm a report as being from the Prophet, peace be upon him, and then reject it or oppose it, we would be denying the Word of Allah, "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it".' I asked him, 'Is the punishment of the grave a reality?' He said, 'Yes, it is a reality. The people are punished in their graves. ' I heard Abu Abdallah saying, 'We believe in the punishment of the grave, in Munkar and Nakir (the two questioning angels), and that the deceased will be questioned in their graves.' The Qur'an states that 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe in the Word, that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter,' Qur'an 14.27 that is, in the grave."

Ahmad ibn al-Qasim said, I asked, 'O Abu Abdallah! Do you believe in Munkar andNakir and what is related conceming the punishment of the grave? ' He said, 'Glory to Allah.Yes, we do confirm that and we declare so.'I said, 'This expression that you use, is it Munkar and Nakir? Or do you call them, "The two angels?"' He answered: 'Munkar and Nakir.'I said, 'They say, "There is no mention of Munkar and Nakir in the hadith".' He replied, 'Of course there is. There is Munkar and Nakir'."

Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath, "Ahmad ibn Hazm and Ibn Hubairah are of the opinion that the questioning is addressed to the soul only, without its returning to the body. The majority of Muslim scholars, however, disagree with them. They say, 'The soul is returned to the body or some of it, as is confirmed by the hadith. Had the punishment been directed at the soul only, there would not be concern for the body. The scattered parts of a body should pose no problem, for Allah is able to give life to any part of a body, and then address the questioning to that particular part. Likewise, He is able to gather all its parts easily'."

Those who hold that the questioning will be addressed only to the soul say that if one were to examine the body in the grave at the time of the questioning, one will notice no trace of its sitting or any other movement.One will also notice that the grave is neither more narrow nor spacious. Similar is the case of those who are not buried in any grave, e.g., the people who are crucified. To counter this objection, it is maintained that it is not impossible. Rather, in physical life we find a similar example, namely, sleeping. A sleeping person experiences both pleasure and pain, but his companion cannot notice any of its effects on him. In fact, even a person who is wide awake also feels pain and pleasure when he hears or thinks of his painful or pleasant experiences, but its effects cannot be noticed. Considering the unseen in the light of what is seen or guessing about life after death in terms of the present life is the mistake of this fallacious thinking.

Obviously Allah has screened the sights and sounds of the other world from man, and with our limited physical faculties, we are incapable of perceiving the vast kingdom of heavens, unless Allah wills it.

The opinion of the majority in this respect is supported by various hadith. The Prophet, peace be upon him, for example, told us, "the deceased hears the sound of their footsteps"; "his ribs are altered because of the embrace of the grave"; "the sound of his voice resounds when the angel strikes him with a hammer"; "he is struck between his ears," or "they (the two angels) will cause him to sit up." All these hadith refer to various bodily conditions. We will mention here some of the sound hadith concerning this subject.

Zaid ibn Thabit reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, was going with us toward the dwellings of Banu an-Najjar. He was riding a pony, which spooked and he nearly fell off. He found four, five, or six graves there, and asked, 'Which of you knows about those lying in these graves?' Someone said, ' I do . ' Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, ' In what state did they die? ' He replied, 'They died as polytheists. ' He said, "These people are passing through an ordeal in the graves. You would stop burying your dead in the graves if you heard the torment in the grave that I hear. If it were not for this fact, I should have certainly made you listen to it.' Then turning his face toward us, he admonished, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell.' They replied, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell.' He said, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave.' They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave. ' He warned, 'Seek refuge with Allah from temptations both visible and invisible.' They replied, 'We seek refuge with Allah from temptation (fitnah) in every visible and invisible form.' Then he added, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the temptation of the Dajjal.' They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the temptation of the Dajjal'.'' (Muslim)

Qatadah reported that Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'When a human is laid in his grave and his companions return and he hears their footsteps, two angels will come to him and make him sit and ask him, "What did you say about this man, Muhammad, may peace be upon him?" He will say, "I testify that he is Allah's servant and His Messenger." Then it will be said to him, "Look at your place in Hell-Fire. Allah has exchanged for you a place in Paradise instead of it".' The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'The dead person will see both his places. As for a non-believer or a hypocrite, he will respond to the angels, "I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say ! " It will be said to him, "Neither did you know nor did you seek guidance from those who had knowledge." Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by all except human beings and jinns'." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Al-Bara ibn 'Azib reported: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'When a Muslim is questioned in his grave, he bears witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' According to one report, the verse, 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the Word, that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter' (Qur'an 14.27) was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave. The deceased will be asked, 'Who is your Lord?' He will say, 'Allah is my Lord and Muhammad is my Prophet.' That is what is meant by the statement of Allah, 'Allah will make firm those who believe with a firm statement in this life and in the hereafter'." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Sunan)

Ahmad and Abu Hatim reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When a deceased person is laid in his grave, he hears the sound of the footsteps of people as they go away. If he is a believer, the prayer will stand by his head, the fasting will be to his right, alms to his left, and all other good deeds of charity, kindness to relations, and good behavior will be by his feet. The deceased will be questioned by the angels at his head. The prayer will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his right side where fasting will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his left side where charity will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his feet where the good acts of voluntary charity, kindness to relations, and good behavior will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then they will say to him, 'Get up.'And he will get up. The sun will appear to him and it will begin to set. Then they will ask, 'This man who was among you, what do you say about him? What is your testimony about him?' The man will say, 'Let me pray.' The angels will say, 'You will pray. Answer our question. What do you think about this man who was among you? What do you say concerning him? What do you testify concerning him?' The deceased will say, I bear witness that Muhammad was the Messenger of Allah who brought the truth from Allah.' The deceased will be told, 'According to this you lived, died, and according to this you will be resurrected, if Allah wills.'

"Then a door to Paradise will be opened for him. He will be told, 'This is your place in Paradise and what Allah has prepared for you. ' At this the desire and happiness of the deceased will increase. His grave will be enlarged 70 arms-length and his grave will be lit up. His body will change to his original form and his spirit will be placed in a bird dangling by the trees of Paradise in a nice breeze." The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, "That is what is meant by the statement of Allah, 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the Word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter'." He also mentioned the unbeliever and said, "His grave will be compressed, so that his ribs will be crushed together. About this the Qur'an says, 'Verily, for him is a narrow life and We will resurrect him blind on the Day of Resurrection'.'' Qur'an 20.124

Samura ibn Jundub reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, after the prayers would turn toward us and ask us, 'Did any one of you have a dream?' If someone had, he would relate it. Upon hearing it the Prophet, peace be upon him, would say, 'Whatsoever Allah wills (is done).' One day he questioned us saying, 'Did anyone of you have a dream?' They answered, 'No.' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'But I saw tonight two men. They came to me. They held my hand and took me to the holy land. We came across a man Iying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man's head, crushing it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and brought it back. By the time he reached the man, his head was restored to its normal state. The thrower then did the same as he had done before. I asked my two companions, "Who are these two people?" They said, "Proceed!" So we proceeded and came to a man lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook. Behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of the neck and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. As soon as he tore one side, the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to it to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, "Who are these two people?" They said to me, "Proceed!" So we proceeded and saw a hole like an oven, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and fire burning in it. In that oven there were naked men and women, and behold, flames of fire were reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they would be raised high until they were close to the mouth of the oven. Then the fire subsided and they went back inside it again. I asked, "Who are these?" They said to me, "Proceed!" And so we proceeded and came to a river of blood. And behold, in the middle of the river was a man standing, and on the bank there was one who had many stones. The man who was in the river would try to leave but the other man would throw rocks into his mouth so that he would return to where he was. Every time the former tried to leave, the other would throw rocks into his mouth. Then he would return to where he was. I asked, "Who are these people?" They replied, "Proceed! Proceed!" We proceeded until we came to a man with a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance you ever saw in a man! Beside him there was a fire and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my companions, "Who is this (man)?" They said to me, "Proceed! Proceed!" So we proceeded until we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, bedecked with all sorts of spring colors. In the middle of the garden there was a very tall man. I could hardly see his head because of his great height. And around him there were more children than I had ever seen before. I said to my companions, "Who is this?" They replied, "Proceed! Proceed!" So we proceeded until we came to a huge majestic garden, greater and better than I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, "Go up," and I went up.'

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'So we ascended until we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks. We went to its gate and asked the gatekeeper to open the gate. It was opened and we entered the city. There we found men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing through the city, and its water was as white as milk. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness of their bodies had disappeared and they turned in the best shape.' I said to them, "I have seen many wonders tonight. What is the meaning of all that I have seen?"

They replied, "We will inform you. As for the first man you came upon whose head was being crushed with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Qur'an and then neither recites it nor acts on it, and sleeps, neglects the enjoined prayers. As for the man you came upon whose mouth, nostrils, and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. And those naked men and women whom you saw in the oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses, and the man whom you saw in the river of blood is the usurer. As for the man by the base of the tree, he was Abraham. As for the children around him, they are the children of the people. (The narrator added, "Some Muslims asked the Prophet. peace be upon him, 'O Messenger of Allah! What about the children of pagans?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, 'And also the children of pagans'.") And the man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going round it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell."'

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'My two companions explained, "The men you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was bad, but Allah forgave them." The first house is the common believer's house. As for this house, it is the house of martyrs. I am Gabriel and this is Michael. Now, raise your head."

When I raised my head, I saw a palace that looked like a cloud. They said, "This is your home." I said, "Let me enter my house." They said, "You still have some life to complete on earth. Upon completing it, you may come to your home''.' (Al-Bukhari)

Ibn al-Qayyim explained, "This is a text that pertains to the punishment of barzakh, for a vision by the Prophets is like revelation demonstrating the reality."

Al-Tahawi reported from Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A person was ordered to be lashed a hundred times in his grave. He continuously asked Allah to decrease his punishment until only one lash remained. His grave was totally filled by fire. When the fire was removed, he regained consciousness and asked, 'Why was I lashed?' He was told, 'You offered a prayer once without proper purification, and you passed by an oppressed person but you did not help him'."

Anas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, once heard a voice from a grave. He asked, 'When did this one die?' They said, 'He died during the pre-Islamic era.' He was pleased to hear that and remarked, 'Had I not feared that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to let you hear the punishment of the grave'." (Reported by Nasa'i and Muslim)

'Abdallah ibn 'Umar reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'This is (Sa'd ibn Mu'adh), for whom the Throne (of Allah) moved. The doors of Heaven were opened for him and seventy thousand angels participated (in his funeral prayer). (His grave) was compressed and later on was expanded for him'.'' (Nasa'i)

There is consensus that a deceased person benefits from all good deeds for which he or she in his or her life might have been a cause. Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'When a person dies all his good deeds cease except for three: a continuous act of charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous son who prays for him'.'' (Muslim, and the Sunan) Also Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'The righteous works that continue to benefit a believer after his death include the knowledge that he taught and spread among others, a righteous son whom he leaves behind, or a copy of the Qur'an that he bequeaths to his inheritors, or a mosque that he builds, or a rest house that he builds for the wayfarers, or a canal of water that he digs for the benefit of others, or a charity that he gives out of his property during his life while he is sound of health. He will continue to receive reward for all these even after his death.' (Ibn Majah)

Jarir ibn Abdallah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam will get its reward and the rewards for all those who follow these practices after him, without any loss to their reward. And whoever introduces a bad practice in Islam will acquire its sin and the sins of all those who practice it, without any decrease in their sins."

An account of the righteous deeds performed by others that continue to be beneficial to the deceased is given in detail below:

l) Asking Allah for His forgiveness. The scholars agree that it is good to do this, because Allah says in the Qur'an: "Those who came after them say, 'O Allah! Forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith. Do not put animosity in our hearts for those who believe. Our Lord, indeed, You are Most Merciful, Most Kind." Qur'an 59.10 A saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, reads, "When you offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, make supplications for this person." This has already been mentioned above. The Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us the supplication: "O Allah! Forgive our living and our dead." Generations of Muslims, both past and present, have been supplicating to Allah for His mercy and forgiveness for their dead. Such a practice has continued without any dissent or disagreement among scholars.

An-Nawawi said, "The most well-known position of the Shafi'i school is that this does not benefit the deceased." Ahmad ibn Hanbal and a group of Shafi' i scholars hold that it does benefit the deceased . The reciter has an option. He may supplicate for the deceased to be rewarded for the recitation, saying: "O Allah! Grant the reward of what I recited to so-and-so."

Ibn Qudamah in al-Mughni stated, "Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, 'The deceased will receive the reward for every good done on his behalf. This is proved by textual evidence found on this subject. The fact that Muslims in every city gather to recite the Qur'an for the benefit of the deceased and that they have been doing so without any disagreement or disapproval show that there is consensus on this subject'."

Those who hold that the deceased benefits by the recitation of others make it conditional upon the reciter not to accept any payment for his recitation. If the reciter is paid for reciting, it is unlawful for both the giver and the receiver, and he shall have no reward for his reciting. Abd Ar Rahman ibn Shibl reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Recite the Qur'an, and do good deeds .... Do not neglect it, nor be extreme in it. Do not make it a means of living nor a source of your wealth.'' (Reported by Ahmad, At-Tabarani, and Al-Baihaqi)

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "Worship is of two types: financial and physical. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has informed us that because charity (sadaqah) benefits the deceased, all other acts of charity will also benefit the deceased, and that because fasting on his behalf benefits the deceased, all other physical acts of worship will likewise benefit the deceased. Similarly the Prophet, peace be upon him, informed us that the reward of making Hajj, which involves both physical and financial sacrifice, does indeed benefit the deceased. Thus these three types of beneficial acts of worship are supported by both the revealed texts and reason."

Visiting graves is desirable for men. 'Abdallah ibn Buraidah reported from his father that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I had forbidden you to visit graves, but now you may visit them. It will remind you of the Hereafter." (Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan works) They were prohibited from visitlng the graves because of their proximity to the jahiliyyah (Days of Ignorance) when they used incorrect and obscene language. After they had fully entered the fold of Islam, became well pleased with it, and had fully accepted its laws, the Prophet, peace be upon him, permitted them to visit graves.

Abu Hurairah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited his mother' s grave and cried, and everyone there cried with him. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'I sought my Lord's permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit me. I then sought permission to visit her grave and He permitted me to do this. You should visit graves, because they will remind you of the reality of death.'' (Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan, except Tirmidhi)

Since the purpose of visiting graves is admonition and remembrance of death, it is permissible to visit the graves of disbelievers. Weeping when passing by the graves of the wrongdoers who were seized and punished by Allah for their evil deeds, and to express one's humility and one's need for forgiveness of Allah is desirable.This is obvious from a hadith, reported by Bukhari on the authority of Ibn 'Umar, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to his Companions, when they passed through Al-Hijr, the dwellings of the people of Thamud, "Do not go without weeping to the places of burial of those who are undergoing torment. But if you cannot weep, then do not enter these places lest what befell them should befall you."

Whoever pays a visit to a grave should face the deceased, greet him, and supplicate for him. On this subject we find the following: Buraidah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us that when we visited graves we should say, 'Peace be upon you, O believing men and women, O dwellers of this place. Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you. You have preceded us and we are to follow you.We supplicate to Allah to grant us and you security'.'' (Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, and others)

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "Once the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed by graves in Madinah. He tumed his face toward them saying: 'Peace be upon you, O dwellers of these graves. May Allah forgive us and you. You have preceded us, and we are following your trail'." (Tirmidhi)

'Aishah said: "Every time it was my turn to be with the Prophet, peace be upon him, toward the end of the night, he would go out to the cemetery of al-Baqi' and would say,

'Peace be upon you, O abode of believers. What you were promised will come to pass tomorrow at a fixed time. We shall, Allah willing, soon join you. O Allah! Grant forgiveness to the people who are buried in al-Baqi' al-Gharqad',' (Muslim)

'Aishah also reported: "I asked: 'What should I say when I pass by a graveyard, O Messenger of Allah?' He replied, 'Say, "Peace be upon the believing men and women dwelling here. May Allah grant mercy to those who have preceded us and those who are to follow them. Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you"'."

What some people do, like wiping hands over the graves and tombs, kissing them, and circumambulating around them are abominable innovations. Such things should not be done, for they are unlawful. These things are permissible, however, if performed in relation with the House of Allah, the Ka'abah, for Allah has so honored it. The grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him, cannot be considered a similar case, nor the tomb of a saint. All good comes from adherence to his example whereas all evil flows from innovating new things in religion.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited the graves to supplicate for their inhabitants, and to seek mercy and forgiveness of Allah for them. Contrary to this, the pagans supplicated to the dead, swearing by them, asking them for their needs, and seeking their support and help. Such pagan practices are in conflict with the guidance of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his teachings about the Oneness of Allah and about the manner of supplicating for Allah's mercy for the dead. The people who do such things are guilty of polytheism; they are indulging in sin, and bringing evil to the deceased.They may be divided into three categories: those who supplicate for the deceased, those who supplicate through the deceased, and the third who supplicate to the deceased. They think that making supplications by a grave is better than in a mosque. For anyone who looks to the guidance of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and his Companions, the distinction between the two cited positions is fairly obvious."

There is a consensus that a body may be buried during any of these three times whenever there is danger of it decomposing otherwise. If there is no such danger, its burial during these times is still permissible, according to the majority of scholars, provided that it is not done so on purpose, as reported by Ahmad, Muslim, and the compilers of Sunan on the authority of 'Uqbah who said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade us from offering prayer or burying our dead at three times: at sunrise, until the sun rises high in the sky; at noon, when the sun is above one's head until it declines a little; and when the sun begins to go down until it sets." The Hanbali school holds that in light of the above hadith burial during these times is undesirable without exception.

The purpose of burial is to hide the body in a pit in order to prevent its stench from fouling the atmosphere, and to save it from being eaten by various beasts and birds. If these conditions are met and this purpose is served, then one has carried out one's responsibility . It is encouraged, however, to make the depth of the grave equal to the height of an average man. This is based on a hadith reported by Nasa'i and Tirmidhi (who considers it a sound hadith) from Hisham ibn 'Amer who said: "We complained to the Prophet, peace be upon him, on the day of the battle of Uhud, saying: 'O Allah's Messenger! Digging a separate grave for every body is a very hard job.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Dig, dig deeper, dig well, and bury two or three bodies in each grave.' The Companions asked him: 'Who should be put in the graves first?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Put those most learned in the Qur'an first.' My father, the narrator added, was the third of the three who were put in one grave."

Ibn Abi Shaibah and Ibn Al-Mundhir reported that 'Umar said: "Dig a grave deep enough for a man's height and make it broader." According to Abu Hanifah and Ahmad the grave should be deep enough for half of the average height of a man, but if dug deeper, it is better.

Lahd is a crevice on the side of a grave facing the qiblah, which is covered with unburnt bricks like a house with a roof. A regular grave, on the other hand, is a pit dug in the ground, with the body placed in it and then sealed off with unburnt bricks and covered to form a ceiling. Either of these two methods is permissible, but the first one--lahd--is preferable in the light of a hadith reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah on the authority of Anas who said: "When the Prophet, peace be upon him, died, there were two grave diggers. One usually dug the lahd and the other a regular tomb-like grave. The Companions said: 'Let us seek guidance from our Lord.' Then they asked each of them to dig a grave, and decided the grave of the one who finished first be chosen for the burial of the Prophet's remains. The one who dug the lahd finished first, so they buried the remains of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in a lahd."

This hadith shows that both forms are permissible. The fact that the lahd is preferable is indicated by a tradition transmitted by Ahmad and the Compilers of the Sunan on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas who reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Lahd is for us, and digging a pit (i.e., a regular grave) for others."'

If a pregnant woman dies and the trustworthy physicians are sure that the fetus is alive, then it must be taken out of her womb by a caesarian operation.

Al-Baihaqi reported from Wathilah bin al-Asqa' that he buried a Christian woman bearing the child of a Muslim in a cemetery that belonged to neither Muslims nor Christians. Ahmad supports this opinion because he says that the woman being a disbeliever, cannot be buried in a cemetery of Muslims, for they would suffer because of her punishment, nor can she be buried in a Christian cemetery because her fetus, which is a Muslim, would suffer by their punishment.

Ibn Qudamah said: "A burial in a cemetery is better for a servant of Allah than being buried in home, for this is less harmful to survivors in his family, is more like the dwellings of the hereafter, and is more suitable a place for making supplications for forgiveness and mercy for the dead. The Companions, their Successors, and those after them buried their dead in the deserts in cemeteries.

Some people may ask: "Why then were the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his two Companions buried in his home?" In answer to this we would refer to the statement of 'Aishah in which she said: "This was done lest the grave of the Prophet be turned into a mosque.'' (Bukhari) The Prophet, peace be upon him, buried his Companions in the cemetery of "al-Baqi' in Madinah and surely his action is more preferable than someone else's action. The Companions of the Prophet regarded his burial arrangements as a special case for him because, as reported in a tradition "the Prophets are buried at the place they die," and because burying him at his home distinguished his grave from those of others, and protected it from being exposed to great numbers of people, he was buried at home.

When asked about a man who had instructed in his will that he be buried in his house, Ahmad said: "He should be buried with Muslims in their cemetery."

Jurists agree that it is permissible either to make a little hump over the grave or to flatten it. At-Tabari said: "I dislike it for a grave to be prepared in any way other than these two: it should be either leveled with the ground or raised with a hump over it, but no higher than one hand, as is the common practice among Muslims. Leveling the grave differs from flattening it completely. Jurists differ concerning which of these two methods is best. Al-Qadi 'Iyad has reported from the major scholars that it is best to make a hump over the grave because Sufyan an-Nammar told him that he had seen the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him, with a hump over it." (Bukhari) This is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ahmad, al-Mazani, and many scholars of the Shafi'i school. Ash-Shafi'i's opinion, however, is that because of the order of the Prophet, peace be upon him, leveling is best.

It is permissible to place a mark, such as a stone or a piece of wood, over a grave so that it can be recognized. This is based on a hadith reported by Ibn Majah from Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, "placed a rock over 'Uthman ibn Maz'eun's grave so that it could be recognized." In az-Zawa'id it is stated that its chain of narrators is sound. Abu Daw'ud reported it in the hadith of al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada'ah which has the following words: "He carried a rock and placed it by the headside of the grave and said, 'I want to mark my brother's grave and then bury beside it whoever else of my family dies."' This hadith indicates that it is preferable for relatives of the deceased to be buried in adjacent spots because it makes it easier for those who visit their graves to pray for them.

Most scholars are of the opinion that it is permissible to wear shoes in a cemetery. Jarir ibn Hazim said: "I saw al-Hasan and Ibn Sirin walking with their shoes on in a cemetery." Anas reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'When a servant of Allah is put into a grave and his companions leave, he can hear the sound of their sandals'.'' (Reported by Bukhari, Muslim. Abu Daw'ud, and Nasa'i) The scholars deduce from this hadith that it is permissible to walk in a cemetery with one's shoes on since the only way the dead would hear the sound of their sandals is when they were wearing them.

Ahmad disliked, however, wearing dyed shoes (Sibtiyah (Arabic), a type of shoes dyed with pods of a species of sant tree) in graveyards. This is based on a report by Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah from Bushair, the freed slave of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: "Once the Prophet, peace be upon him, noticed a man wearing shoes while walking in the cemetery. He said to him: 'O you who are wearing the sihtiyyah (shoes). Woe to you. Take off your sibtivyah shoes.' When the man recognized the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he took them off and threw them away."

Al-Khattabi said: "The order of the Prophet, peace be upon him, may indicate that he disliked this because of the people involved in them. The sibtiyvah shoes were wom by privileged people given to luxury. The Prophet, peace be upon him, liked those visiting the graveyards to be humble and unpretentious. Ahmad holds that wearing shoes is disliked only when done without any valid excuse. If there is a genuine reason for wearing shoes, such as, thoms or impurities, then one may keep one's shoes on.

It is sunnah to place a body in the grave with its feet first, if this is possible and can be done easily. This is based on a hadith reported by Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Abi Shaibah, and Al-Baihaqi that Abdallah ibn Zaid placed a body with its feet first in the grave and said, "This is sunnah." If this is not easy, then a body could be placed in the grave in any manner possible.

Ibn Hazm said: "A body may be placed in the grave in any manner possible, from the direction of the qihlah, or from a direction opposite to it, with its head first, or with its feet first, for there is no explicit instruction regarding this in the texts."

The practice of the learned ones has been to place the body on its right side facing the qiblah. The person placing the body in the grave should say: "In the Name of Allah, and in accordance with the tradition of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him. " Then he should loosen the shroud. Ibn ' Umar reported that when a body was placed in the grave, the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say: Bismillah wa 'ala sunnat rasulillah. "In the name of Allah, and in accordance with the tradition of Allah's Messenger or the practice of Allah's Messenger." (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majab and Nasa'i, who transmitted it both as a mauquf hadith (its chain of transmitters stopping at a Companion), and as a musnad (uninterruptedly from the Prophet himself)).

The majority of jurists dislike the idea of placing a garment, a pillow, or the like for the deceased in the grave. Ibn Hazm, however, sees nothing wrong in placing a piece of garment under the body in the grave, in light of a hadith reported by Muslim from Ibn 'Abbas who said: "A red piece of cloth was placed in the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him." Ibn Hazm says apparently it was Allah's Will to permit them to do so, because His Prophet, the innocent and guiltless, and others who practiced it were, according to the consensus, indeed the best of men, and none of them ever objected to it."

The scholars consider it desirable, however, for the head of the deceased to be placed on a brick, a stone, or on the ground with his right cheek on a brick or some other similar thing, and with his shroud removed from his face so that his left cheek is open to the soil. 'Umar advised his heirs: "After having placed my body in the grave, leave my cheek open to the soil." Similarly Ad-Dahak in his will gave instructions that his shroud should be untied and his cheek exposed. It is preferred if something, some bricks or stones or soil, is placed to support the body so as not to leave it flat on its back.

Abu Hanifah, Malik, and Ahmad hold that a piece of cloth may be spread over a female body, but not over a male body, when lowering it into the grave. The Shafi'i school, however, is of the opinion that doing so is desirable for both male and female.

It is desirable to encourage those attending the burial to throw three handfuls of soil over the grave from the head of the body. This is based on a hadith by Ibn Majah which says: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, once offered a funeral prayer and then went to the deceased's grave and threw three handfuls of soil from near the deceased's head." Abu Hanifah, Ash-Shafi'i, and Ahmad hold that when throwing the first handful one should say, "Of this (i.e. the earth) We created you," and on the second one should say, "And to it shall We cause you to return," and on the third handful one should say, "And of it We shall cause you to be resurrected a second time." This is based on a hadith that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said this when his daughter Umm al-Kulthum was laid in her grave. Ahmad said: "Nothing is required to be said while throwing handfuls of soil over the grave because this is a weak hadith.

After the burial, it is desirable to pray for forgiveness of the deceased and acceptance (of his conduct by Allah), because at this time he is being questioned about his life. It is reported by 'Uthman: "After burial the Prophet, peace be upon him, would stand by the grave of the deceased and say: "Seek forgiveness for your brother and pray for his acceptance, because he is now being questioned about it." (This hadith is reported by Abu Daw'ud and al-Hakim, who considers it a sound hadith. Al-Bazzar says: "This is the only report from the Prophet (peace be upon him) on this subject.) Ruzain reported: "After the deceased was buried 'Ali used to pray: 'O Allah! This is Your servant, who is now a guest of Yours, and You are the best host. Forgive him, and expand the entrance into heaven for him." Ibn 'Umar liked to recite the first and the last few verses of Surah AlBaqarah by the grave after the burial was over. (Reported by Al-Baihaqi with a sound chain of narrators.)

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "Some of the latter jurists hold it desirable while others do not agree because they regard it as an innovation (bid'ah). The Companions never did it. The Prophet, peace be upon him, shall receive a reward for every good done by anyone from among his community (Ummah) without in the least diminishing the reward of the doer.This is because he is the one who invited his community to every good, and led them to it, and because the one who calls others to truth always has a reward similar to that of those who follow it without in any way diminishing their reward. Whatever guidance or knowledge his community gained, they gained it only through him, so he shall have a reward equal to that of his followers whether they formally dedicate it to him or not.

The children of Muslims who die prior to the age of puberty go to Paradise. 'Adi ibn Thabit reported that he heard al-Bara' saying, "When Ibrahim, son of the Prophet died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Verily, he will have suckling in Paradise'.'' (Bukhari) Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath, "Bukhari indicates his view on this subject when he makes the statement that 'they are in Paradise'." Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If any Muslim has three children and they die prior to reaching the age of puberty, Allah will cause him to enter Paradise on account of His mercy to them."

It is clear from this hadith that those children who become a reason for others to enter Paradise, would themselves be in a far better position to enter it, because they are the real cause of the mercy of Allah.

As for children of non-Muslims, they are similar to the children of Muslims with respect to their entry into Paradise. An-Nawawi said, "This is the sound view held by the eminent scholars, and it is supported by Allah's words, 'We will not punish anyone until We have sent a Messenger.' (Qur'an 17.15) Now if an adult is not punished for the reason that the truth did not reach him, it is far more reasonable to assume that a child will not be punished." A report by Ahmad from Khansa, daughter of Mu'awiyah ibn Sarim, states that he related her aunt's following account: "I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Who will be in Paradise?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Prophets will be in Paradise, martyrs will be in Paradise, and babies will be in Paradise'." Al-Hafiz said that this hadith has a sound chain of narrators.

Allahl al-Sunnah wa Al-Jama'ah agree that each person will be questioned after his death, whether he is buried or not. Even if a person were eaten by carnivorous animals or bumt to ashes and thrown into the air or drowned in the sea, he or she would be questioned about his or her deeds, and rewarded with good or evil depending on his or her deeds in life. Both the body and the soul together experience punishment or reward.

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "The early Muslim community and its prominent scholars held that after death, a person is either in bliss or torment both physically and spiritually. After its separation from the body, the soul endures a state of happiness or punishment. At times, when the soul rejoins the body, both of them receive torture or joy. On the Day of Resurrection, the souls will be returned to the bodies and they will rise from their graves and stand before the Lord of the worlds. The Muslims, Christians, and Jews, all believe in the resurrection of the body.

Al-Maruzi related that Imam Ahmad said, "The punishment in the grave is a reality, and only he who is misguided or wants to misguide others denies it."

Hanbal said, "I asked Abu Abdallah about the punishment in the grave. He said, 'These are the sound hadith and we believe in them and affirm them. We affirm everything that comes from the Prophet, peace be upon him, with a sound chain of narrators. If we were to confirm a report as being from the Prophet, peace be upon him, and then reject it or oppose it, we would be denying the Word of Allah, "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it".' I asked him, 'Is the punishment of the grave a reality?' He said, 'Yes, it is a reality. The people are punished in their graves. ' I heard Abu Abdallah saying, 'We believe in the punishment of the grave, in Munkar and Nakir (the two questioning angels), and that the deceased will be questioned in their graves.' The Qur'an states that 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe in the Word, that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter,' Qur'an 14.27 that is, in the grave."

Ahmad ibn al-Qasim said, I asked, 'O Abu Abdallah! Do you believe in Munkar andNakir and what is related conceming the punishment of the grave? ' He said, 'Glory to Allah.Yes, we do confirm that and we declare so.'I said, 'This expression that you use, is it Munkar and Nakir? Or do you call them, "The two angels?"' He answered: 'Munkar and Nakir.'I said, 'They say, "There is no mention of Munkar and Nakir in the hadith".' He replied, 'Of course there is. There is Munkar and Nakir'."

Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath, "Ahmad ibn Hazm and Ibn Hubairah are of the opinion that the questioning is addressed to the soul only, without its returning to the body. The majority of Muslim scholars, however, disagree with them. They say, 'The soul is returned to the body or some of it, as is confirmed by the hadith. Had the punishment been directed at the soul only, there would not be concern for the body. The scattered parts of a body should pose no problem, for Allah is able to give life to any part of a body, and then address the questioning to that particular part. Likewise, He is able to gather all its parts easily'."

Those who hold that the questioning will be addressed only to the soul say that if one were to examine the body in the grave at the time of the questioning, one will notice no trace of its sitting or any other movement.One will also notice that the grave is neither more narrow nor spacious. Similar is the case of those who are not buried in any grave, e.g., the people who are crucified. To counter this objection, it is maintained that it is not impossible. Rather, in physical life we find a similar example, namely, sleeping. A sleeping person experiences both pleasure and pain, but his companion cannot notice any of its effects on him. In fact, even a person who is wide awake also feels pain and pleasure when he hears or thinks of his painful or pleasant experiences, but its effects cannot be noticed. Considering the unseen in the light of what is seen or guessing about life after death in terms of the present life is the mistake of this fallacious thinking.

Obviously Allah has screened the sights and sounds of the other world from man, and with our limited physical faculties, we are incapable of perceiving the vast kingdom of heavens, unless Allah wills it.

The opinion of the majority in this respect is supported by various hadith. The Prophet, peace be upon him, for example, told us, "the deceased hears the sound of their footsteps"; "his ribs are altered because of the embrace of the grave"; "the sound of his voice resounds when the angel strikes him with a hammer"; "he is struck between his ears," or "they (the two angels) will cause him to sit up." All these hadith refer to various bodily conditions. We will mention here some of the sound hadith concerning this subject.

Zaid ibn Thabit reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, was going with us toward the dwellings of Banu an-Najjar. He was riding a pony, which spooked and he nearly fell off. He found four, five, or six graves there, and asked, 'Which of you knows about those lying in these graves?' Someone said, ' I do . ' Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, ' In what state did they die? ' He replied, 'They died as polytheists. ' He said, "These people are passing through an ordeal in the graves. You would stop burying your dead in the graves if you heard the torment in the grave that I hear. If it were not for this fact, I should have certainly made you listen to it.' Then turning his face toward us, he admonished, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell.' They replied, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell.' He said, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave.' They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave. ' He warned, 'Seek refuge with Allah from temptations both visible and invisible.' They replied, 'We seek refuge with Allah from temptation (fitnah) in every visible and invisible form.' Then he added, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the temptation of the Dajjal.' They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the temptation of the Dajjal'.'' (Muslim)

Qatadah reported that Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'When a human is laid in his grave and his companions return and he hears their footsteps, two angels will come to him and make him sit and ask him, "What did you say about this man, Muhammad, may peace be upon him?" He will say, "I testify that he is Allah's servant and His Messenger." Then it will be said to him, "Look at your place in Hell-Fire. Allah has exchanged for you a place in Paradise instead of it".' The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'The dead person will see both his places. As for a non-believer or a hypocrite, he will respond to the angels, "I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say ! " It will be said to him, "Neither did you know nor did you seek guidance from those who had knowledge." Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by all except human beings and jinns'." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Al-Bara ibn 'Azib reported: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'When a Muslim is questioned in his grave, he bears witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' According to one report, the verse, 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the Word, that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter' (Qur'an 14.27) was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave. The deceased will be asked, 'Who is your Lord?' He will say, 'Allah is my Lord and Muhammad is my Prophet.' That is what is meant by the statement of Allah, 'Allah will make firm those who believe with a firm statement in this life and in the hereafter'." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Sunan)

Ahmad and Abu Hatim reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When a deceased person is laid in his grave, he hears the sound of the footsteps of people as they go away. If he is a believer, the prayer will stand by his head, the fasting will be to his right, alms to his left, and all other good deeds of charity, kindness to relations, and good behavior will be by his feet. The deceased will be questioned by the angels at his head. The prayer will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his right side where fasting will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his left side where charity will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his feet where the good acts of voluntary charity, kindness to relations, and good behavior will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then they will say to him, 'Get up.'And he will get up. The sun will appear to him and it will begin to set. Then they will ask, 'This man who was among you, what do you say about him? What is your testimony about him?' The man will say, 'Let me pray.' The angels will say, 'You will pray. Answer our question. What do you think about this man who was among you? What do you say concerning him? What do you testify concerning him?' The deceased will say, I bear witness that Muhammad was the Messenger of Allah who brought the truth from Allah.' The deceased will be told, 'According to this you lived, died, and according to this you will be resurrected, if Allah wills.'

"Then a door to Paradise will be opened for him. He will be told, 'This is your place in Paradise and what Allah has prepared for you. ' At this the desire and happiness of the deceased will increase. His grave will be enlarged 70 arms-length and his grave will be lit up. His body will change to his original form and his spirit will be placed in a bird dangling by the trees of Paradise in a nice breeze." The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, "That is what is meant by the statement of Allah, 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the Word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter'." He also mentioned the unbeliever and said, "His grave will be compressed, so that his ribs will be crushed together. About this the Qur'an says, 'Verily, for him is a narrow life and We will resurrect him blind on the Day of Resurrection'.'' Qur'an 20.124

Samura ibn Jundub reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, after the prayers would turn toward us and ask us, 'Did any one of you have a dream?' If someone had, he would relate it. Upon hearing it the Prophet, peace be upon him, would say, 'Whatsoever Allah wills (is done).' One day he questioned us saying, 'Did anyone of you have a dream?' They answered, 'No.' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'But I saw tonight two men. They came to me. They held my hand and took me to the holy land. We came across a man Iying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man's head, crushing it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and brought it back. By the time he reached the man, his head was restored to its normal state. The thrower then did the same as he had done before. I asked my two companions, "Who are these two people?" They said, "Proceed!" So we proceeded and came to a man lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook. Behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of the neck and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. As soon as he tore one side, the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to it to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, "Who are these two people?" They said to me, "Proceed!" So we proceeded and saw a hole like an oven, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and fire burning in it. In that oven there were naked men and women, and behold, flames of fire were reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they would be raised high until they were close to the mouth of the oven. Then the fire subsided and they went back inside it again. I asked, "Who are these?" They said to me, "Proceed!" And so we proceeded and came to a river of blood. And behold, in the middle of the river was a man standing, and on the bank there was one who had many stones. The man who was in the river would try to leave but the other man would throw rocks into his mouth so that he would return to where he was. Every time the former tried to leave, the other would throw rocks into his mouth. Then he would return to where he was. I asked, "Who are these people?" They replied, "Proceed! Proceed!" We proceeded until we came to a man with a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance you ever saw in a man! Beside him there was a fire and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my companions, "Who is this (man)?" They said to me, "Proceed! Proceed!" So we proceeded until we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, bedecked with all sorts of spring colors. In the middle of the garden there was a very tall man. I could hardly see his head because of his great height. And around him there were more children than I had ever seen before. I said to my companions, "Who is this?" They replied, "Proceed! Proceed!" So we proceeded until we came to a huge majestic garden, greater and better than I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, "Go up," and I went up.'

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'So we ascended until we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks. We went to its gate and asked the gatekeeper to open the gate. It was opened and we entered the city. There we found men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing through the city, and its water was as white as milk. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness of their bodies had disappeared and they turned in the best shape.' I said to them, "I have seen many wonders tonight. What is the meaning of all that I have seen?"

They replied, "We will inform you. As for the first man you came upon whose head was being crushed with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Qur'an and then neither recites it nor acts on it, and sleeps, neglects the enjoined prayers. As for the man you came upon whose mouth, nostrils, and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. And those naked men and women whom you saw in the oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses, and the man whom you saw in the river of blood is the usurer. As for the man by the base of the tree, he was Abraham. As for the children around him, they are the children of the people. (The narrator added, "Some Muslims asked the Prophet. peace be upon him, 'O Messenger of Allah! What about the children of pagans?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, 'And also the children of pagans'.") And the man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going round it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell."'

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'My two companions explained, "The men you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was bad, but Allah forgave them." The first house is the common believer's house. As for this house, it is the house of martyrs. I am Gabriel and this is Michael. Now, raise your head."

When I raised my head, I saw a palace that looked like a cloud. They said, "This is your home." I said, "Let me enter my house." They said, "You still have some life to complete on earth. Upon completing it, you may come to your home''.' (Al-Bukhari)

Ibn al-Qayyim explained, "This is a text that pertains to the punishment of barzakh, for a vision by the Prophets is like revelation demonstrating the reality."

Al-Tahawi reported from Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A person was ordered to be lashed a hundred times in his grave. He continuously asked Allah to decrease his punishment until only one lash remained. His grave was totally filled by fire. When the fire was removed, he regained consciousness and asked, 'Why was I lashed?' He was told, 'You offered a prayer once without proper purification, and you passed by an oppressed person but you did not help him'."

Anas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, once heard a voice from a grave. He asked, 'When did this one die?' They said, 'He died during the pre-Islamic era.' He was pleased to hear that and remarked, 'Had I not feared that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to let you hear the punishment of the grave'." (Reported by Nasa'i and Muslim)

'Abdallah ibn 'Umar reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'This is (Sa'd ibn Mu'adh), for whom the Throne (of Allah) moved. The doors of Heaven were opened for him and seventy thousand angels participated (in his funeral prayer). (His grave) was compressed and later on was expanded for him'.'' (Nasa'i)

It is not permissible to talk ill of the deceased Muslims or to mention their evil deeds. This is based on Bukhari's report from 'Aishah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Do not speak ill of the dead; they have seen the result of (the deeds) that they forwarded before them." Abu Daw'ud and Tirmidhi have transmitted, but with a weak chain of narrators, from Ibn ' Umar a similar hadith that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Mention the good deeds of your dead and cover their evil deeds." As for those Muslims who openly do evil or indulge in illicit innovation, it is permissible to mention their evil deeds if some public good so requires and and as a warning to others in order to discourage anyone who might otherwise follow their bad example. If no such benefit is to be gained, then it is not permissible to mention anything evil about the deceased. Bukhari and Muslim reported that Anas said: "A funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet, peace be upon him, exclaimed, 'It is decided.' Then another funeral procession passed by and the people said some bad things about the deceased. The Prophet, peace be upon him, remarked, 'It is decided.' 'Umar asked: 'What is decided?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, answered, 'The one whom you praised is entitled to Paradise, and the one whom you described as bad is entitled to the Hell Fire. You are Allah's witnesses on earth'."

Cursing the dead disbelievers is permissible, because Allah, the Exalted, says: "Curses by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary, were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected faith.'' Qur'an 5.78 Similarly we read in the Qur'an: "Perish the hands of the Father of Flame!'' Qur'an 111.1 Pharaoh and others like him have also been cursed in the Qur'an, besides the great curse of Allah about which we read: "Behold! the curse of Allah is on those who do wrong. Qur'an 11.18

The jurists differ concerning the legality of reciting the Qur'an by the graveside. Ash-Shafi'i and Muhammad bin Al-Hasan consider it desirable, because by it, the deceased might be blessed. Al-Qadi 'Iyad and scholars of the Maliki school agree with them on this point. Ahmad holds that there is nothing wrong in reciting the Qur'an at a grave, whereas Malik and Abu Hanifah view this as not desirable because the sunnah does not mention this practice.

Jabir reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade the whitewashing of a grave, sitting on it, or erecting any structure on it." (Reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Nasa'i, Abu Daw'ud, and Tirmidhi who said that it is a sound hadith) Tirmidhi reported this hadith with this wording: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade the whitewashing of graves, writing on them, building on them, or stepping on them." Nasa'i, reported it in these words: "The Prophet, peace be upon, forbade building over a grave, adding anything to it, white washing it, or writing on it."

The majority of scholars interpret this prohibition as an expression of disapproval, while Ibn Hazm takes it to mean that the act is unlawful. The wisdom behind it is that a grave is not made to last forever, but is sure to disintegrate with the passage of time. whitewashing graves is decorating them with the beauty of this world for which the dead have no need. Others think that its wisdom lies in the fact that whitewashing is done by burning gypsum (brimstone): This view is supported by a narration of Zaid bin Arqam who said to a person who wanted to build something over his son ' s grave and whitewash it: "You are wrong and have done a useless thing. Nothing touched by fire should be brought near the grave." There is nothing wrong, however, in daubing it with clay. Tirmidhi said: "Some scholars, including Al-Hasan alBasri, hold it permissible to coat the graves with clay." Ash-Shafi'i is also of the same view and sees no harm in giving the graves a coating of clay.

Ja'far bin Muhammad reported from his father: "The grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him, was raised one hand from the ground and was coated with red clay and some gravel." This was narrated by Abu Bakr An-Najjad, but AlHafiz did not comment on this in his ai-Talkhis.

The scholars also disapprove of building graves with bricks or wood or burying the dead with a coffin unless the burial ground was wet or soft. If it is wet or soft, then it is permissible to use bricks and the like and to place the body in a coffin. It is reported from Mughirah that Ibrahim said: "The scholars preferred bricks of clay and straw, but disliked clay bricks; they preferred bamboo and disliked wood."

Concerning the hadith prohibiting writing on graves, it apparently includes writing the name of the deceased or any other thing on the grave. AlHakim commented on this hadith and said: "Though its chain of narrators is sound, in practice, however, it was not followed." Many Muslims from the East and the West do write on the graves. This is a practice that was passed on from one generation to the next. Adh-Dhahabi said: "This hadith is an innovated one, and no prohibition is genuinely reported."

The Hanbali school holds that inscription on graves is prohibited, whether it is a portion of the Qur'an or the name of the deceased." The Shafi'i school agrees with this ruling, but they also hold: "If the grave is of a scholar or a righteous man, it is preferable to write his name on it to make it known."

The Maliki school holds that writing any portion of the Qur'an is not permissible, but writing the name and date of death of the deceased is disliked (makruh) .

The Hanafi school disapproves of writing anything on the grave and considers it unlawful, except when it is feared that any trace of the grave might disappear. Ibn Hazm said: "It is not disapproved if the name of the deceased was engraved on a rock."

It is forbidden in a hadith "to add more soil than what was taken out when digging the grave." Al-Baihaqi has dealt with this under a separate chapter entitled, "No adding of soil to the grave in excess of what is taken therefrom."

Ash-Shawkani said that: "Adding apparently here means adding more soil than what was taken out while digging the grave." Some interpreted the addition to a grave as making a grave over another one. Ash-Shafi'i preferred, however, the first interpretation, saying that it was preferable not to add more soil than what was taken out while digging the grave which is preferred lest the grave be raised high. So long as the additional soil does not raise the grave higher than the ground, there is nothing wrong with it.

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "Some of the latter jurists hold it desirable while others do not agree because they regard it as an innovation (bid'ah). The Companions never did it. The Prophet, peace be upon him, shall receive a reward for every good done by anyone from among his community (Ummah) without in the least diminishing the reward of the doer.This is because he is the one who invited his community to every good, and led them to it, and because the one who calls others to truth always has a reward similar to that of those who follow it without in any way diminishing their reward. Whatever guidance or knowledge his community gained, they gained it only through him, so he shall have a reward equal to that of his followers whether they formally dedicate it to him or not.

The children of Muslims who die prior to the age of puberty go to Paradise. 'Adi ibn Thabit reported that he heard al-Bara' saying, "When Ibrahim, son of the Prophet died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Verily, he will have suckling in Paradise'.'' (Bukhari) Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath, "Bukhari indicates his view on this subject when he makes the statement that 'they are in Paradise'." Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If any Muslim has three children and they die prior to reaching the age of puberty, Allah will cause him to enter Paradise on account of His mercy to them."

It is clear from this hadith that those children who become a reason for others to enter Paradise, would themselves be in a far better position to enter it, because they are the real cause of the mercy of Allah.

As for children of non-Muslims, they are similar to the children of Muslims with respect to their entry into Paradise. An-Nawawi said, "This is the sound view held by the eminent scholars, and it is supported by Allah's words, 'We will not punish anyone until We have sent a Messenger.' (Qur'an 17.15) Now if an adult is not punished for the reason that the truth did not reach him, it is far more reasonable to assume that a child will not be punished." A report by Ahmad from Khansa, daughter of Mu'awiyah ibn Sarim, states that he related her aunt's following account: "I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Who will be in Paradise?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Prophets will be in Paradise, martyrs will be in Paradise, and babies will be in Paradise'." Al-Hafiz said that this hadith has a sound chain of narrators.

Allahl al-Sunnah wa Al-Jama'ah agree that each person will be questioned after his death, whether he is buried or not. Even if a person were eaten by carnivorous animals or bumt to ashes and thrown into the air or drowned in the sea, he or she would be questioned about his or her deeds, and rewarded with good or evil depending on his or her deeds in life. Both the body and the soul together experience punishment or reward.

Ibn al-Qayyim said, "The early Muslim community and its prominent scholars held that after death, a person is either in bliss or torment both physically and spiritually. After its separation from the body, the soul endures a state of happiness or punishment. At times, when the soul rejoins the body, both of them receive torture or joy. On the Day of Resurrection, the souls will be returned to the bodies and they will rise from their graves and stand before the Lord of the worlds. The Muslims, Christians, and Jews, all believe in the resurrection of the body.

Al-Maruzi related that Imam Ahmad said, "The punishment in the grave is a reality, and only he who is misguided or wants to misguide others denies it."

Hanbal said, "I asked Abu Abdallah about the punishment in the grave. He said, 'These are the sound hadith and we believe in them and affirm them. We affirm everything that comes from the Prophet, peace be upon him, with a sound chain of narrators. If we were to confirm a report as being from the Prophet, peace be upon him, and then reject it or oppose it, we would be denying the Word of Allah, "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it".' I asked him, 'Is the punishment of the grave a reality?' He said, 'Yes, it is a reality. The people are punished in their graves. ' I heard Abu Abdallah saying, 'We believe in the punishment of the grave, in Munkar and Nakir (the two questioning angels), and that the deceased will be questioned in their graves.' The Qur'an states that 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe in the Word, that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter,' Qur'an 14.27 that is, in the grave."

Ahmad ibn al-Qasim said, I asked, 'O Abu Abdallah! Do you believe in Munkar andNakir and what is related conceming the punishment of the grave? ' He said, 'Glory to Allah.Yes, we do confirm that and we declare so.'I said, 'This expression that you use, is it Munkar and Nakir? Or do you call them, "The two angels?"' He answered: 'Munkar and Nakir.'I said, 'They say, "There is no mention of Munkar and Nakir in the hadith".' He replied, 'Of course there is. There is Munkar and Nakir'."

Al-Hafiz said in Al-Fath, "Ahmad ibn Hazm and Ibn Hubairah are of the opinion that the questioning is addressed to the soul only, without its returning to the body. The majority of Muslim scholars, however, disagree with them. They say, 'The soul is returned to the body or some of it, as is confirmed by the hadith. Had the punishment been directed at the soul only, there would not be concern for the body. The scattered parts of a body should pose no problem, for Allah is able to give life to any part of a body, and then address the questioning to that particular part. Likewise, He is able to gather all its parts easily'."

Those who hold that the questioning will be addressed only to the soul say that if one were to examine the body in the grave at the time of the questioning, one will notice no trace of its sitting or any other movement.One will also notice that the grave is neither more narrow nor spacious. Similar is the case of those who are not buried in any grave, e.g., the people who are crucified. To counter this objection, it is maintained that it is not impossible. Rather, in physical life we find a similar example, namely, sleeping. A sleeping person experiences both pleasure and pain, but his companion cannot notice any of its effects on him. In fact, even a person who is wide awake also feels pain and pleasure when he hears or thinks of his painful or pleasant experiences, but its effects cannot be noticed. Considering the unseen in the light of what is seen or guessing about life after death in terms of the present life is the mistake of this fallacious thinking.

Obviously Allah has screened the sights and sounds of the other world from man, and with our limited physical faculties, we are incapable of perceiving the vast kingdom of heavens, unless Allah wills it.

The opinion of the majority in this respect is supported by various hadith. The Prophet, peace be upon him, for example, told us, "the deceased hears the sound of their footsteps"; "his ribs are altered because of the embrace of the grave"; "the sound of his voice resounds when the angel strikes him with a hammer"; "he is struck between his ears," or "they (the two angels) will cause him to sit up." All these hadith refer to various bodily conditions. We will mention here some of the sound hadith concerning this subject.

Zaid ibn Thabit reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, was going with us toward the dwellings of Banu an-Najjar. He was riding a pony, which spooked and he nearly fell off. He found four, five, or six graves there, and asked, 'Which of you knows about those lying in these graves?' Someone said, ' I do . ' Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, ' In what state did they die? ' He replied, 'They died as polytheists. ' He said, "These people are passing through an ordeal in the graves. You would stop burying your dead in the graves if you heard the torment in the grave that I hear. If it were not for this fact, I should have certainly made you listen to it.' Then turning his face toward us, he admonished, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell.' They replied, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell.' He said, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave.' They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave. ' He warned, 'Seek refuge with Allah from temptations both visible and invisible.' They replied, 'We seek refuge with Allah from temptation (fitnah) in every visible and invisible form.' Then he added, 'Seek refuge with Allah from the temptation of the Dajjal.' They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah from the temptation of the Dajjal'.'' (Muslim)

Qatadah reported that Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'When a human is laid in his grave and his companions return and he hears their footsteps, two angels will come to him and make him sit and ask him, "What did you say about this man, Muhammad, may peace be upon him?" He will say, "I testify that he is Allah's servant and His Messenger." Then it will be said to him, "Look at your place in Hell-Fire. Allah has exchanged for you a place in Paradise instead of it".' The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'The dead person will see both his places. As for a non-believer or a hypocrite, he will respond to the angels, "I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say ! " It will be said to him, "Neither did you know nor did you seek guidance from those who had knowledge." Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by all except human beings and jinns'." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Al-Bara ibn 'Azib reported: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'When a Muslim is questioned in his grave, he bears witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' According to one report, the verse, 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the Word, that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter' (Qur'an 14.27) was revealed concerning the punishment of the grave. The deceased will be asked, 'Who is your Lord?' He will say, 'Allah is my Lord and Muhammad is my Prophet.' That is what is meant by the statement of Allah, 'Allah will make firm those who believe with a firm statement in this life and in the hereafter'." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Sunan)

Ahmad and Abu Hatim reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When a deceased person is laid in his grave, he hears the sound of the footsteps of people as they go away. If he is a believer, the prayer will stand by his head, the fasting will be to his right, alms to his left, and all other good deeds of charity, kindness to relations, and good behavior will be by his feet. The deceased will be questioned by the angels at his head. The prayer will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his right side where fasting will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his left side where charity will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his feet where the good acts of voluntary charity, kindness to relations, and good behavior will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then they will say to him, 'Get up.'And he will get up. The sun will appear to him and it will begin to set. Then they will ask, 'This man who was among you, what do you say about him? What is your testimony about him?' The man will say, 'Let me pray.' The angels will say, 'You will pray. Answer our question. What do you think about this man who was among you? What do you say concerning him? What do you testify concerning him?' The deceased will say, I bear witness that Muhammad was the Messenger of Allah who brought the truth from Allah.' The deceased will be told, 'According to this you lived, died, and according to this you will be resurrected, if Allah wills.'

"Then a door to Paradise will be opened for him. He will be told, 'This is your place in Paradise and what Allah has prepared for you. ' At this the desire and happiness of the deceased will increase. His grave will be enlarged 70 arms-length and his grave will be lit up. His body will change to his original form and his spirit will be placed in a bird dangling by the trees of Paradise in a nice breeze." The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, "That is what is meant by the statement of Allah, 'Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the Word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter'." He also mentioned the unbeliever and said, "His grave will be compressed, so that his ribs will be crushed together. About this the Qur'an says, 'Verily, for him is a narrow life and We will resurrect him blind on the Day of Resurrection'.'' Qur'an 20.124

Samura ibn Jundub reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, after the prayers would turn toward us and ask us, 'Did any one of you have a dream?' If someone had, he would relate it. Upon hearing it the Prophet, peace be upon him, would say, 'Whatsoever Allah wills (is done).' One day he questioned us saying, 'Did anyone of you have a dream?' They answered, 'No.' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'But I saw tonight two men. They came to me. They held my hand and took me to the holy land. We came across a man Iying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man's head, crushing it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and brought it back. By the time he reached the man, his head was restored to its normal state. The thrower then did the same as he had done before. I asked my two companions, "Who are these two people?" They said, "Proceed!" So we proceeded and came to a man lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook. Behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of the neck and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. As soon as he tore one side, the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to it to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, "Who are these two people?" They said to me, "Proceed!" So we proceeded and saw a hole like an oven, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and fire burning in it. In that oven there were naked men and women, and behold, flames of fire were reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they would be raised high until they were close to the mouth of the oven. Then the fire subsided and they went back inside it again. I asked, "Who are these?" They said to me, "Proceed!" And so we proceeded and came to a river of blood. And behold, in the middle of the river was a man standing, and on the bank there was one who had many stones. The man who was in the river would try to leave but the other man would throw rocks into his mouth so that he would return to where he was. Every time the former tried to leave, the other would throw rocks into his mouth. Then he would return to where he was. I asked, "Who are these people?" They replied, "Proceed! Proceed!" We proceeded until we came to a man with a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance you ever saw in a man! Beside him there was a fire and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my companions, "Who is this (man)?" They said to me, "Proceed! Proceed!" So we proceeded until we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, bedecked with all sorts of spring colors. In the middle of the garden there was a very tall man. I could hardly see his head because of his great height. And around him there were more children than I had ever seen before. I said to my companions, "Who is this?" They replied, "Proceed! Proceed!" So we proceeded until we came to a huge majestic garden, greater and better than I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, "Go up," and I went up.'

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'So we ascended until we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks. We went to its gate and asked the gatekeeper to open the gate. It was opened and we entered the city. There we found men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing through the city, and its water was as white as milk. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness of their bodies had disappeared and they turned in the best shape.' I said to them, "I have seen many wonders tonight. What is the meaning of all that I have seen?"

They replied, "We will inform you. As for the first man you came upon whose head was being crushed with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Qur'an and then neither recites it nor acts on it, and sleeps, neglects the enjoined prayers. As for the man you came upon whose mouth, nostrils, and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. And those naked men and women whom you saw in the oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses, and the man whom you saw in the river of blood is the usurer. As for the man by the base of the tree, he was Abraham. As for the children around him, they are the children of the people. (The narrator added, "Some Muslims asked the Prophet. peace be upon him, 'O Messenger of Allah! What about the children of pagans?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, 'And also the children of pagans'.") And the man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going round it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell."'

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'My two companions explained, "The men you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was bad, but Allah forgave them." The first house is the common believer's house. As for this house, it is the house of martyrs. I am Gabriel and this is Michael. Now, raise your head."

When I raised my head, I saw a palace that looked like a cloud. They said, "This is your home." I said, "Let me enter my house." They said, "You still have some life to complete on earth. Upon completing it, you may come to your home''.' (Al-Bukhari)

Ibn al-Qayyim explained, "This is a text that pertains to the punishment of barzakh, for a vision by the Prophets is like revelation demonstrating the reality."

Al-Tahawi reported from Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A person was ordered to be lashed a hundred times in his grave. He continuously asked Allah to decrease his punishment until only one lash remained. His grave was totally filled by fire. When the fire was removed, he regained consciousness and asked, 'Why was I lashed?' He was told, 'You offered a prayer once without proper purification, and you passed by an oppressed person but you did not help him'."

Anas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, once heard a voice from a grave. He asked, 'When did this one die?' They said, 'He died during the pre-Islamic era.' He was pleased to hear that and remarked, 'Had I not feared that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to let you hear the punishment of the grave'." (Reported by Nasa'i and Muslim)

'Abdallah ibn 'Umar reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'This is (Sa'd ibn Mu'adh), for whom the Throne (of Allah) moved. The doors of Heaven were opened for him and seventy thousand angels participated (in his funeral prayer). (His grave) was compressed and later on was expanded for him'.'' (Nasa'i)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade the slaughtering of animals at graves, which was practiced in the Days of Ignorance out of arrogance and self conceit in order to flaunt one's wealth. Anas reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'There is no slaughtering (of animals on graves) in Islam.'' (Abu Daw'ud) Abdul Razzaq said: "They used to slaughter a cow or a sheep by the grave."

Al-Khattabi said: "During the Days of Ignorance the people used to slaughter camels by the graves of generous people. They used to say: 'We would like him to be rewarded for his deeds. He used to slaughter them when he was alive and feed them to his guests. We slaughter these camels at his grave to feed the lions and birds, so that he may continue feeding others even after his death as he used to do while he was alive'." A poet said: I slaughtered my she-camel at the grave of my king, with a bright sharp sword, meticulously cleaned by polishers, on the grave of someone, who, had I died before him, would have willingly slaughtered his mounts by my grave.

They believed in resurrection after death. Some people believed that if a camel was slaughtered by the grave of a person, he would be restored to life mounted on it on the Day of Resurrection, whereas otherwise at his resurrection, having no mount, he would have to walk on foot.

Jurists agree that it is permissible either to make a little hump over the grave or to flatten it. At-Tabari said: "I dislike it for a grave to be prepared in any way other than these two: it should be either leveled with the ground or raised with a hump over it, but no higher than one hand, as is the common practice among Muslims. Leveling the grave differs from flattening it completely. Jurists differ concerning which of these two methods is best. Al-Qadi 'Iyad has reported from the major scholars that it is best to make a hump over the grave because Sufyan an-Nammar told him that he had seen the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him, with a hump over it." (Bukhari) This is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ahmad, al-Mazani, and many scholars of the Shafi'i school. Ash-Shafi'i's opinion, however, is that because of the order of the Prophet, peace be upon him, leveling is best.

It is permissible to place a mark, such as a stone or a piece of wood, over a grave so that it can be recognized. This is based on a hadith reported by Ibn Majah from Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, "placed a rock over 'Uthman ibn Maz'eun's grave so that it could be recognized." In az-Zawa'id it is stated that its chain of narrators is sound. Abu Daw'ud reported it in the hadith of al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada'ah which has the following words: "He carried a rock and placed it by the headside of the grave and said, 'I want to mark my brother's grave and then bury beside it whoever else of my family dies."' This hadith indicates that it is preferable for relatives of the deceased to be buried in adjacent spots because it makes it easier for those who visit their graves to pray for them.

Most scholars are of the opinion that it is permissible to wear shoes in a cemetery. Jarir ibn Hazim said: "I saw al-Hasan and Ibn Sirin walking with their shoes on in a cemetery." Anas reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'When a servant of Allah is put into a grave and his companions leave, he can hear the sound of their sandals'.'' (Reported by Bukhari, Muslim. Abu Daw'ud, and Nasa'i) The scholars deduce from this hadith that it is permissible to walk in a cemetery with one's shoes on since the only way the dead would hear the sound of their sandals is when they were wearing them.

Ahmad disliked, however, wearing dyed shoes (Sibtiyah (Arabic), a type of shoes dyed with pods of a species of sant tree) in graveyards. This is based on a report by Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah from Bushair, the freed slave of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: "Once the Prophet, peace be upon him, noticed a man wearing shoes while walking in the cemetery. He said to him: 'O you who are wearing the sihtiyyah (shoes). Woe to you. Take off your sibtivyah shoes.' When the man recognized the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he took them off and threw them away."

Al-Khattabi said: "The order of the Prophet, peace be upon him, may indicate that he disliked this because of the people involved in them. The sibtiyvah shoes were wom by privileged people given to luxury. The Prophet, peace be upon him, liked those visiting the graveyards to be humble and unpretentious. Ahmad holds that wearing shoes is disliked only when done without any valid excuse. If there is a genuine reason for wearing shoes, such as, thoms or impurities, then one may keep one's shoes on.

The Ash-Shafi'i school considers it unlawful to transfer the body of a deceased from one country or town to another unless it is to Makkah, Madinah or Jerusalem. It is permissible to remove the body to one of these cities because of their special significance and position.If someone leaves instructions in his or her will that he or she be buried in a place other than these three cities, the will may not be executed, because it could delay the burial and cause the body to deteriorate. Likewise transferring the body from one grave to another is prohibited unless there is a valid reason for doing so, for example, if the deceased was buried without a proper wash, or was buried without tuming the deceased's face toward the qiblah, or the grave was damaged by flood or dampness.

It is stated in Al-Minhaj that digging up a grave after burial either for removing the body or for any other reason is prohibited unless there is genuine reason for it. such as when a deceased person is buried without a wash or is buried in a usurped cloth or land or something of value is left in the grave or the deceased was buried without facing the qiblah.

The Maliki school holds it permissible to remove the body from one place to another, before or after the burial, for a genuine reason, for example, when it is feared that the body of a deceased may be drowned in the sea or eaten up by wild animals, or when relatives want to bury the deceased nearby so that they may visit it more easily, or in order to seek the blessings of the place to which the body is removed. In all such cases, transferring of the body from one place to another is permissible provided its sanctity is not affected, e.g., it does not bloat, does not decompose or its bones do not break.

The Hanafi school considers the removal of a body from one place to another undesirable, and holds it preferable to bury a person at the place of death. The body may be taken for a mile or two for burial, for that is the usual distance to a cemetery. After the burial removing the body without a genuine reason is not permissible as mentioned above. If a woman's son dies and he is buried in her absence in another town, and she was impatient and wanted to remove his body to her own town, her request may not be heeded.

The Hanbali school considers it desirable to bury a martyr at the place where he or she is killed. Ahmad said, "As to those who are slain, a hadith reported by Jabir from the Prophet, peace be upon him, says: 'Bury the martyrs wherever they are killed'." Ibn Majah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered that the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud be returned and buried at the places where they had fallen." As for the others, they are not to be removed from one town to another without a valid cause. This is the opinion of AlAwza'i and Ibn al-Mundhir. Abdallah ibn Malikah said: "Abd-ur Rahman ibn Abu Bakr died in Abyssinia and his body was carried to Makkah where he was buried. When 'Aishah visited his grave she said: 'By Allah! Had I been there when you died, I would not have allowed you to be buried anywhere except at the place where you had died. And had I seen you there, I would not have visited you'." Burying the deceased at the place of death is easier and more secure against deterioration of the physical remains. It is permissible, however, to remove the body from one place to another in case there is a valid reason.

Ahmad said: "I do not know of any harm in transferring the deceased from one town to another." When Az-Zuhri was asked about that, he said, "The bodies of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Sa'id ibn Zaid were removed from al-'Aqiq to Madinah."

If a pregnant woman dies and the trustworthy physicians are sure that the fetus is alive, then it must be taken out of her womb by a caesarian operation.

Al-Baihaqi reported from Wathilah bin al-Asqa' that he buried a Christian woman bearing the child of a Muslim in a cemetery that belonged to neither Muslims nor Christians. Ahmad supports this opinion because he says that the woman being a disbeliever, cannot be buried in a cemetery of Muslims, for they would suffer because of her punishment, nor can she be buried in a Christian cemetery because her fetus, which is a Muslim, would suffer by their punishment.

Ibn Qudamah said: "A burial in a cemetery is better for a servant of Allah than being buried in home, for this is less harmful to survivors in his family, is more like the dwellings of the hereafter, and is more suitable a place for making supplications for forgiveness and mercy for the dead. The Companions, their Successors, and those after them buried their dead in the deserts in cemeteries.

Some people may ask: "Why then were the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his two Companions buried in his home?" In answer to this we would refer to the statement of 'Aishah in which she said: "This was done lest the grave of the Prophet be turned into a mosque.'' (Bukhari) The Prophet, peace be upon him, buried his Companions in the cemetery of "al-Baqi' in Madinah and surely his action is more preferable than someone else's action. The Companions of the Prophet regarded his burial arrangements as a special case for him because, as reported in a tradition "the Prophets are buried at the place they die," and because burying him at his home distinguished his grave from those of others, and protected it from being exposed to great numbers of people, he was buried at home.

When asked about a man who had instructed in his will that he be buried in his house, Ahmad said: "He should be buried with Muslims in their cemetery."

Those who are not killed in a battle by disbelievers, though they may be regarded as martyrs in Islamic law, should be washed and funeral prayer said for them.

The bodies of such martyrs, during the Prophet's time, were washed. Later on Muslims, during the days of 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, continued this practice (washing the bodies of such martyrs). We give below details about these martyrs.

Jabir ibn 'Utaik reported that Allah's Messenger said: "There are seven kinds of martyrs besides those killed in the cause of Allah:

• a person who is killed in an epidemic,
• a person who is drowned,
• a person who has bed sores that cause fever and a bad cough resulting in his death,
• a person who dies of a stomach disease,
• a person who dies in a fire,
• a person who dies under falling debris (in a disaster), and
• a woman who dies during childbirth." Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i report this hadith based on sound authority.

Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, asked: "Who do you consider to be a martyr?" They said: "O Allah's Prophet, he who is killed fighting for the cause of Allah." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "(If this is so) then very few in my community will be martyrs! " They asked: "Who else are they, O Allah's Messenger?" He said: "He who is killed fighting for Allah's cause is a martyr, he who dies in the cause of Allah is a martyr, he who dies in an epidemic is a martyr, he who dies from a stomach disease is a martyr, and the one who dies of drowning is (also) a martyr." This hadith is narrated by Muslim.

Sa'id ibn Zaid reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "He who is killed while guarding his property is a martyr, he who is killed while defending himself is a martyr, and he who is killed defending his religion is a martyr, and he who dies protecting his family is (also) a martyr." This hadith is narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi. The latter considers it a sound hadith.

It is not necessary for a Muslim to wash a disbeliever's body. Some scholars, however, consider it permissible. According to the Maliki and Hanbali schools, a Muslim may not wash a disbeliever' s body even if he is one of his near of kin. Similarly a Muslim is not permitted to shroud him or bury him unless it is feared that the body would decompose because of weather conditions, or that it would attract predatory beasts, etc. In such a case, he may be buried in a hole and covered with dust. This opinion is based on a tradition transmitted by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i and Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Ali who said: "I said to Allah's Messenger 'Your uncle, the old misguided man, has passed away. ' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Go and bury your father and do not do anything else until you return to me'." ' Ali said: "I did as he had told me and went back to him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered me to take a bath, and then he prayed for me."

Ibn al-Mundhir says there is nothing specific reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, about the procedure of washing the dead body.

Those who are not killed in a battle by disbelievers, though they may be regarded as martyrs in Islamic law, should be washed and funeral prayer said for them.

The bodies of such martyrs, during the Prophet's time, were washed. Later on Muslims, during the days of 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, continued this practice (washing the bodies of such martyrs). We give below details about these martyrs.

Jabir ibn 'Utaik reported that Allah's Messenger said: "There are seven kinds of martyrs besides those killed in the cause of Allah:

• a person who is killed in an epidemic,
• a person who is drowned,
• a person who has bed sores that cause fever and a bad cough resulting in his death,
• a person who dies of a stomach disease,
• a person who dies in a fire,
• a person who dies under falling debris (in a disaster), and
• a woman who dies during childbirth." Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i report this hadith based on sound authority.

Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, asked: "Who do you consider to be a martyr?" They said: "O Allah's Prophet, he who is killed fighting for the cause of Allah." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "(If this is so) then very few in my community will be martyrs! " They asked: "Who else are they, O Allah's Messenger?" He said: "He who is killed fighting for Allah's cause is a martyr, he who dies in the cause of Allah is a martyr, he who dies in an epidemic is a martyr, he who dies from a stomach disease is a martyr, and the one who dies of drowning is (also) a martyr." This hadith is narrated by Muslim.

Sa'id ibn Zaid reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "He who is killed while guarding his property is a martyr, he who is killed while defending himself is a martyr, and he who is killed defending his religion is a martyr, and he who dies protecting his family is (also) a martyr." This hadith is narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi. The latter considers it a sound hadith.

It is not necessary for a Muslim to wash a disbeliever's body. Some scholars, however, consider it permissible. According to the Maliki and Hanbali schools, a Muslim may not wash a disbeliever' s body even if he is one of his near of kin. Similarly a Muslim is not permitted to shroud him or bury him unless it is feared that the body would decompose because of weather conditions, or that it would attract predatory beasts, etc. In such a case, he may be buried in a hole and covered with dust. This opinion is based on a tradition transmitted by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i and Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Ali who said: "I said to Allah's Messenger 'Your uncle, the old misguided man, has passed away. ' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Go and bury your father and do not do anything else until you return to me'." ' Ali said: "I did as he had told me and went back to him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered me to take a bath, and then he prayed for me."

Ibn al-Mundhir says there is nothing specific reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, about the procedure of washing the dead body.

Tirmidhi reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The life-span of those in my ummah is 60 to 70 years. And a very few of them will exceed this span."

Bukhari and Muslim reported from Abu Qatadah that once, when the Prophet passed by a funeral, he said: "He is (now) in peace secure from others and others are in peace secure from him." The people asked: "O Allah's Messenger! Who is in peace and from whom are others in peace?" He said: "A believing servant (of Allah) is relieved from afflictions of this world upon his death, while upon the death of a wicked person, other people, land, trees, and animals are rid of his evil."

The body of the deceased person must be prepared for burial, washed, and shrouded, and a funeral prayer must be offered for him. Then he should be buried.

The majority of jurists are of the opinion that washing the body of a dead Muslim is a fard kifayah or a collective obligation. If some people attend to it, it is done on behalf of all, as commanded by Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, and practiced by the Muslim community.

The body of a deceased Muslim, other than one killed in a battlefield by the infidels, should be washed.

There is a difference of opinion among Muslim jurists concerning washing parts severed from a body. According to Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ibn Hazm these parts must be washed and shrouded, and funeral prayer should be offered for the departed soul.

Ash-Shafi'i said: "We were informed that a bird dropped a (human) hand in Makkah after the Battle of the Camel. The people identified it by a ring on one of its fingers (It was the hand of Abdul al-Rahman ibn 'Itab ibn Usayd (probably killed in the battle). It was washed and a (funeral) prayer was offered on it. This was witnessed by many Companions alive at the time.

Ahmad said: Abu Ayub offered funeral prayer on a (severed) foot of a dead person, while 'Umar offered prayer on a dead man's bones.

Ibn Hazm said: "A funeral prayer may be offered on any organ found from a dead Muslim's body. It should be washed and shrouded, except when it is part of a martyr' s body." Ibn Hazm further remarks that offering prayer on any organ found from a Muslim's body is analogous to praying for the whole person of the deceased, namely, for body and soul.

Abu Hanifah and Malik say, however, that, "If more than half of a Muslim 's body is found, then it should be washed and funeral prayer be offered on it, but otherwise it should not be washed nor should any funeral prayer be offered on it.

Tirmidhi reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The life-span of those in my ummah is 60 to 70 years. And a very few of them will exceed this span."

Bukhari and Muslim reported from Abu Qatadah that once, when the Prophet passed by a funeral, he said: "He is (now) in peace secure from others and others are in peace secure from him." The people asked: "O Allah's Messenger! Who is in peace and from whom are others in peace?" He said: "A believing servant (of Allah) is relieved from afflictions of this world upon his death, while upon the death of a wicked person, other people, land, trees, and animals are rid of his evil."

The body of the deceased person must be prepared for burial, washed, and shrouded, and a funeral prayer must be offered for him. Then he should be buried.

The majority of jurists are of the opinion that washing the body of a dead Muslim is a fard kifayah or a collective obligation. If some people attend to it, it is done on behalf of all, as commanded by Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, and practiced by the Muslim community.

The body of a deceased Muslim, other than one killed in a battlefield by the infidels, should be washed.

There is a difference of opinion among Muslim jurists concerning washing parts severed from a body. According to Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ibn Hazm these parts must be washed and shrouded, and funeral prayer should be offered for the departed soul.

Ash-Shafi'i said: "We were informed that a bird dropped a (human) hand in Makkah after the Battle of the Camel. The people identified it by a ring on one of its fingers (It was the hand of Abdul al-Rahman ibn 'Itab ibn Usayd (probably killed in the battle). It was washed and a (funeral) prayer was offered on it. This was witnessed by many Companions alive at the time.

Ahmad said: Abu Ayub offered funeral prayer on a (severed) foot of a dead person, while 'Umar offered prayer on a dead man's bones.

Ibn Hazm said: "A funeral prayer may be offered on any organ found from a dead Muslim's body. It should be washed and shrouded, except when it is part of a martyr' s body." Ibn Hazm further remarks that offering prayer on any organ found from a Muslim's body is analogous to praying for the whole person of the deceased, namely, for body and soul.

Abu Hanifah and Malik say, however, that, "If more than half of a Muslim 's body is found, then it should be washed and funeral prayer be offered on it, but otherwise it should not be washed nor should any funeral prayer be offered on it.

Tirmidhi reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The life-span of those in my ummah is 60 to 70 years. And a very few of them will exceed this span."

Bukhari and Muslim reported from Abu Qatadah that once, when the Prophet passed by a funeral, he said: "He is (now) in peace secure from others and others are in peace secure from him." The people asked: "O Allah's Messenger! Who is in peace and from whom are others in peace?" He said: "A believing servant (of Allah) is relieved from afflictions of this world upon his death, while upon the death of a wicked person, other people, land, trees, and animals are rid of his evil."

The body of the deceased person must be prepared for burial, washed, and shrouded, and a funeral prayer must be offered for him. Then he should be buried.

The majority of jurists are of the opinion that washing the body of a dead Muslim is a fard kifayah or a collective obligation. If some people attend to it, it is done on behalf of all, as commanded by Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, and practiced by the Muslim community.

The body of a deceased Muslim, other than one killed in a battlefield by the infidels, should be washed.

There is a difference of opinion among Muslim jurists concerning washing parts severed from a body. According to Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ibn Hazm these parts must be washed and shrouded, and funeral prayer should be offered for the departed soul.

Ash-Shafi'i said: "We were informed that a bird dropped a (human) hand in Makkah after the Battle of the Camel. The people identified it by a ring on one of its fingers (It was the hand of Abdul al-Rahman ibn 'Itab ibn Usayd (probably killed in the battle). It was washed and a (funeral) prayer was offered on it. This was witnessed by many Companions alive at the time.

Ahmad said: Abu Ayub offered funeral prayer on a (severed) foot of a dead person, while 'Umar offered prayer on a dead man's bones.

Ibn Hazm said: "A funeral prayer may be offered on any organ found from a dead Muslim's body. It should be washed and shrouded, except when it is part of a martyr' s body." Ibn Hazm further remarks that offering prayer on any organ found from a Muslim's body is analogous to praying for the whole person of the deceased, namely, for body and soul.

Abu Hanifah and Malik say, however, that, "If more than half of a Muslim 's body is found, then it should be washed and funeral prayer be offered on it, but otherwise it should not be washed nor should any funeral prayer be offered on it.

Offering one's condolences to someone means sharing in his grief and encouraging him to be patient. It means enjoining patience to comfort the distressed person and to lighten his or her grief and misfortune.

Condolences are desirable, even if the deceased was a non-Muslim. Ibn Majah and Al-Baihaqi reported from 'Amr ibn Hazm that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Every believer who consoles his brother in distress, will be dressed by Allah in an apparel of honor on the Day of Resurrection." It is recommended, however, that the condolences be offered only once.

The condolences should be offered to the entire family of the deceased, that is, to all the relatives, old and young, men and women. (The scholars exclude from this list beautiful young women. Only their mahram relatives may offer condolences to them) One may offer condolences either before or after the burial up to three days after death. If the person either offering or receiving condolences was not present at the time of death, condolences may be offered even at a later period.

Condolences may be offered in any words so long as they lighten the distress, induce patience, and bring solace to the bereaved. It is preferable, however, to use the wording as transmitted in hadith.

Usamah ibn Zaid reported, "A daughter of the Prophet, peace be upon him, sent him a message to come to her house, because a son of hers had died. In response he sent her a message with his regards saying: 'Verily, to Allah belongs what He has taken, and to Him belongs what He has given. For everything He has set a term. So be patient and be content'.'' (Bukhari. In Comment An-Nawawi said: "This is a very comprehensive hadith. It contains a number of essential principles of Islam. It encourages one to be patient in the face of catastrophe and hard times. The meaning of 'what Allah takes' is that everything belongs to Allah. Therefore what he takes also belongs to Him and not to others. He takes what He owns. Whatever we have is on trust. Thus, we should be patient and content with whatever befalls us.")

At-Tabarani, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Mardawayh reported - with a chain that has an unreliable narrator - from Mu'adh ibn Jabal that when a son of his slied, Mu'adh received a letter from the Prophet, peace be upon him, offering him condolences. The Prophet wrote to him: "In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Mu'adh bin Jabal. Peace be upon you. I praise Allah, there is no god but He. May Allah increase your reward, grant you patience, and give us and you the power to offer our thanks, for verily, our lives, our wealth, and our families are gifts of Allah entrusted to us only for awhile. May Allah grant you joy and bless you with a large reward, mercy, and guidance. If you are content with Him, you should be patient. Do not let your grief destroy your reward, so that you may regret it later on. Remember grieving over the deceased will not restore him to life, nor remove grief. Whatever is destined to happen, it is as if it has already occurred. Peace be on you'.'' (This hadith is weak. Mu'adh's son reportedly died two years after the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him)

Ash-Shafi'i has reported the following in his Musnad from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, who reported from his father and from his grandfather, both of whom said: "When the Prophet, peace be upon him, died and condolences were offered, they heard someone saying. 'In Allah is the best consolation against every catastrophe, a substitute for every loss, and a replacement for anything that is missed. Trust Allah, seek His aid, and be hopeful of His mercy. The one really afflicted is the one who is deprived of the reward for his misfortune." The chain of narrators of this hadith is weak. Muslim scholars say that if a Muslim offers condolences to another Muslim he should say: "May Allah increase your reward, give you the best consolation, and forgive your deceased beloved." And if one gives condolences to a Muslim for a disbelieving relative, one should say: "May Allah increase your reward, and grant you the best of consolation."

If one gives condolences to a disbeliever for a Muslim relative, one should say: "May Allah give you the best of condolences and grant forgiveness to your deceased beloved."

If both the deceased and the one to whom condolences are given are disbelievers, then one should say: "May Allah grant you a substitute." As for the response to condolences, the receiver should respond, "Amin" and "May Allah reward you."

According to Ahmad, one may or may not shake hands with the bereaved when offering condolences. If one sees a person who has torn his or her clothes because of a misfortune, one should comfort the person, and should not refuse to do what is good because of his or her vain act, but it is good if one bids such a person to refrain from doing so.

The sunnah concerning this is that one should offer condolences to the bereaved family and leave. Neither the consoler nor the consoled should sit down. This is the lesson we learn from the example of our righteous predecessors. Ash-Shafi'i in his A1-Umm said, "I dislike gathering in groups together to give condolences even if those gathered do not cry. Such a gathering revives sorrow and adds to the grief and burden of the bereaved family. An-Nawawi said, "Ash-Shafi'i and his companions disliked sitting for condolences, whereby members of the family stay in their homes to receive anyone coming to give their condolences. Instead, they should go about their usual tasks and needs. This applies both to men and women. Al-Muhamili states this explicitly and transmits it in reference to a text from Ash-Shafi'i. This is makruh tanzihi (Makruh tanzihl signifies something which is undesirable yet is closer to the lawful) unless it is coupled with some other innovation. If it is accompanied with another forbidden innovation (bid'ah), as is generally the case, then it is regarded as one of the strongly forbidden acts. All such acts are an innovation, and as a sound hadith says, "All novel acts are an innovation and every innovation is error."

Ahmad and many other Hanafi scholars also hold this opinion. Early Hanafi scholars, however, held the view that there is nothing wrong in holding a gathering at places other than mosques for three days of condolence, so long as one does nothing prohibited. The practices of some people nowadays, such as gathering for condolences, setting up tents, spreading carpets, and incurring a lot of expenses out of arrogance and show off are all despicable innovations that are forbidden and must be avoided, especially when most of these acts are contradictory to the teachings of the Qur'an and sunnah and are vestiges of pre-Islamic customs of jahiliyyah. Some of these innovations are reciting the Qur'an in a melodic fashion and disregarding the rules of proper recitation, or not keeping silent when listening to the Qur' an or indulging in smoking or such other activities. And this is not all. Some of these slaves of their desires indulge in extreme innovation. They are not satisfied with the days originally prescribed by Islam, but designate Wednesday as the day to renew these abominations and to indulge in these innovations. They celebrate the anniversary of death on the first day and observe remembrance on the second day, and do other such other things without any justification by either text or reason.

Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, encourage us to contemplate death and be ready for it with good deeds. This is regarded as a sign of goodness. Ibn ' Umar reports: "I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and I was the tenth of the first ten people (who embraced Islam). A man from among the Ansar got up and said: "O Prophet of Allah, who is the most sagacious and the most prudent among the people?" He replied: "Those who are most aware of death and prepare themselves for it. They are the wisest of people and will have honor in this world and a generous reward in the Hereafter'." Ibn 'Umar also said that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "You should remember the reality that brings an end to all worldly joys and pleasures, namely, death." (Both hadith are narrated by At-Tabarani with a sound chain of narrators)

Ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, explained the following words of Allah, the Exalted: "The hearts of those whom Allah wills to guide, He opens to Islam." (Qur'an 6.125) This means, the Messenger explained, that, "When the light (of truth) enters the heart it expands and opens up." The Companions asked: "Is there any evidence of this (in the life of a Muslim)?" He replied: "Being ever mindful of the eternal life of the Hereafter, and remaining at guard in this life of delusion, and preparing oneself for death before it comes." This is reported by Ibn Jarir through different chains each of which strengthens the other.

It is makruh or "disliked" to wish for one's death, or pray to Allah for it, due to poverty, distress, illness, or the like. The six canonical compilers of hadith narrate on the authority of Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Let no one among you wish for death due to any hardship that may befall him. But if one has no other choice, but to do so, one should say: "O Allah! Grant me life as long as life is good for me, and cause me to die when death is better for me."

The wisdom in the prohibition against wishing for death becomes obvious from a hadith narrated by Umm al-Fadl: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, went to see Al-'Abbas. He found him wishing for death. Thereupon the Prophet said: 'O Abbas! O Uncle of Allah's Messenger! Do not wish for death. If you do good and live long, your good deeds will multiply. Then that is better for you. If you are not good and your death is delayed, you may seek Allah's forgiveness. That is better for you. So do not wish for death'." (Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Hakim, who says it is sound according to Muslim's criteria)

It is permissible, however, to wish for death, and there is no harm in doing so, when one fears persecution that puts one's faith at risk, as is indicated by the following supplication of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him: Allahumma inni as'aluka fi'lal khairat wa tarkal munkarat wa hubbal masakin wa an taghfarali wa tarhamani wa idha aradata fitnatan fi qaumi fatawafani ghaira maftunin wa as'aluka hubbaka wa hubba man yuhibbuka wa hubba 'amalin yuqaribu ila hubbika "O Allah! I ask You for the means to do good, to avoid evil, and to love the poor, and I beseech You to forgive me and have mercy on me. When You subject my people to a trial, cause me to die without being affected by it. O Allah! I ask Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of all such actions that bring one closer to Your Love."(Narrated by Tirmidhi who said it is a good and sound hadith)

'Umar used to pray in these words: Allahumma kabirat sinni wa da'ufat quwwati wa anshrat ra'i-atifaqbidni ilaika ghaira mudayi' wa la mufaratti "O Allah! I have grown old, I have become weak, and my flock has spread far and wide. Therefore, O Allah, take me to You before I fall short of doing my duties or transgress my limits." This is reported by Malik.

Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When Allah intends good for a servant of His, He uses him for good." They asked: "How does Allah use him?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: "He enables him to do good deeds and makes it easy for him before his death and then causes him to die while he is in that state of goodness." (Ahmad, Tirrnidhi, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Hibban)

The patient should remember the boundless mercy of Allah and have a good opinion about his Sustainer. Jabir reported: "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying, three nights before his death, 'Let none of you die unless he has a good opinion of Allah'." (Muslim) This hadith encourages the triumph of hope and expectation of forgiveness when one meets Allah, the Exalted. One should be in the state most loved by Allah, since He is the most Gracious, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent, and the most Generous. He loves to forgive those with hope. In the words of a hadith: "Everyone will be raised on the Resurrection Day in the condition in which he died."

It is reported by Anas that "the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to see a young man who was on his deathbed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him: 'How are you?' The young man said: 'I hope for Allah's pardon, but I am fearful because of my sins. ' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'These two things never gather in the heart of a person at such a time without Allah granting him what he hopes for and sheltering him from what he dreads'." (Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi)

It is desirable that righteous people visit patients on their deathbeds and remember Allah.

Umm Salamah reported: "Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, 'When you visit someone who is ill or is dying, say good things about him. Indeed, the angels (present there) say "amen" to whatever you utter'." She added:"When Abu Salamah passed away, I went to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, 'Oh Messenger of Allah! Indeed, Abu Salamah has died.' The Prophet said: 'Say: "O Allah! Forgive me and him. Give me in his place a better substitute".' So, I did so and Allah gave me someone better than he. He gave me Muhammad, peace be upon him." (Recorded by Ahmad, Muslim, and the five compilers of the sunan)

In another report she said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came to see Abu Salamah when his sight had become fixed (he had passed away). So the Prophet, peace be upon him, closed his eyes and said: 'When the soul is seized and it leaves the body, the sight follows it.' Some of Abu Salamah's family wept and wailed, whereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ' Supplicate to Allah only to seek good for yourselves, because the angels (who are present) say "amen" to whatever you utter.' Then he said: 'O Allah! Forgive Abu Salamah; raise his station among (Your) rightly guided servants; and take good care of his family that he has left behind. O Lord of the Worlds ! Forgive him and us, make his grave spacious, and put light therein for him." (Muslim)

The desire to die in either of the sanctuaries in Makkah and Madinah is commendable. Bukhari has reported on the authority of Hafsah that 'Umar said: "O Allah ! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and cause me to die in the city of Your Prophet, peace be upon him." Thereupon Hafsa asked him: "Why do you pray for such a thing?" He said: "Allah willing, I shall get what I have prayed for."

At-Tabarani reported on the authority of Jabir that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "He who dies in one of the two sanctuaries will be raised in peace on the Day of Resurrection." Among the narrators of this hadith are Musa ibn Abdul al-Rahman, who is mentioned as trustworthy by Ibn Hibban and Abdullah ibn al-Mu'amil. Ahmad regards the hadith as weak, while Ibn Hibban considers it sound.

Abu Daw'ud reported from 'Ubaid ibn Khalid al-Sullami, a companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him, that once he narrated from ' Ubaid and another time from the Prophet himself, peace be upon him, saying: "Being caught unawares by a sudden death is a grievous misfortune." This hadith has been reported by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Hurairah and 'Aishah, but all these narrations are weak for one or another reason. Al-Azdi says: This hadith has been reported through diverse chains of narrators, but none are reported on sound authority from the Prophet, peace be upon him.

Bukhari reported from Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "A Muslim who loses three of his children before they come of age will be brought to Paradise by Allah as a mercy to him for losing them."

Bukhari and Muslim reported from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that he said: "Some women asked the Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Appoint a (separate) day to (admonish) us.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, told them: 'If a (Muslim) woman's three children die, they will be a protection for her from Hell.' A woman asked him, 'And what if two of her children die?' He replied: 'And (even) if two of her children die'."

Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When Allah intends good for a servant of His, He uses him for good." They asked: "How does Allah use him?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: "He enables him to do good deeds and makes it easy for him before his death and then causes him to die while he is in that state of goodness." (Ahmad, Tirrnidhi, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Hibban)

The patient should remember the boundless mercy of Allah and have a good opinion about his Sustainer. Jabir reported: "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying, three nights before his death, 'Let none of you die unless he has a good opinion of Allah'." (Muslim) This hadith encourages the triumph of hope and expectation of forgiveness when one meets Allah, the Exalted. One should be in the state most loved by Allah, since He is the most Gracious, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent, and the most Generous. He loves to forgive those with hope. In the words of a hadith: "Everyone will be raised on the Resurrection Day in the condition in which he died."

It is reported by Anas that "the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to see a young man who was on his deathbed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him: 'How are you?' The young man said: 'I hope for Allah's pardon, but I am fearful because of my sins. ' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'These two things never gather in the heart of a person at such a time without Allah granting him what he hopes for and sheltering him from what he dreads'." (Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi)

It is desirable that righteous people visit patients on their deathbeds and remember Allah.

Umm Salamah reported: "Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, 'When you visit someone who is ill or is dying, say good things about him. Indeed, the angels (present there) say "amen" to whatever you utter'." She added:"When Abu Salamah passed away, I went to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, 'Oh Messenger of Allah! Indeed, Abu Salamah has died.' The Prophet said: 'Say: "O Allah! Forgive me and him. Give me in his place a better substitute".' So, I did so and Allah gave me someone better than he. He gave me Muhammad, peace be upon him." (Recorded by Ahmad, Muslim, and the five compilers of the sunan)

In another report she said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came to see Abu Salamah when his sight had become fixed (he had passed away). So the Prophet, peace be upon him, closed his eyes and said: 'When the soul is seized and it leaves the body, the sight follows it.' Some of Abu Salamah's family wept and wailed, whereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ' Supplicate to Allah only to seek good for yourselves, because the angels (who are present) say "amen" to whatever you utter.' Then he said: 'O Allah! Forgive Abu Salamah; raise his station among (Your) rightly guided servants; and take good care of his family that he has left behind. O Lord of the Worlds ! Forgive him and us, make his grave spacious, and put light therein for him." (Muslim)

Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, encourage us to contemplate death and be ready for it with good deeds. This is regarded as a sign of goodness. Ibn ' Umar reports: "I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and I was the tenth of the first ten people (who embraced Islam). A man from among the Ansar got up and said: "O Prophet of Allah, who is the most sagacious and the most prudent among the people?" He replied: "Those who are most aware of death and prepare themselves for it. They are the wisest of people and will have honor in this world and a generous reward in the Hereafter'." Ibn 'Umar also said that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "You should remember the reality that brings an end to all worldly joys and pleasures, namely, death." (Both hadith are narrated by At-Tabarani with a sound chain of narrators)

Ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, explained the following words of Allah, the Exalted: "The hearts of those whom Allah wills to guide, He opens to Islam." (Qur'an 6.125) This means, the Messenger explained, that, "When the light (of truth) enters the heart it expands and opens up." The Companions asked: "Is there any evidence of this (in the life of a Muslim)?" He replied: "Being ever mindful of the eternal life of the Hereafter, and remaining at guard in this life of delusion, and preparing oneself for death before it comes." This is reported by Ibn Jarir through different chains each of which strengthens the other.

It is makruh or "disliked" to wish for one's death, or pray to Allah for it, due to poverty, distress, illness, or the like. The six canonical compilers of hadith narrate on the authority of Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Let no one among you wish for death due to any hardship that may befall him. But if one has no other choice, but to do so, one should say: "O Allah! Grant me life as long as life is good for me, and cause me to die when death is better for me."

The wisdom in the prohibition against wishing for death becomes obvious from a hadith narrated by Umm al-Fadl: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, went to see Al-'Abbas. He found him wishing for death. Thereupon the Prophet said: 'O Abbas! O Uncle of Allah's Messenger! Do not wish for death. If you do good and live long, your good deeds will multiply. Then that is better for you. If you are not good and your death is delayed, you may seek Allah's forgiveness. That is better for you. So do not wish for death'." (Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Hakim, who says it is sound according to Muslim's criteria)

It is permissible, however, to wish for death, and there is no harm in doing so, when one fears persecution that puts one's faith at risk, as is indicated by the following supplication of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him: Allahumma inni as'aluka fi'lal khairat wa tarkal munkarat wa hubbal masakin wa an taghfarali wa tarhamani wa idha aradata fitnatan fi qaumi fatawafani ghaira maftunin wa as'aluka hubbaka wa hubba man yuhibbuka wa hubba 'amalin yuqaribu ila hubbika "O Allah! I ask You for the means to do good, to avoid evil, and to love the poor, and I beseech You to forgive me and have mercy on me. When You subject my people to a trial, cause me to die without being affected by it. O Allah! I ask Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of all such actions that bring one closer to Your Love."(Narrated by Tirmidhi who said it is a good and sound hadith)

'Umar used to pray in these words: Allahumma kabirat sinni wa da'ufat quwwati wa anshrat ra'i-atifaqbidni ilaika ghaira mudayi' wa la mufaratti "O Allah! I have grown old, I have become weak, and my flock has spread far and wide. Therefore, O Allah, take me to You before I fall short of doing my duties or transgress my limits." This is reported by Malik.

It is permissible for a woman to mourn for a period of three days on the death of a near relative, provided that her husband does not object to her doing so. It is not permissible for her to mourn for more than three days, except in the case of her husband's death, when she is to mourn for four months and ten days, which is a legally prescribed period of waiting or "iddah". This is reported by the group, (The compilers of the six most reliable hadith books generally known as Sihah Sitta) except Tirmidhi. They report from Umm 'Atiyyah, that the Messenger of Allah said: "A woman should not mourn for any deceased person for more than three days, except in the case of her husband's death, which she may mourn for a period of four months and ten days. Such a woman (in mourning) is not to wear any (brightly) colored dress. She may wear only plain dress. During this period she should not use any adornment or eye makeup, nor wear any perfume, nor dye her hands and feet with henna, nor comb her hair, except at the end of her menstruation period, when she may use some cleaning or refreshing agents (such as perfume, etc. ) to get rid of any offensive smell left over from her period." Accordingly, when a widow mourns, she must not use any adornment, such as jewelry, kohl, 58 silk, perfume, or henna dye on her hands and feet. A widow must observe this waiting period in deference to her late husband's memory and to fulfill her obligations toward him.

Abdullah ibn Ja'far reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Prepare some food for the family of Ja'far, for what has befallen them is keeping them preoccupied." This is narrated by Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi, who grades it as a sound hadith.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, recommended this practice for it is an act of virtue and kindness and brings friends and neighbors closer to each other.

Ash-Shafi'i said: "It is recommended that the relatives of the deceased prepare enough food to feed all the deceased's family for one day and night, for it is the sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and a practice of good people."

The scholars hold it commendable to urge the deceased's family to eat so that their sorrow or excessive grief will not cause them to avoid food and thereby become weak. These scholars also hold that to offer food to the women while they are mourning loudly is not permissible, for it would be helping them in something sinful.

All the schools of Islamic law disapprove of the deceased's family preparing food for the people coming to pay their condolences, for it adds to their grief and further encumbers them unnecessarily. Such a practice would also resemble the custom of the Arabs before Islam. Referring to this practice, Jarir says: "(In those days) we considered it a part of mourning to assemble at the deceased's house and prepare food after burial for those gathered there." Some scholars consider this to be absolutely forbidden (haram).

Ibn Qudamah observes: 'It is permissible, however, when there is genuine need for it, since sometimes people attending the funeral may be from distant places, and they have to stay with the family of the deceased, in which case the family has to host such guests.

It is permissible for a woman to mourn for a period of three days on the death of a near relative, provided that her husband does not object to her doing so. It is not permissible for her to mourn for more than three days, except in the case of her husband's death, when she is to mourn for four months and ten days, which is a legally prescribed period of waiting or "iddah". This is reported by the group, (The compilers of the six most reliable hadith books generally known as Sihah Sitta) except Tirmidhi. They report from Umm 'Atiyyah, that the Messenger of Allah said: "A woman should not mourn for any deceased person for more than three days, except in the case of her husband's death, which she may mourn for a period of four months and ten days. Such a woman (in mourning) is not to wear any (brightly) colored dress. She may wear only plain dress. During this period she should not use any adornment or eye makeup, nor wear any perfume, nor dye her hands and feet with henna, nor comb her hair, except at the end of her menstruation period, when she may use some cleaning or refreshing agents (such as perfume, etc. ) to get rid of any offensive smell left over from her period." Accordingly, when a widow mourns, she must not use any adornment, such as jewelry, kohl, 58 silk, perfume, or henna dye on her hands and feet. A widow must observe this waiting period in deference to her late husband's memory and to fulfill her obligations toward him.

Abdullah ibn Ja'far reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Prepare some food for the family of Ja'far, for what has befallen them is keeping them preoccupied." This is narrated by Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi, who grades it as a sound hadith.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, recommended this practice for it is an act of virtue and kindness and brings friends and neighbors closer to each other.

Ash-Shafi'i said: "It is recommended that the relatives of the deceased prepare enough food to feed all the deceased's family for one day and night, for it is the sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and a practice of good people."

The scholars hold it commendable to urge the deceased's family to eat so that their sorrow or excessive grief will not cause them to avoid food and thereby become weak. These scholars also hold that to offer food to the women while they are mourning loudly is not permissible, for it would be helping them in something sinful.

All the schools of Islamic law disapprove of the deceased's family preparing food for the people coming to pay their condolences, for it adds to their grief and further encumbers them unnecessarily. Such a practice would also resemble the custom of the Arabs before Islam. Referring to this practice, Jarir says: "(In those days) we considered it a part of mourning to assemble at the deceased's house and prepare food after burial for those gathered there." Some scholars consider this to be absolutely forbidden (haram).

Ibn Qudamah observes: 'It is permissible, however, when there is genuine need for it, since sometimes people attending the funeral may be from distant places, and they have to stay with the family of the deceased, in which case the family has to host such guests.

The desire to die in either of the sanctuaries in Makkah and Madinah is commendable. Bukhari has reported on the authority of Hafsah that 'Umar said: "O Allah ! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and cause me to die in the city of Your Prophet, peace be upon him." Thereupon Hafsa asked him: "Why do you pray for such a thing?" He said: "Allah willing, I shall get what I have prayed for."

At-Tabarani reported on the authority of Jabir that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "He who dies in one of the two sanctuaries will be raised in peace on the Day of Resurrection." Among the narrators of this hadith are Musa ibn Abdul al-Rahman, who is mentioned as trustworthy by Ibn Hibban and Abdullah ibn al-Mu'amil. Ahmad regards the hadith as weak, while Ibn Hibban considers it sound.

Abu Daw'ud reported from 'Ubaid ibn Khalid al-Sullami, a companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him, that once he narrated from ' Ubaid and another time from the Prophet himself, peace be upon him, saying: "Being caught unawares by a sudden death is a grievous misfortune." This hadith has been reported by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Hurairah and 'Aishah, but all these narrations are weak for one or another reason. Al-Azdi says: This hadith has been reported through diverse chains of narrators, but none are reported on sound authority from the Prophet, peace be upon him.

Bukhari reported from Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "A Muslim who loses three of his children before they come of age will be brought to Paradise by Allah as a mercy to him for losing them."

Bukhari and Muslim reported from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that he said: "Some women asked the Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Appoint a (separate) day to (admonish) us.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, told them: 'If a (Muslim) woman's three children die, they will be a protection for her from Hell.' A woman asked him, 'And what if two of her children die?' He replied: 'And (even) if two of her children die'."

Wailing refers to mourning in a loud voice and crying in a high pitch, which was prohibited by the Prophet, peace be upon him, . Abu Malik alAsh'ari reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Four practices of the pre-Islamic days of Ignorance will continue to be practiced by my ummah: taking pride in one's parentage, giving a person a father other than his own genealogical father, believing that rain is caused by some stars, and wailing over the dead." He further said: "A (professional) mourner, unless she repents before her death, will be raised on the Day of Judgement wearing a garment of tar and an armor of blistering puss." This is narrated by Ahmad and Muslim.

Umm 'Atiyyah reports: "The Messenger of Allah made us pledge that we will not wail over (the dead)" (Bukhari and Muslim). Al-Bazzar has transmitted, through a sound chain of authorities the report that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Two sounds are accursed in this world and in the hereafter: the sound of wind instruments (to celebrate) good fortune, and of moaning aloud when afflicted with a misfortune."

Abu Musa is reported to have said: 'I declare my disavowal of all that Allah's Messenger disavowed. The Messenger of Allah disavowed publically a woman who mourns loudly, one who shaves her head, and one who tears her clothes in mourning" (Bukhari and Muslim).

Ahmad narrates from Anas that he said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, made the women pledge, while giving their allegiance to him, not to mourn loudly for the dead. Thereupon they asked him, 'O Messenger of Allah, some women helped us (in mourning our dead) during the pre-Islamic days. Should we (also in return) help them (in mourning their dead) now that we are Muslims? ' He replied: 'There is no such thing in Islam (i. e., helping each other to mourn the dead loudly)'."

It is sunnah to do the following when a person dies:

• Advise the dying person to say: "La ilaha illa-Allah" (there is no god but Allah). It is narrated on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Prompt your dying people to say: 'La ilaha illa-Allah'." (Muslim, Abu Daw'ud, Tirmidhi) Another report on the authority of Mu'adh ibn Jabal states that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "He whose last words are 'La ilaha illa- Allah' shall enter Paradise." (Narrated by Abu Daw'ud; Al-Hakim considers it a sound hadith)

This prompting (talqin) is necessary only when the dying person is unable to utter the shahadah (La ilaha illa- Allah . . . ). If such a person is able to utter these words then there is no need for prompting, but he should rather be advised to do so. Such advice is useful in cases of persons who are in possession of their faculties of reason and speech. If one is already mentally impaired such advice cannot be of benefit. But one who is unable to speak might say these words in his heart. The scholars are of the opinion that no pressure should be put on the dying person. So one should not say to him, "Say, 'La ilaha ill-Allah'," lest he should become annoyed and utter something improper. One may say the shahadah, however, in such a way that the dying person might be able to hear it and repeat it. If he utters it once, he should not be asked to repeat it unless he says some words after it. In such a case he should be asked to repeat shahadah to ensure that it be his last utterance.

Most scholars are of the opinion that one attending a dying person may repeat only the words: "La ilaha ill-Allah," according to the apparent meaning of the hadith. Others are of the opinion that the dying person should be prompted to utter the two testimonies (that is, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger"). The purpose is to remind him of the Oneness of Allah, which includes both of the two testimonies.

Ahmad reported that Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, peace be upon him, at the time of her death, turned toward the Ka'bah and placed her right hand under her head. This is the sleeping position recommended by the Prophet, peace be upon him, and in a grave, a dead body should also be placed in the same position. A report recorded from Ash-Shafi'i says: The body of the deceased should be laid flat on his back with his feet toward the Ka'bah, and his face raised a little, facing it. The majority of scholars, however favor the first position and hold it to be preferable.

Ibn Hibban observes: This hadith refers to the recitation of Ya Sin for those on the eve of death and not for those already dead. This interpretation is supported by Ahmad, who recorded in his Al-Musnad that Safwan states: "The most eminent scholars say: 'The recitation of Surah Ya Sin at the time of a person's death makes death easy for him'. "The compiler of Musnad al-Firdaus attributes this hadith to Abu ad-Darda and Abu Dharr. They both narrated: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'If any person is on his deathbed and Ya Sin is recited to him, Allah makes his suffering easier'."

There is a consensus among scholars regarding the permissibility of kissing a dead person. The Prophet, peace be upon him, kissed 'Uthman ibn Maz'un after his death. Similarly, when the Prophet died, Abu Bakr leaned over him and kissed him between his eyes saying: "O my Prophet! O my best friend! !"

The guardian of the deceased should wash, wrap, and arrange for the burial of the body soon after the funeral prayer for the deceased, because the body might deteriorate if burial is delayed. This is based on a report, recorded by Abu Daw'ud from al-Husayn ibn Wujuh that when Talhah ibn al-Bara fell ill, the Prophet, peace upon him, said: "I see that Talhah is on the verge of death. Inform me about him (when he passes away) and make immediate preparations for his burial, for a Muslim's remains should not be left long with his family after his death."

The burial may be delayed only for the guardian, provided no physical deterioration in the condition of the body is feared from such delay. Ahmad and Tirmidhi report on the authority of Ali ibn Abu Talib that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "O Ali, never delay three things: prayer when its time approaches, the funeral when death is confirmed, and marrying a widow or a divorcee when a suitable match is found for her."

This means that the judgement regarding a soul's salvation or perdition or its entry into Paradise is held in abeyance until its debts are fully paid off and settled. This applies to a person who leaves some property upon his death. His debt should be paid out of the property that he leaves behind. In the case of a person who dies in debt which he sincerely intended to pay, but has no property (nor leaves any behind to pay his debt), according to a confirmed report, his debt will be settled by Allah, the Exalted. Concerning a person who dies in debt with sufficient means to pay it and was willing to do so, but his heirs do not pay it, Bukhari records on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If anyone takes other people's money with the intention to repay it and then he or she should die without settling the debt, Allah will pay the debt on his behalf. And if anyone takes money or property (of others) with the intention of destroying it, Allah will destroy him."

A hadith recorded by Ahmad, Abu Nu'aym, Al-Bazzar, and At-Tabarani from the Prophet, peace be upon him, says: "The debtor will be summoned before Allah on the Day of Judgement. Then Allah will ask him: 'O Son of Adam ! Why did you incur debt and infringe on others ' rights? ' The man would reply: 'My Lord! You know I took it, but I neither abused nor lost it. It was stolen or bumed in a fire or lost its value.' Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, will say: 'My slave has told the truth, and I am more entitled (than anyone else) to settle his debt. Then Allah will issue a command and something will be placed on his scales causing his good deeds to outweigh his bad ones. And so, by Allah's Grace, he will enter Paradise'."

The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not perform funeral prayers for those who had died in debt. When, however, Allah the Almighty, granted him certain lands as a result of conquests, and the community's wealth increased, he offered funeral prayer for them and settled their debts.

Bukhari reports that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I am nearer to the believers than their own selves. So if someone dies leaving behind debt, but no wherewithal to settle it, we shall pay his debt, and if someone dies and leaves some estate behind him, it is for his heirs (to pay his debt)."

This hadith shows that the debt of a deceased Muslim may be paid from the public exchequer out of the zakah funds specified as the portion for the people in debt. This is one of the prescribed categories of zakah recipients. Death by itself does not annul one's debt or other responsibilities to the living.

The prerequisites for a funeral prayer are the same as for the obligatory prayers. Anyone intending to offer funeral prayer must be in a state of purity, be free from all minor and major impurities, must cover his or her "awrah," and stand facing the direction of the Ka'bah.

Malik reported from Nafi' that Abdullah Ibn 'Umar used to say: "One should not offer a funeral prayer unless he is in a state of purity."

The funeral prayer differs from the prescribed prayers in that there is no fixed time for offering it. It may be offered at any time, including the times when regular prayers may not be offered. This is the opinion of the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools. Ahmad, Ibn Al-Mubarak, and Ishaq dislike offering a funeral prayer at sunrise, at noon when the sun is at its zenith, and at dusk when the sun is about to set, except in cases when it is feared that if delayed, the body might decompose.

Certain requirements must be met for a valid funeral prayer, and failure to meet any of these may invalidate the prayer. These requirements are given below:

• Intention

The real intention is what is in the heart, and its verbal utterance is not legally required. Allah says in the Qur'an: "And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true in (faith)." Qur'an 98.5 And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Verily, all deeds (of a person) will be judged in the light of the intentions behind them, and every person will attain what he intends."

The majority of scholars regard it as an essential condition for a valid funeral prayer to stand while praying if one is physically able to do so. A funeral prayer offered while sitting or riding, without any valid excuse, is not valid.

It is reported in Al-Mughni "It is not permissible for one to offer a funeral prayer while riding, as in this case an essential condition - standing while praying - would be missing." This is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Ash-Shafi'i, and Abu Thaur. There is no difference on this point. It is preferable to put one's hands together, placing the right on the left, as is done in the prescribed regular prayer. Some disagree, but in our view it is better and preferable.

This is based on a report transmitted by both Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Jabir who said: "Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayers for Najashi (Negus) and said four takbirs. (That is, he said Allahu akbar four times)

Tirmidhi said: Most of the learned Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and others followed and acted in accordance with the above example of the Prophet. They hold that four takbirs should be said in a funeral prayer. Among these scholars are Sufyan, Malik, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq.

Anyone sentenced to death by an Islamic court is to be washed and a funeral prayer should be offered for him. This is based on a report by Bukhari that Jabir said: "A man from the tribe of Aslam came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and confessed to fornication. The Prophet, peace be upon him, tried to avoid him four times, while the man repeated his testimony against himself. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked the man: 'Are you mad?' The man said, 'No.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him, 'Are you married?' He said, 'Yes.' Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered that the man be stoned to death. He was stoned to death at the place where ( 'Eid prayer) used to be offered. When the stones struck the man, he tried to run away, but was overtaken and killed. After his death, the Prophet, peace be upon him, spoke well of him, and offered funeral prayer for him. Ahmad said: "We know of no cases where the Prophet, peace be upon him, refused to offer funeral prayer for any one except in cases of one convicted of embezzlement (of zakat funds) and a person who committed suicide."

The majority of Muslim scholars are of the opinion that a funeral prayer may be offered for a person who is convicted of embezzlement of public funds, or commits suicide or some similarly sinful act.

An-Nawawi said: "Al-Qadi said: 'All Muslim scholars hold that a funeral prayer be offered for all Muslims - those sentenced to death under Islamic law, or stoned to death, or those who committed suicide, or were born out of wedlock. The reports about the Prophet, peace be upon him, not praying for embezzlers and those guilty of suicide may be explained perhaps by considering such refusal to be a form of reprimand to these people. This is similar to his practice of refusing to pray for those who died in debt, though he asked other Muslims to offer the funeral prayer for them'."

Ibn Hazm said: "Funeral prayer should be offered for all Muslims, whether good or bad, including those sentenced to death and those that die fighting or in revolt. The imam, or any one other than him, may lead the funeral prayers. Likewise funeral prayers should be said for an innovator, provided his innovation does not become blasphemy, and prayer may also be said for one who commits suicide or kills some one else. A funeral prayer may be offered in all such cases even though the deceased might have been the most evil person on the face of the earth, provided he dies as a Muslim. This is based on a hadith from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that has a general bearing. "Offer a funeral prayer for your friend (a fellow Muslim)," he is reported to have said on the death of a Muslim. All Muslims are friends to one another. The Qur'an says: "Verily! The believers are but a single brotherhood" Qur'an 49.10 and "The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another." Qur'an 9.71

To prevent others from offering funeral prayers over a Muslim is a most serious thing, for surely a sinful Muslim is more in need of prayers from his Muslim brothers than a pious and saintly person!

An authentic hadith records that a man died in Khayber, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Offer a funeral prayer for your friend. He has stolen something of the war booty." The Muslims searched the deceased's personal effects and found less than two dirham worth of beads in them.

In another sahih hadith 'Ata reported that a funeral prayer may be offered for an illegitimate child, and his mother, and for those who curse each other, (In cases of Lu'an, for instance, when in the absence of any evidence of a spouse's adultery both the man and wife are required to swear an oath that he/she is telling the truth or face being cursed by Allah if they were lying) as well as the person who is killed in requital, and the person stoned to death, and the person who flees from the battlefield and is put to death for it. ' Ata said: "I will never abstain from offering a funeral prayer for a person who says: 'I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah.' Allah says: 'It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe to pray for forgiveness for pagans, even though they be of kin, after it is clear that they are companions of the Fire'.'' Qur'an 9.113

Another authentic hadith says that Ibrahim An-Nakh'i said: "Our predecessors never eschewed attending a funeral prayer for any Muslim. They offered the funeral prayer for those who had committed suicide, and it is a sunnah to offer funeral prayer for those who are stoned to death." In another sound hadith Qatadah reported: "I do not know of any scholar who refused to offer a funeral prayer for anyone witnessing that 'there is no god but Allah'." Ibn Sirin, according to a sahih hadith, said: "I do not know of any Muslim who considers it a sin to offer a funeral prayer for another Muslim."

Abu Ghalib reported: "I asked Abu Amamah Al-Bahili: 'What if a man is known to drink liquor. Should a funeral prayer be offered for him? ' He said: 'Yes, for he might [at least] once in his life, while lying down for rest, have said: "There is no deity but Allah," and he might have been forgiven by Allah' ." In a sahih hadith Al-Hasan is reported to have said: "Funeral prayer will be offered for all those who declare 'There is no deity but Allah. ' It will be offered for all Muslims; for it is an act of intercession on behalf of the deceased."

A Muslim may not pray for a non-believer, for Allah says: "Nor do you ever pray for any of them that dies, nor stand at his grave, for they rejected Allah and His Messenger," Qur'an 9.84 "It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe to pray for forgiveness for pagans, even though they be of kin, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire. And Ibrahim prayed for his father's forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he (his father) was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him." Qur'an 9.113-l14

Likewise no prayer may be offered for their children, for what applies to their parents applies to them as well, except for children who accept Islam, because one of their parents was a Muslim or they die or are taken prisoner separately from either or both of their parents, then a funeral prayer may be offered for the children.

It is permissible to offer funeral prayer for a deceased anytime after his burial, even if a prayer was offered prior to his burial. As mentioned above, the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud after eight years. Zaid ibn Thabit reported: "Once we went out with the Prophet, peace be upon him . When we reached al-Baqi ' (Famous cemetery in Madinah, where a large number of the Prophet's companions are buried) we noticed a newly dug grave. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked about it and was told that was the grave of such and such a woman. At this he said: 'Why did you not inform me of her death?' They replied, 'O Prophet of Allah! You were fasting and were resting at the time and we did not want to bother you. ' He said: 'Do not do that again. So long as I am with you, make sure you inform me when any one among you dies, for my prayers for the deceased is a mercy for them.' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to the grave. We stood in rows behind him and he offered a funeral prayer for her with four takbirs." This hadith has been reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, Al-Baihaqi, Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban. The last two reporters regard it as a sound hadith.

Tirmidhi said: This has been the practice of most of the scholars, the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them), as well as others. Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq hold the same view. This hadith also shows that the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayer at a grave when a funeral prayer had already been offered by his Companions for the deceased before her burial, for they could not bury her without a funeral prayer. From this hadith it is also obvious that praying for the dead (before the burial) was a common practice of the Companions, and was not limited only to the Prophet, peace be upon him.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "These proven traditions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, do not contradict the sound hadith that reports the statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Do not sit by the graves, or offer prayer facing them.' This is a sound hadith that bids us not to sit or pray at the graves. What is forbidden is to offer formal prayer (salah) facing a grave. Offering a funeral prayer at the grave is not forbidden, for funeral prayer does not have to be offered at any specific place. It is rather better offered outside a mosque than inside it. The funeral prayer at the grave is similar to offering it beside the coffin. In either case the prayer is offered for the deceased, and his body, whether it is in the coffin or in the grave, remains in the same position. Offering prayers other than funeral prayers are forbidden at graves, for there is a risk that this may tum these graveyards into mosques, against which the Prophet, peace be upon him, wamed us. He cursed those who tum graves into places of worship, saying: 'Some evil people will be overtaken by the Day of Judgement, including those (evil people) who tum graves into mosques.' This warning has no bearing on an act that the Prophet, peace be upon him, repeatedly perfommed. "

A person who misses a part of a funeral prayer should make up the missed takbirs--making them consecutively. This is preferable, but if he cannot do it there is no harm. Ibn 'Umar, Al-Hasan, Ayyub Al-Sukhtiani, and Al-Awza'i are of the opinion that such a person is not required to repeat the missed takbirs, and he should finish his prayer with the salutations led by the imam.

Ahmad said: "If he cannot make the missed takbirs, there is no harm." The author of Al-Mughni prefers this opinion and remarks: "It is supported by a saying of Ibn ' Umar and there is nothing on record from the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) to contradict it. It is reported by 'Aishah that she said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, "O Allah's Messenger, sometimes when I offer a funeral prayer, I cannot hear some of the takbirs by the imam?" He replied: "Say the takbir that you hear and do not worry about the ones that you miss. You do not have to repeat these later on." This statement is quite explicit. These are consecutive--uninterrupted--takbirs and, if missed, they need not be repeated like the ones in the 'Eid prayer.

There is a consensus among the jurists that funeral prayer is offered for all Muslims, male or female, and young or old. Ibn Al-Mundhir said: "The scholars are in agreement that if it is established that an infant is born alive, that is, by his crying, sneezing, or moving etc., then, if it dies, a funeral prayer should be offered for it."

Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "One may ride one's mount behind the funeral, and walk on foot a little ahead of it or to its right or left. A funeral prayer should be offered for an aborted baby, seeking for his parents the mercy and forgiveness of Allah." This is reported by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud. Another narration reads: "A person on foot may walk behind a funeral, or ahead of it, or on its left side or right side or still nearer to it." According to another report, "A rider should ride behind the funeral, whereas one on foot may walk anywhere. And a funeral prayer should be offered for a child." This is reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, and Tirmidhi, who consider it a sound hadith.

A miscarried fetus, less than four months old, may not be washed, nor may a funeral prayer be offered for it. It should be wrapped in a piece of cloth and buried. The majority of jurists are in agreement on this point.

On the other hand, if a miscarried fetus is four months old or older, and the existence of life in it is established, then there is a consensus that it should be washed and a funeral prayer offered for it. But if its life is not established by its movements or other evidence, then according to Malik, Al-Awza'i, AlHasan, and the Hanafi school, funeral prayer may not be offered for it. They base their opinion on a hadith transmitted by Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Jabir that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If in a miscarried fetus life is established by its movements, a funeral prayer should be offered for it, and it is entitled to its share of inheritance." According to this hadith offering a funeral prayer for a miscarried fetus is conditioned upon proof of its life evident in signs of life, such as its movement, etc.

Ahmad, Sa' id, Ibn Sirin, and Ishaq are of the opinion that in the light of the above hadith, a miscarried fetus may be washed and a funeral prayer may be offered for it. The words used in this hadith are "a funeral prayer should be offered for a miscarried fetus" because it has a soul and is alive. The Prophet, peace be upon him, informed us that a fetus receives a soul when it is four months old. Others refute this argument with the assertion that there is confusion in the chain of narrators of this hadith, and besides, a stronger hadith contradicts it. But this alone does not constitute a valid argument.

A Muslim may not pray for a non-believer, for Allah says: "Nor do you ever pray for any of them that dies, nor stand at his grave, for they rejected Allah and His Messenger," Qur'an 9.84 "It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe to pray for forgiveness for pagans, even though they be of kin, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire. And Ibrahim prayed for his father's forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he (his father) was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him." Qur'an 9.113-l14

Likewise no prayer may be offered for their children, for what applies to their parents applies to them as well, except for children who accept Islam, because one of their parents was a Muslim or they die or are taken prisoner separately from either or both of their parents, then a funeral prayer may be offered for the children.

It is permissible to offer funeral prayer for a deceased anytime after his burial, even if a prayer was offered prior to his burial. As mentioned above, the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud after eight years. Zaid ibn Thabit reported: "Once we went out with the Prophet, peace be upon him . When we reached al-Baqi ' (Famous cemetery in Madinah, where a large number of the Prophet's companions are buried) we noticed a newly dug grave. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked about it and was told that was the grave of such and such a woman. At this he said: 'Why did you not inform me of her death?' They replied, 'O Prophet of Allah! You were fasting and were resting at the time and we did not want to bother you. ' He said: 'Do not do that again. So long as I am with you, make sure you inform me when any one among you dies, for my prayers for the deceased is a mercy for them.' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to the grave. We stood in rows behind him and he offered a funeral prayer for her with four takbirs." This hadith has been reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, Al-Baihaqi, Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban. The last two reporters regard it as a sound hadith.

Tirmidhi said: This has been the practice of most of the scholars, the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them), as well as others. Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq hold the same view. This hadith also shows that the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayer at a grave when a funeral prayer had already been offered by his Companions for the deceased before her burial, for they could not bury her without a funeral prayer. From this hadith it is also obvious that praying for the dead (before the burial) was a common practice of the Companions, and was not limited only to the Prophet, peace be upon him.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "These proven traditions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, do not contradict the sound hadith that reports the statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Do not sit by the graves, or offer prayer facing them.' This is a sound hadith that bids us not to sit or pray at the graves. What is forbidden is to offer formal prayer (salah) facing a grave. Offering a funeral prayer at the grave is not forbidden, for funeral prayer does not have to be offered at any specific place. It is rather better offered outside a mosque than inside it. The funeral prayer at the grave is similar to offering it beside the coffin. In either case the prayer is offered for the deceased, and his body, whether it is in the coffin or in the grave, remains in the same position. Offering prayers other than funeral prayers are forbidden at graves, for there is a risk that this may tum these graveyards into mosques, against which the Prophet, peace be upon him, wamed us. He cursed those who tum graves into places of worship, saying: 'Some evil people will be overtaken by the Day of Judgement, including those (evil people) who tum graves into mosques.' This warning has no bearing on an act that the Prophet, peace be upon him, repeatedly perfommed. "

A person who misses a part of a funeral prayer should make up the missed takbirs--making them consecutively. This is preferable, but if he cannot do it there is no harm. Ibn 'Umar, Al-Hasan, Ayyub Al-Sukhtiani, and Al-Awza'i are of the opinion that such a person is not required to repeat the missed takbirs, and he should finish his prayer with the salutations led by the imam.

Ahmad said: "If he cannot make the missed takbirs, there is no harm." The author of Al-Mughni prefers this opinion and remarks: "It is supported by a saying of Ibn ' Umar and there is nothing on record from the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) to contradict it. It is reported by 'Aishah that she said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, "O Allah's Messenger, sometimes when I offer a funeral prayer, I cannot hear some of the takbirs by the imam?" He replied: "Say the takbir that you hear and do not worry about the ones that you miss. You do not have to repeat these later on." This statement is quite explicit. These are consecutive--uninterrupted--takbirs and, if missed, they need not be repeated like the ones in the 'Eid prayer.

There is a consensus among the jurists that funeral prayer is offered for all Muslims, male or female, and young or old. Ibn Al-Mundhir said: "The scholars are in agreement that if it is established that an infant is born alive, that is, by his crying, sneezing, or moving etc., then, if it dies, a funeral prayer should be offered for it."

Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "One may ride one's mount behind the funeral, and walk on foot a little ahead of it or to its right or left. A funeral prayer should be offered for an aborted baby, seeking for his parents the mercy and forgiveness of Allah." This is reported by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud. Another narration reads: "A person on foot may walk behind a funeral, or ahead of it, or on its left side or right side or still nearer to it." According to another report, "A rider should ride behind the funeral, whereas one on foot may walk anywhere. And a funeral prayer should be offered for a child." This is reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, and Tirmidhi, who consider it a sound hadith.

A miscarried fetus, less than four months old, may not be washed, nor may a funeral prayer be offered for it. It should be wrapped in a piece of cloth and buried. The majority of jurists are in agreement on this point.

On the other hand, if a miscarried fetus is four months old or older, and the existence of life in it is established, then there is a consensus that it should be washed and a funeral prayer offered for it. But if its life is not established by its movements or other evidence, then according to Malik, Al-Awza'i, AlHasan, and the Hanafi school, funeral prayer may not be offered for it. They base their opinion on a hadith transmitted by Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Jabir that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If in a miscarried fetus life is established by its movements, a funeral prayer should be offered for it, and it is entitled to its share of inheritance." According to this hadith offering a funeral prayer for a miscarried fetus is conditioned upon proof of its life evident in signs of life, such as its movement, etc.

Ahmad, Sa' id, Ibn Sirin, and Ishaq are of the opinion that in the light of the above hadith, a miscarried fetus may be washed and a funeral prayer may be offered for it. The words used in this hadith are "a funeral prayer should be offered for a miscarried fetus" because it has a soul and is alive. The Prophet, peace be upon him, informed us that a fetus receives a soul when it is four months old. Others refute this argument with the assertion that there is confusion in the chain of narrators of this hadith, and besides, a stronger hadith contradicts it. But this alone does not constitute a valid argument.

A person who misses a part of a funeral prayer should make up the missed takbirs--making them consecutively. This is preferable, but if he cannot do it there is no harm. Ibn 'Umar, Al-Hasan, Ayyub Al-Sukhtiani, and Al-Awza'i are of the opinion that such a person is not required to repeat the missed takbirs, and he should finish his prayer with the salutations led by the imam.

Ahmad said: "If he cannot make the missed takbirs, there is no harm." The author of Al-Mughni prefers this opinion and remarks: "It is supported by a saying of Ibn ' Umar and there is nothing on record from the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) to contradict it. It is reported by 'Aishah that she said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, "O Allah's Messenger, sometimes when I offer a funeral prayer, I cannot hear some of the takbirs by the imam?" He replied: "Say the takbir that you hear and do not worry about the ones that you miss. You do not have to repeat these later on." This statement is quite explicit. These are consecutive--uninterrupted--takbirs and, if missed, they need not be repeated like the ones in the 'Eid prayer.

There is a consensus among the jurists that funeral prayer is offered for all Muslims, male or female, and young or old. Ibn Al-Mundhir said: "The scholars are in agreement that if it is established that an infant is born alive, that is, by his crying, sneezing, or moving etc., then, if it dies, a funeral prayer should be offered for it."

Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "One may ride one's mount behind the funeral, and walk on foot a little ahead of it or to its right or left. A funeral prayer should be offered for an aborted baby, seeking for his parents the mercy and forgiveness of Allah." This is reported by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud. Another narration reads: "A person on foot may walk behind a funeral, or ahead of it, or on its left side or right side or still nearer to it." According to another report, "A rider should ride behind the funeral, whereas one on foot may walk anywhere. And a funeral prayer should be offered for a child." This is reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, and Tirmidhi, who consider it a sound hadith.

A miscarried fetus, less than four months old, may not be washed, nor may a funeral prayer be offered for it. It should be wrapped in a piece of cloth and buried. The majority of jurists are in agreement on this point.

On the other hand, if a miscarried fetus is four months old or older, and the existence of life in it is established, then there is a consensus that it should be washed and a funeral prayer offered for it. But if its life is not established by its movements or other evidence, then according to Malik, Al-Awza'i, AlHasan, and the Hanafi school, funeral prayer may not be offered for it. They base their opinion on a hadith transmitted by Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Jabir that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If in a miscarried fetus life is established by its movements, a funeral prayer should be offered for it, and it is entitled to its share of inheritance." According to this hadith offering a funeral prayer for a miscarried fetus is conditioned upon proof of its life evident in signs of life, such as its movement, etc.

Ahmad, Sa' id, Ibn Sirin, and Ishaq are of the opinion that in the light of the above hadith, a miscarried fetus may be washed and a funeral prayer may be offered for it. The words used in this hadith are "a funeral prayer should be offered for a miscarried fetus" because it has a soul and is alive. The Prophet, peace be upon him, informed us that a fetus receives a soul when it is four months old. Others refute this argument with the assertion that there is confusion in the chain of narrators of this hadith, and besides, a stronger hadith contradicts it. But this alone does not constitute a valid argument.

• Make sure that you meet all the requirements for a formal prayer (salah);
• Stand up with the intention of supplicating for the deceased;
• Raise both hands with a takbir (takbirat al ihram);
• Fold your right hand over your left hand;
• Commence the funeral prayer with the (silent) recitation of Al-Fatihah.
• After Al-Fatihah say another takbir,
• Offer salutations to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and end with a takbir.
• Now supplicate for the deceased, and end with a takbir.
• Make a general supplication.
• End the prayer with salutations (to the right and to the left side).

It is sunnah for the imam to stand opposite the head of a male body, and opposite the middle of a female body. This is based on a hadith reported from Anas that he offered a funeral prayer for a male standing opposite his head. As soon as the body of the man was removed, a female body was brought in for funeral prayer. He led the prayer standing opposite the middle of her body. Thereupon he was asked, "Did the Prophet, peace be upon him, stand where you stood in the cases of a man and a woman?" He answered: "Yes." This is narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi, who regards it as a sound hadith. Al-Tahawi said: This is the most preferred position, because it is supported by other reports from Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him.

If there are a number of bodies, including both male and female, they should be placed in separate rows, between the imam and the direction of the Ka'abah, with the best among them nearer to the imam, and a single funeral prayer may be offered for all of them.

If the deceased include both male and female, a separate prayer for each may be offered. But it is also permissible to offer one prayer for all of them at once. In such a case the male should be placed immediately before the Imam and then the female in the direction of the Qiblah.

It is reported by Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar that he offered a funeral prayer for nine of the deceased, males and females. He placed the males closest to the imam and then the females in the direction of the Qiblah. He placed all of them in one row. The funeral of Umm Kulthum, daughter of 'Ali and the wife of 'Umar, and her son called Zaid, was led by Sa'id ibn al-'As, and among the people attending this funeral were Ibn Abbas, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id and Abu Qatadah. The little boy was placed before the imam. A man said: "I do not like this arrangement, and looked towards Ibn 'Abbas, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id and Abu Qatadah, and said to them: "What is this?" They replied: "This is the sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him,. This was narrated by Nasa'i and Al-Baihaqi, and Al-Hafiz says its chain of authorities is sound.

Another hadith says that if a funeral prayer is offered for a child together with a woman, the boy should be placed nearer the imam and the woman next to it in the direction of the Qiblah. And if there are men, women and children, then the children should be placed next to the men.

• Make sure that you meet all the requirements for a formal prayer (salah);
• Stand up with the intention of supplicating for the deceased;
• Raise both hands with a takbir (takbirat al ihram);
• Fold your right hand over your left hand;
• Commence the funeral prayer with the (silent) recitation of Al-Fatihah.
• After Al-Fatihah say another takbir,
• Offer salutations to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and end with a takbir.
• Now supplicate for the deceased, and end with a takbir.
• Make a general supplication.
• End the prayer with salutations (to the right and to the left side).

It is sunnah for the imam to stand opposite the head of a male body, and opposite the middle of a female body. This is based on a hadith reported from Anas that he offered a funeral prayer for a male standing opposite his head. As soon as the body of the man was removed, a female body was brought in for funeral prayer. He led the prayer standing opposite the middle of her body. Thereupon he was asked, "Did the Prophet, peace be upon him, stand where you stood in the cases of a man and a woman?" He answered: "Yes." This is narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi, who regards it as a sound hadith. Al-Tahawi said: This is the most preferred position, because it is supported by other reports from Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him.

If there are a number of bodies, including both male and female, they should be placed in separate rows, between the imam and the direction of the Ka'abah, with the best among them nearer to the imam, and a single funeral prayer may be offered for all of them.

If the deceased include both male and female, a separate prayer for each may be offered. But it is also permissible to offer one prayer for all of them at once. In such a case the male should be placed immediately before the Imam and then the female in the direction of the Qiblah.

It is reported by Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar that he offered a funeral prayer for nine of the deceased, males and females. He placed the males closest to the imam and then the females in the direction of the Qiblah. He placed all of them in one row. The funeral of Umm Kulthum, daughter of 'Ali and the wife of 'Umar, and her son called Zaid, was led by Sa'id ibn al-'As, and among the people attending this funeral were Ibn Abbas, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id and Abu Qatadah. The little boy was placed before the imam. A man said: "I do not like this arrangement, and looked towards Ibn 'Abbas, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id and Abu Qatadah, and said to them: "What is this?" They replied: "This is the sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him,. This was narrated by Nasa'i and Al-Baihaqi, and Al-Hafiz says its chain of authorities is sound.

Another hadith says that if a funeral prayer is offered for a child together with a woman, the boy should be placed nearer the imam and the woman next to it in the direction of the Qiblah. And if there are men, women and children, then the children should be placed next to the men.

Jurists differ as to the most worthy person to lead a funeral prayer. Some said: "The most appropriate person is the legal guardian of the deceased, then the (Muslim) ruler, then the father of the deceased, grandfather, or great grandfather, then the son or the grandson, then the one closest in relationship. This is the opinion of the Maliki and Hanbali schools. Others said: The best person is the father, then the grandfather, then the son, then the grandson, then the brother, then the nephew, then the paternal uncle, and then his son in accordance with their blood ties with the deceased. This is the opinion of AshShafi'i and Abu Yusaf. Abu Hanifah and Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan, however, are of the opinion that the preferred order is the (Muslim) ruler if present at the funeral, then the judge, then the imam of the locality, then the guardian of a deceased woman, then the nearest blood relative. Of the blood relatives, if both father and his son are present, the father should be given precedence.

A certain etiquette is recommended while walking in a funeral procession or carrying a coffin:

• Carrying a coffin and accompanying it to the graveyard is recommended. According to the sunnah it is preferable to go all around the coffin while carrying it. Ibn Majah, Al-Baihaqi, and Abu Daw'ud At-Tayalisi report that Ibn Mas'ud said: "If one walks in a funeral procession and carries the coffin, one should do so from all the sides of the coffin, for this is a sunnah of Prophet, peace be upon him." But this is optional. Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Visit the sick, and follow the funeral procession, for it will (help) remind you of the Hereafter." This was narrated by Ahmad with a sound chain of narrators.
• A funeral procession must proceed at a fast pace. The group reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Walk briskly while carrying a coffin, for if the deceased is righteous, you would be taking it to something better, and if he or she is an evil person, then you will be getting him or her off your necks." Ahmad, Nasa'i, and others reported that Abu Bakrah said: "If you had seen us following a funeral procession along with the Prophet, peace be upon him, you would have thought that we were jogging." Bukhari reported in his book on History that, when Sa'd ibn Mua'dh died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, walked at such a fast pace behind his funeral that our shoes came apart."

The author of Al-Fath said: "In short, it is preferable to walk fast in a funeral, but this should not harm or affect the coffin or put to hardship those carrying the coffin or following it, because that would defeat the Islamic goal of promoting hygiene and avoiding placing undue hardship on other Muslims." Al-Qurtubi said: "This hadith means that people should not delay the burial, because such a delay is often the result of arrogance and vanity.

The Hanafi school holds that walking behind a funeral is preferable, as is indicated from the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, concerning following a funeral.

Anas ibn Malik is of the opinion that one may walk anywhere in a funeral procession, as mentioned above in the hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "A rider should ride behind the funeral, whereas one on foot may walk behind it, or in front of it, or to its right side or left side, or close to it." Apparently there is no hard or fast rule in this regard, and the difference of opinion in this regard is quite legitimate.

Abdur Rahman ibn Abza reported that Abu Bakr and 'Umar used to walk in front of a funeral, while 'Ali walked behind it. When told that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were walking in front of the funeral, 'Ali remarked: "They both know that walking behind a funeral is better than walking in front of it, just as the prayer of a person in congregation (jama'ah) is better than the prayer of one offering it alone. But Abu Bakr and 'Umar did so in order to make it easy for others." This was narrated by Al-Baihaqi and Ibn Abu Shaibah. Al-Hafiz said its chain of authorities is sound.

Riding behind the funeral, without a valid excuse, is disliked in the opinion of the majority of scholars. Doing so after the burial, is not disliked, however, and is quite acceptable, as indicated by a hadith narrated by Thawban, which says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was brought a mount to ride during a funeral, but he declined. But, when he returned after the burial and was offered a mount, he rode on it. They asked him about this (why he declined to mount during the funeral procession) and he replied: "Verily, the angels were walking with the funeral, so I did not like to ride while the angels were walking. But, when the angels left, I rode the mount." This was narrated by Abu Daw'ud, Al-Baihaqi, and Al-Hakim, who said this hadith is sound according to the criterion of Muslim and Bukhari. Tirmidhi narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, walked with the funeral of Ibn Ad-Dahdah, but on his way back he rode on horseback. According to Tirmidhi this is a sound hadith.

This hadith does not contradict the other hadith in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said: "A rider must stay behind a funeral," since this may imp!y that such an act is disliked, though permissible. The Hanafi school holds that there is no harm in riding, although it is better to walk unless for some valid reason one is unable to do so. And in light of the above hadith a rider should stay behind the funeral procession. Al-Khattabi said: "I know of no difference of opinion amongst scholars on the point that a rider should stay behind a funeral procession."

The prerequisites for a funeral prayer are the same as for the obligatory prayers. Anyone intending to offer funeral prayer must be in a state of purity, be free from all minor and major impurities, must cover his or her "awrah," and stand facing the direction of the Ka'bah.

Malik reported from Nafi' that Abdullah Ibn 'Umar used to say: "One should not offer a funeral prayer unless he is in a state of purity."

The funeral prayer differs from the prescribed prayers in that there is no fixed time for offering it. It may be offered at any time, including the times when regular prayers may not be offered. This is the opinion of the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools. Ahmad, Ibn Al-Mubarak, and Ishaq dislike offering a funeral prayer at sunrise, at noon when the sun is at its zenith, and at dusk when the sun is about to set, except in cases when it is feared that if delayed, the body might decompose.

Certain requirements must be met for a valid funeral prayer, and failure to meet any of these may invalidate the prayer. These requirements are given below:

• Intention

The real intention is what is in the heart, and its verbal utterance is not legally required. Allah says in the Qur'an: "And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true in (faith)." Qur'an 98.5 And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Verily, all deeds (of a person) will be judged in the light of the intentions behind them, and every person will attain what he intends."

The majority of scholars regard it as an essential condition for a valid funeral prayer to stand while praying if one is physically able to do so. A funeral prayer offered while sitting or riding, without any valid excuse, is not valid.

It is reported in Al-Mughni "It is not permissible for one to offer a funeral prayer while riding, as in this case an essential condition - standing while praying - would be missing." This is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Ash-Shafi'i, and Abu Thaur. There is no difference on this point. It is preferable to put one's hands together, placing the right on the left, as is done in the prescribed regular prayer. Some disagree, but in our view it is better and preferable.

This is based on a report transmitted by both Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Jabir who said: "Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayers for Najashi (Negus) and said four takbirs. (That is, he said Allahu akbar four times)

Tirmidhi said: Most of the learned Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and others followed and acted in accordance with the above example of the Prophet. They hold that four takbirs should be said in a funeral prayer. Among these scholars are Sufyan, Malik, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq.

The author of Al-Mughni said: "If one sees or hears something that is forbidden while attending a funeral, and one is capable of countering and rectifying it, one should do so. If not, then one may do one of two things: voice his disapproval of it, and continue with the funeral which will free one from any responsibility of any such disapproved acts, without abandoning the good for the bad. The second course open to a person in such a case is to leave the funeral procession, especially when one is able to leave it, so that one's continued participation will not lead one to hear or see a forbidden thing."

Umm 'Atiyah reported: "We were forbidden to accompany funeral processions, but this prohibition was not mandatory for us." (Reported by Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim &

Muhammad ibn Al-Hanafiyyah reported that 'Ali said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, went out and saw a group of women sitting outside. When he asked them why they were sitting there, they told him that they were waiting for the funeral procession. He asked them: 'Are you going to wash the body?' They said: 'No.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked them: 'Are you going to carry the coffin?' They said: 'No.' He asked them: 'Will you place the body in the grave?' They said: 'No.' At this he said to them: 'Then go back to your homes with your sins and without gaining any reward." (Reported by Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim. But one of its narrators is Dinar ibn 'Omar, who is not reliable. Abu Hatim says he is not well known, Azdi describes him as matruk (unacceptable), and Al-Khalili in his Al-Irshad calls him "a liar.") Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Umar, Abu Amamah, 'Aishah, Masruq, Al-Hasan, An-Nakh'i, Awza'i, Ishaq, and the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools hold this view. They all disapprove the participation of women in funeral processions. According to Malik, it is not disliked for an old woman to leave her home to attend a funeral. In his opinion, a young woman afflicted by the death of a dear one may also accompany a funeral procession without any disapproval, provided she is well covered and her presence does not cause any temptation.

Ibn Hazm contends that the argument put forth by the majority of scholars is not sound, and that it is permissible for women to accompany funeral processions. He said: "We do not disapprove of women attending a funeral procession, nor do we prevent them from doing so. Among the traditions reported on this subject there is no authentic hadith. There are either mursal (Mursal: Report of a successor (tab'i) directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion who might have heard it directly) or majhul (unknown) or such as cannot be presented as an argument." Then he mentions the hadith by Umm 'Atiyyah and says: "Even if it were a sound hadith it does not prove prohibition, but merely shows that it is disliked. In fact the reverse is true if we take into account the hadith narrated by Shu'bah on the authority of Waki', who in turn narrated it from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, who heard it from Wahab ibn Kaysan, who heard it from Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn 'Ata who reported it from Abu Hurairah that once when the Prophet, peace be upon him, attended a funeral, 'Umar saw a woman there and yelled at her. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Leave her, O 'Umar! Verily her eyes shed tears, the soul feels the pangs, and the promised hour is near." (The chain of authorities of this hadith is sound) In a sound hadith it is reported from Ibn 'Abbas that he did not regard it as a disliked act.

While accompanying a funeral procession, it is disliked to:

• Recite or raise one's voice or any similar activity.
• Carrying torches of fire in a funeral procession.
• Sitting down, when one is following a funeral before those carrying the coffin put it down.
• Remain seated when a funeral procession passes by.
• Permit women to accompany a funeral procession.

Sa'id ibn Al-Musaib, Sa'id ibn Jubair, Al-Hasan, An-Nakh'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq did not like it when anyone from the rear of the funeral procession exhorted others to pray for forgiveness of the deceased. Al-Awza'i said: This is a bid'a (innovation in religion). Fudhail ibn 'Amr said: "Once, while Ibn 'Umar was present at a funeral, he heard someone from behind saying: 'Pray for Allah's forgiveness for the deceased. May Allah forgive him.' Ibn 'Umar said: 'May Allah not forgive you'."

An-Nawawi said: "You should know that the right manner of accompanying a funeral procession is to remain quiet, as the pious among the previous generations of Muslims did. One should not raise one's voice for recitation or for the remembrance of Allah, or for anything else. Keeping quiet is better and is helpful in concentrating one's attention on the funeral rites, which is needed at that time. This is the correct position, and the fact that a large number of people do otherwise does not change it. There is a consensus among scholars that the way ignorant people recite in the funeral processions, artificially prolonging sounds of various words and mixing them up, is forbidden.

Mohammad 'Abduh issued a verdict concerning raising one ' s voice for the remembrance of Allah while following the funeral procession, in which he said: "In reference to the raising of one's voice in a funeral procession for remembrance of Allah, we find in Al-Fath, under the chapter on "Funerals," that it is disliked for a person walking in front of a funeral procession to make such remembrance loudly. If one wants to make any remembrance, one may do it in one's heart. Loud remembrance is something quite new, and there is no precedent for it from the days of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions, or from the generation following them or their Successors. Such a practice must be discouraged and stopped."

These are forbidden as they are vestiges of the Days of Ignorance. Ibn Al-Mundhir said: "This practice is disliked by all men of knowledge and scholars on record. Al-Baihaqi said: 'Aishah, 'Ubadah ibn Al-Samit, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri, and Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, all stated in their respective wills that their funeral processions should not include anyone carrying fire (or torches). According to Ibn Majah, Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, on his deathbed, directed his heirs, saying: "Do not follow my funeral procession carrying any censers (with fires in them to burn frankincense for its aromatic smoke and fragrance)." The people asked him: "Did you hear anything from the Prophet concerning this?" He said: "Yes, I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying so. (Among the narrators of this hadith is a man called Abu Huraiz, the freed slave of Mu'awiyah, who is "unknown" amongst the narrators of hadith)

If the burial takes place at night, however, fire or torches may be used for light. Tirmidhi has reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas that once at night the Prophet, peace be upon him, entered a grave to bury a dead person, and a lantern was given to him and he took it." Tirmidhi said: This hadith from Ibn 'Abbas is sound.

Ahmad has reported that Waqid ibn 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn Mu'adh said: -I attended a funeral procession in the tribe of Banu Salimah. I stood up on seeing the funeral procession. Thereupon Naf'i ibn Jubair said to me: 'Sit down. I will give you the reason for this. Mas'ud ibn Al-Hakim Az-Zurrqi told me that he heard 'Ali ibn Abi Talib saying: -The Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded us to stand up upon seeing a funeral procession, but later on he would remain seated, and bade us to do the same.' ' - Muslim has reported it in these words: "We saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, standing, so we stood. Then he sat down, and we too sat. Tirmidhi said: 'This hadith from 'Ali is sound, and it includes four of the successors of the Companions who related it successively. According to some people of knowledge this is the common practice.''

Ash-Shafi'i said: -This is the most authentic report on the subject. This hadith abrogates the one cited previously which says: 'Stand up when you see a funeral procession.' - Ahmad said: -One may or may not stand up for a funeral procession, depending on one's preference. He argues that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to stand up for a funeral, but later on he would remain seated.' This is also the opinion of Ishaq ibn Ibrahim. Ahmad, Ishaq ibn Hubaib, and Ibn Al-Majishun of the Maliki school.

An-Nawawi said: "Considering all these opinions, standing up upon seeing a funeral procession is desirable." Al-Mutawalli and Ahmad also hold this view.

Ibn Hazm said: "Standing up upon seeing a funeral procession is recommended, even if it is a funeral of a disbeliever or a pagan, until the coffin is placed on the ground or disappears from sight. But if someone remains seated there is no harm. Those who hold it as a desirable act cite what is related by the group on the authority of Ibn 'Umar who reported from 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When you see a funeral procession stand up for it, and remain standing until it disappears from sight or (the coffin) is placed down on the ground." Ahmad said: "Whenever Ibn 'Umar saw a funeral procession he would stand up for it and would remain standing until it passed by."

Sahl ibn Hanif and Qais ibn Sa'd reported that they were sitting in Qadisiyyah (A town in Syria) and a funeral procession passed by them. On seeing it both of them stood up for it. They were told it was the funeral of a non-Muslim. They said: -Once when a funeral procession was passing by, the Prophet, peace be upon him, stood up for it. And when told that it was funeral procession of a Jew, he exclaimed: 'Does he (a Jew) not possess a soul?'' (Bukhari and Muslim) Ibn Mas'ud and Qais used to stand up for a funeral procession.

The wisdom behind standing, according to Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim, as stated in a hadith related from the Prophet, peace be upon him, is "to show respect to Him Who seizes the souls" or in the words of Ibn Hibban "as a mark of respect to Allah Who seizes the souls."

In short, there is disagreement on this issue among the scholars. Some disapprove of standing for a funeral procession, while others prefer it. Some leave it to the individual's discretion. Each of these scholars supports his stand with specific arguments, and one may follow any of these opinions.

Bukhari said: "A person accompanying a funeral procession should not sit down until the coffin is placed on the ground, and if he sits he should be asked to stand up." He reports from Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Stand up when you see a funeral procession, and he who accompanies it should not sit down until the coffin is placed on the ground." Bukhari also reports from Sa'id Al-Maqabari who narrated that his father said: "We were attending a funeral, and Abu Hurairah was holding Marwan's hand, and they both sat down before the coffin was placed on the ground. At this Abu Sa'id approached them, and taking Marwan by his hand said to him: 'Stand up! By Allah, this man (i.e., Abu Hurairah) knows that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has forbidden us (to sit).' Upon hearing this Abu Hurairah said: 'He is right.'' This has also been reported by Al-Hakim, with the following addition: "When Abu Sa'id told Marwan to stand up, he stood up and then asked him: 'Why have you made me stand up?' At this Abu Sa' id related this hadith to him. Then Marwan asked Abu Hurairah why he had not informed him about that hadith. Abu Hurairah replied: 'You were walking ahead of me, so when you sat down I too sat down." Most of the Companions, their successors, the Hanafi and Hanbali schools, Al-Awza'i and Ishaq hold this vlew.

The followers of Ash-Shafi'i, however, hold that a person walking in front of a funeral procession may sit down before the coffin is placed on the ground. There is agreement among scholars that for those walking ahead of the funeral precession there is no harm if they arrive early at the place of burial and sit down before its arrival.

Tirmidhi said: "It is related from some knowledgeable Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and others that they would walk ahead of a funeral procession, and would sit down if they reached the place of burial before the coffin. This is the opinion of Ash-Shafi'i, who holds that, if a funeral arrives while one is seated, one need not stand upon its arrival. Ahmad said: "There is no harm whether one stands up or remains seated upon its arrival."

Prayer for peace and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, may be said in any form. If someone were to say: "O Allah, bless Muhammad," it should suffice. It is better, however, to use the prayers transmitted through tradition, like the following:

(Allahumma Salli 'ala-Muhammad wa'ala ali Muhammad kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim wa barik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad kama barakta' ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim innaka hamidun Majid)." "O Allah! Grant peace to Muhammad and his family as you did to Ibrahim and his family. O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his family as you blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly You are Most Glorious and Most Praiseworthy.'

This should be said after the second takbir, as is obvious, though there is nothing specifically reported in this regard as to its precise place in the funeral prayer.

This is a basic element of funeral prayer according to the consensus of juristic opinion. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When you offer a funeral prayer for a deceased person, pray sincerely for him to Allah." This is reported by Abu Daw'ud, Al-Baihaqi and Ibn Hibban, who said it is a sound hadith.

For this purpose any supplication, even a brief one, may be used. It is recommended, however, to use one of the following supplications reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him:

• Abu Hurairah said: The Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed in one of the funeral prayers: Allahumma anta Rubbuha wa ant khalaqtaha wa anta razaqtaha wa ant hadaytaha lil lslam wa anta qabadata ruha-ha wa anta alamu bisirriha wa 'alaniyatiha. Ji'nashuf'ala-hafaghfir laha zanbaha "Oh Allah ! You are her Sustainer, You are her Creator, You provided her with sustenance, guided her to Islam, caused her to die, and You best know her secret and public life. We plead to You on her behalf to forgive her sins."
• Wa'ilah ibn al-Asqa reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, led us in a funeral prayer for a man from among the Muslims. I heard him saying: Allahumma inna fulana ibna fulan fi dhimatika wa habla jawaraka, fa-qihu min fitnatal qabri wa adhabin nar wa anta ahlal wafa' wal haq, allahumma faghfirlahu war-rahmhufa innaka antal ghafurur Raheem. 'O Allah! So-and-so, son of so-and-so, is under Your protection and mercy, so protect him from the trial of the grave and the torture of Hell Fire. You are the guardianofthetruthful and thefaithful. OAllah! Forgivehimandbemerciful to him, as You are the Most Merciful, Most Forgiving'." Narrated by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud.
• ' Awf ibn Malik reported: "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, while offering a funeral prayer, say: Allahumma-ghfir lahu war-rhamhu wa'fu anhu wa 'afahu wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi' mudkhalahu waghsilhu bi-ma' ind wa thalj wa barad wa naqi minal khataya kama yunaqi athaubudanas minad danas wa abdilhu daran khairan min darihi wa ahlan khairan min ahlihi wa zaujan khairan min zaujihi wa qih fitnatal qabr wa adhaban nar. 'O Allah! Forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him, heal him, be generous to him, cause his entrance to be wide and comfortable, wash him with the most pure and clean water, and purify him from sins as a white garment is washed clean of dirt. Give him in exchange a home better than his home (on earth) and a family better than his family, and a wife better than his wife, and protect him from the trial of the grave and the torture of Hell Fire'." This is narrated by Muslim.
• It is reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered a funeral prayer and said: Allahummaghfir lihayatina wa mayatina wa saghirina wa kahirina wa dhakirina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyatahu minna fa-ahyahu 'alal Islam wa man tawafthu minna fa-tawafthu 'ala iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tudalana ba'dahu. "O Allah! Forgive our living, our dead, our young, our old, our males and our females, those of us who are present, and those who are absent. O Allah! Whomsoever among us You keep to live, make him to live in Islam, and whomsoever You cause to die, let him die in faith. O Allah! Do not deprive us of our reward for (supplicating for) him, and cause us not to go astray after him." This is narrated by Ahmad and the other Sunan books. (Authentic canonical collections of hadith)

If the deceased is a child, then it is desirable to pray: Allahumma 'ij'alhu lana salafan wa dhukhran. "O Allah! Make him our forerunner and make him (a means of) reward for us and a treasure." Bukhari and Al-Baihaqi report it from Al-Hasan. Nawawi said: "If the deceased is a child, a boy or a girl, one should say what is reported in the hadith, namely, "O Allah! Forgive our living, our dead, . . . ," and add the words: Allahumma 'ij'alhu faratan li-abwaihi wa salafan wa dhukhran wa izatan wa i'tibaran wa shafi'an wa thaqil bihi mawazlnahumma wa afrlghas sabra 'ala qulubihima wa la taftinhumma ba'dahu wa la tuharim-humma ajrahu. "O Allah, make him (or her) for his\\her parents a forerunner, a treasure and an admonition, an honor, an intercessor, and cause him (or her) to make their scales of good deeds heavier (on the Day of Judgement). O Allah! Grant them patience, and O Allah! Do not put them to trial after him (or her) nor deprive them of his (or her) reward."

It is recommended that the people should make three rows ( The minimum number of people for a row is two persons) while offering a funeral prayer, and that these rows should be straight. This is based on a report from Malik ibn Habairah who said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Every believer who dies is forgiven by Allah if a group of Muslims comprising three rows prays for him'." That is why, if there were not many people attending a funeral prayer, Malik ibn Habayrah would make them stand in three rows. This is narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi, and Al-Hakim, who considers it a sound hadith.

Ahmad said: "If the number of people present at the funeral prayer is very small I would still prefer that they make three rows." He was asked: "What if there are only four people present?" He replied: "They may make two rows, with two persons in each line." He did not like three rows with each of them consisting of only one person.

A larger gathering of people for the funeral prayer is preferable, as is reported by 'Aishah who said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'If a Muslim dies and his funeral prayer is attended by a group of a hundred Muslims, and they all sincerely pray for his forgiveness, he is forgiven'." This is narrated by Ahmad, Muslim, and Tirmidhi.

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying: 'If a Muslim dies and a group of forty people, who do not associate any one with Allah, pray for him, their prayer is accepted and he is forgiven' ." This has been narrated by Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Daw'ud.

There is no harm in offering funeral prayer in a mosque, if there is no danger of it becoming unclean. This is based on a narration of Muslim from 'Aishah who said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, offered a funeral prayer for Suhail ibn Baida in the mosque, and the Companions likewise offered funeral prayer for Abu Bakr and 'Umar in the mosque, and no one objected to it, because the funeral prayer is similar to other (formal) prayer. '

Abu Hanifah and Malik do not approve of it, citing a hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to the effect that whoever offers a funeral prayer in the mosque would have nothing (i .e. no reward) . This statement not only contradicts the practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions, but is also a weak hadith due to other reasons. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "This is a weak hadith, and is reported through a single transmitter, Salih, the freed slave of Al-Tawamah, and he is an unreliable narrator. Some scholars, however, hold that this hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him, is sound, and the words, reported by Abu Daw'ud, "Whoever offers a funeral prayer in a mosque would have nothing," mean such a person would not incur any burden (of sin). Ibn AlQayyim said: 'It was not the usual practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to offer a funeral prayer in the mosque. Rather he would usually offer funeral prayers outside the mosque except when for some reason he had to offer it in the mosque. In certain cases he did offer funeral prayer in the mosque, as in the case of Ibn Baida, which shows that funeral prayer may be offered either inside or outside the mosque, but to do so outside the mosque is preferable."

A majority of jurists disapprove of offering funeral prayer in a graveyard. This is the view of 'Ali, Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr, and Ibn 'Abbas, and also of 'Ata, An-Nakh'i, Ash-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and Ibn Al- Mundhir, and they cite the Prophet's hadith: "The entire earth is a mosque except for a graveyard and a bathroom."

In a report from Ahmad it is said: "There is no harm in offering a funeral prayer (as distinct from formal salah) in a graveyard as the Prophet, peace be upon him, himself offered a funeral prayer over a deceased while he was buried in his grave. Abu Hurairah also offered a funeral prayer over the grave of 'Aishah in the middle of the cemetery of Al-Baqi', which was attended by Ibn 'Umar. And 'Umar ibn Abd al-'Aziz did likewise."

A woman, like a man, may offer a funeral prayer, singly or in a congregation. In fact, once when Umm 'Abdallah offered funeral prayer for 'Utbah, 'Umar waited until she finished. 'Aishah ordered the body of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas to be brought to her so that she could offer a funeral prayer over him.

An-Nawawi said: "Women may offer (funeral) prayer in congregation just as they are permitted to perform other sunnah prayers. Al-Hasan ibn Saleh, Sufiyan Al-Thawri, Ahmad, and the Hanafi school also hold the same view. Malik, however, is of the opinion that women should offer the funeral prayer individually.

Shrouding the body of the deceased, even it be with just one piece of cloth, is a collective obligation (fard kifayah) of the Muslims. Bukhari narrated from Khabbab that he said: "We migrated with Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, seeking Allah's pleasure, and we hope He will reward us for that. In the meanwhile some of us died and received no reward in this life. One of them was Musa'ab ibn 'Umayr, who was killed in the Battle of Uhud. We did not find anything to shroud him in except a piece of cloth. When we covered his head, his feet would show, and if we covered his feet, his head would show. Allah ' s Messenger, peace be upon him, ordered us to use the cloth to cover his head with it and cover his feet with some grass." 66

In shrouding, the following practices are recommended and should be observed while preparing a body for burial.

• The shroud should be nice, clean, and large enough to cover the entire body. This is based on a narration of Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi, who regard it a sound hadith from Abu Qatadah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If one of you is a guardian to his deceased brother, he should give him the best shroud he can."
• A shroud should be white, as it is recorded by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, and Tirmidhi on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Wear white clothes, for these are your best clothes, and enshroud your dead in them." Tirmidhi considers it a sound hadith.
• The shroud should be scented and perfumed. The hadith is cited by Ahmad and by Al-Hakim, who regards it as sound, in accordance with Jabir's narration that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If you perfume a dead body, do it three times." Abu Sa'id, Ibn 'Umar, and Ibn 'Abbas directed their heirs in their wills to perfume their shrouds with aloes-wood.
• The shroud should be three wraps for a man and five wraps for a woman, in light of what is narrated by the group from 'Aishah who said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was wrapped in three pieces of new white sheets of cloth from Yemen, without a shirt or a turban."

Tirmidhi said: "The majority of the scholars among the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and others hold this view." Sufyan Al-Thawri said: "A (deceased) male should be shrouded in three pieces of cloth, or a shirt and two loose pieces of cloth, or (if necessary) three wraps of cloth.

One wrap may suffice if nothing else is available. Two wraps will also suffice, but three wraps are preferable for those who can afford it. This is the opinion of Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. They hold that a deceased female should be enshrouded in five sheets.

It is reported from Umm 'Atiyyah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave her a loincloth, a shirt, a scarf, and two pieces of cloth (to be used as a shroud for him). Ibn Al-Mundhir said: "Most of the scholars, our teachers, are of the opinion that a woman should be shrouded in five sheets of cloth.

A shroud should be nice, but not so extravagantly expensive that it would unduly burden a person.

Ash-Shafi'i remarked, "Ali said: 'Do not be extravagant in shrouding me. I have heard Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, say: "Do not be extravagant in preparing your shroud for it will soon be taken away."' This is narrated by Abu Daw'ud, in whose chain of narrators is a man called Abu Malik, who is of somewhat dubious character.

It is narrated that Hudhaifah said, "Do not be extravagant in preparing the shroud. Buy for my shroud two clean white sheets of cloth."

Abu Bakr said: "Wash this garment of mine, and add another two sheets of cloth, and shroud me in them." At this 'Aishah said, "This garment that you are wearing is old and worn out." He said, "The living are more deserving of the new garments than the dead. This shroud is only to absorb the secretions of the body."

It is not permissible for a man to be buried in a silk shroud, but it is permissible for a woman. This is based on the following saying of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, concerning silk and gold: "Both of these things, i.e. gold and silk, are forbidden for the males of my ummah, but they are permissible for the females."

Many scholars, however, disapprove of a woman using a silk shroud, because this is extravagant and a waste of money and therefore forbidden. These scholars differentiate between the permissibility for a woman to wear ornaments during her lifetime and the practice of beautifying the shroud after her death.

Ahmad said: "I do not like a woman to be shrouded in silk." Likewise Al-Hasan, Ibn al-Mubarak, and Ishaq expressed their disapproval. Ibn AlMundhir said, "I know of no other scholars with a different view on this subject."

A person who dies and leaves some money behind should have his shroud purchased with his money. If the deceased did not leave any money, then, whoever is responsible for taking care of his living expenses should provide his shroud. In case the deceased leaves no money and there is no one to take care of him, then his shroud should be purchased by the Public Treasury of the Muslims. Otherwise individual Muslims should take care of it. The same applies in case of both the males and the females.

Ibn Hazm said: "The cost of a woman 's shroud and the digging of her grave should be met out of her own money. Her husband is not obliged to pay for it, for the properties of Muslims are forbidden to be used except by the authority of the Qur'an or sunnah.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Verily, your blood and property are sacred and are forbidden to each other." Allah, the Exalted, imposed on a husband the responsibility of providing his wife with food, clothing, and housing. The shroud is not synonymous with clothing, according to the language in which Allah chose to address us, nor is the grave equivalent to housing.

A shroud should be nice, but not so extravagantly expensive that it would unduly burden a person.

Ash-Shafi'i remarked, "Ali said: 'Do not be extravagant in shrouding me. I have heard Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, say: "Do not be extravagant in preparing your shroud for it will soon be taken away."' This is narrated by Abu Daw'ud, in whose chain of narrators is a man called Abu Malik, who is of somewhat dubious character.

It is narrated that Hudhaifah said, "Do not be extravagant in preparing the shroud. Buy for my shroud two clean white sheets of cloth."

Abu Bakr said: "Wash this garment of mine, and add another two sheets of cloth, and shroud me in them." At this 'Aishah said, "This garment that you are wearing is old and worn out." He said, "The living are more deserving of the new garments than the dead. This shroud is only to absorb the secretions of the body."

It is not permissible for a man to be buried in a silk shroud, but it is permissible for a woman. This is based on the following saying of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, concerning silk and gold: "Both of these things, i.e. gold and silk, are forbidden for the males of my ummah, but they are permissible for the females."

Many scholars, however, disapprove of a woman using a silk shroud, because this is extravagant and a waste of money and therefore forbidden. These scholars differentiate between the permissibility for a woman to wear ornaments during her lifetime and the practice of beautifying the shroud after her death.

Ahmad said: "I do not like a woman to be shrouded in silk." Likewise Al-Hasan, Ibn al-Mubarak, and Ishaq expressed their disapproval. Ibn AlMundhir said, "I know of no other scholars with a different view on this subject."

A person who dies and leaves some money behind should have his shroud purchased with his money. If the deceased did not leave any money, then, whoever is responsible for taking care of his living expenses should provide his shroud. In case the deceased leaves no money and there is no one to take care of him, then his shroud should be purchased by the Public Treasury of the Muslims. Otherwise individual Muslims should take care of it. The same applies in case of both the males and the females.

Ibn Hazm said: "The cost of a woman 's shroud and the digging of her grave should be met out of her own money. Her husband is not obliged to pay for it, for the properties of Muslims are forbidden to be used except by the authority of the Qur'an or sunnah.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Verily, your blood and property are sacred and are forbidden to each other." Allah, the Exalted, imposed on a husband the responsibility of providing his wife with food, clothing, and housing. The shroud is not synonymous with clothing, according to the language in which Allah chose to address us, nor is the grave equivalent to housing.

Whenever a dead man in debt was brought to Allah's Apostle he would ask, "Has he left anything to repay his debt?" If he was informed that he had left something to repay his debts, he would offer his funeral prayer, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to offer their friend's funeral prayer. When Allah made the Prophet wealthy through conquests, he said, "I am more rightful than other believers to be the guardian of the believers, so if a Muslim dies while in debt, I am responsible for the repayment of his debt, and whoever leaves wealth (after his death) it will belong to his heirs."

Once, while we were sitting in the company of Prophet, a dead man was brought. The Prophet was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased. He said, "Is he in debt?" The people replied in the negative. He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." So, he led his funeral prayer. Another dead man was brought and the people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Lead his funeral prayer." The Prophet said, "Is he in debt?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, ''Three Dinars." So, he led the prayer. Then a third dead man was brought and the people said (to the Prophet ), Please lead his funeral prayer." He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." He asked, "Is he in debt?" They said, ("Yes! He has to pay) three Diners.', He (refused to pray and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Abu Qatada said, "O Allah's Apostle! Lead his funeral prayer, and I will pay his debt." So, he led the prayer.

The Prophet said, "An Israeli man asked another Israeli to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I want a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The second said, 'You are right,' and lent him the money for a certain period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but he could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a letter to the lender and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. 'O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that Allah's guarantee was sufficient and he accepted Your guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told him that Allah was sufficient as a witness, and he accepted You as a witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could pay his money but could not find, so I hand over this money to You.' Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country.

One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The debtor replied, 'I have told you I could not get a boat other than the one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered on your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.' "

(wife of the Prophet) Since I reached the age when I could remember things, I have seen my parents worshipping according to the right faith of Islam. Not a single day passed but Allah's Apostle visited us both in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims were persecuted, Abu Bakr set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. When he reached a place called Bark-al-Ghimad, he met Ibn Ad-Daghna, the chief of the Qara tribe, who asked Abu Bakr, "Where are you going?" Abu Bakr said, "My people have turned me out of the country and I would like to tour the world and worship my Lord." Ibn Ad-Daghna said, "A man like you will not go out, nor will he be turned out as you help the poor earn their living, keep good relation with your kith and kin, help the disabled (or the dependents), provide guests with food and shelter, and help people during their troubles. I am your protector. So, go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Ad-Daghna went along with Abu Bakr and took him to the chiefs of Quraish saying to them, "A man like Abu Bakr will not go out, nor will he be turned out. Do you turn out a man who helps the poor earn their living, keeps good relations with kith and kin, helps the disabled, provides guests with food and shelter, and helps the people during their troubles?"

So, Quraish allowed Ibn Ad-Daghna's guarantee of protection and told Abu- Bakr that he was secure, and said to Ibn Ad-Daghna, "Advise Abu Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and read what he liked and not to hurt us and not to do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Ad-Daghna told Abu Bakr of all that, so Abu- Bakr continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Qur'an aloud except in his house. Later on Abu Bakr had an idea of building a mosque in the court yard of his house. He fulfilled that idea and started praying and reciting Qur'an there publicly. The women and the offspring of the pagans started gathering around him and looking at him astonishingly. Abu Bakr was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Qur'an. This horrified the pagan chiefs of Quraish. They sent for Ibn Ad-Daghna and when he came, they said, "We have given Abu Bakr protection on condition that he will worship his Lord in his house, but he has transgressed that condition and has built a mosque in the court yard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Qur'an in public. We are afraid lest he mislead our women and offspring. So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him to return your pledge of protection as we do not like to betray you by revoking your pledge, nor can we tolerate Abu Bakr's public declaration of Islam (his worshipping)."

'Aisha added: Ibn Ad-Daghna came to Abu Bakr and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection, so you should either abide by those conditions or revoke my protection, as I do not like to hear the 'Arabs saying that Ibn Ad-Daghna gave the pledge of protection to a person and his people did not respect it." Abu Bakr said, "I revoke your pledge of protection and am satisfied with Allah's protection." At that time Allah's Apostle was still in Mecca and he said to his companions, "Your place of emigration has been shown to me. I have seen salty land, planted with date-palms and situated between two mountains which are the two Harras." So, when the Prophet told it, some of the companions migrated to Medina, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia returned to Medina. When Abu Bakr prepared for emigration, Allah's Apostle said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Abu Bakr asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Apostle replied in the affirmative. So, Abu Bakr postponed his departure in order to accompany Allah's Apostle and fed two camels which he had, with the leaves of Samor trees for four months.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A woman should not ask for the divorce of her sister to make her plate empty and in order to marry. She has what is decreed for her."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ziyad that Muhammad ibn Kab al-Quradhi said, ''Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan said from the mimbar, 'O people! Nothing keeps away what Allah gives and nothing gives what Allah keeps away. The earnestness of the earnest one does not profit him. When Allah desires good for him, he gives him understanding in the deen.' Then Muawiya said, 'I heard these words from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on these blocks of wood.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that this was said "Praise be to Allah who created everything as is necessary, who does not hasten anything He defers and determines. Allah is enough for me and sufficient. Allah hears whoever makes dua to him. Allah does not have a goal."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard that this was said "No one will die until his provision is completed for him, so behave correctly in your seeking it."

Allah's Apostle said, "No woman should ask for the divorce of her sister (Muslim) so as to take her place, but she should marry the man (without compelling him to divorce his other wife), for she will have nothing but what Allah has written for her."

Once while I was with the Prophet and Sa'd, Ubai bin Ka'b and Mu'adh were also sitting with him, there came to him a messenger from one of his daughters, telling him that her child was on the verge of death. The Prophet told the messenger to tell her, "It is for Allah what He takes, and it is for Allah what He gives, and everything has its fixed time (limit). So (she should) be patient and look for Allah's reward."

That while he was sitting with the Prophet a man from the Ansar came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! We get slave girls from the war captives and we love property; what do you think about coitus interruptus?" Allah's Apostle said, "Do you do that? It is better for you not to do it, for there is no soul which Allah has ordained to come into existence but will be created."

The Prophet once delivered a speech in front of us wherein he left nothing but mentioned (about) everything that would happen till the Hour. Some of us stored that our minds and some forgot it. (After that speech) I used to see events taking place (which had been referred to in that speech) but I had forgotten them (before their occurrence). Then I would recognize such events as a man recognizes another man who has been absent and then sees and recognizes him.

While we were sitting with the Prophet who had a stick with which he was scraping the earth, he lowered his head and said, "There is none of you but has his place assigned either in the Fire or in Paradise." Thereupon a man from the people said, "Shall we not depend upon this, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet said, "No, but carry on and do your deeds, for everybody finds it easy to do such deeds (as will lead him to his place)." The Prophet then recited the Verse: "As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah..."(92.5)

I asked Allah's Apostle about the plague. He said, "That was a means of torture which Allah used to send upon whomsoever He wished, but He made it a source of mercy for the believers, for anyone who is residing in a town in which this disease is present, and remains there and does not leave that town, but has patience and hopes for Allah's reward, and knows that nothing will befall him except what Allah has written for him, then he will get such reward as that of a martyr."

I saw the Prophet on the Day of (the battle of) Al-Khandaq, carrying earth with us and saying, "By Allah, without Allah we would not have been guided, neither would we have fasted, nor would we have prayed. O Allah! Send down Sakina (calmness) upon us and make our feet firm when we meet (the enemy). The pagans have rebelled against us, but if they want to put us in affliction (i.e., fight us) we refuse (to flee)." (See Hadith No. 430, Vol. 5).

When taking an oath, the Prophet very often used to say, "No, by Him Who turns the hearts."

The Prophet said to Ibn Saiyad, "I have kept for you a secret." Ibn Saiyad said, "Ad-Dukh." The Prophet said, "Keep quiet, for you cannot go beyond your limits (or you cannot exceed what has been foreordained for you)." On that, 'Umar said (to the Prophet ), "Allow me to chop off his neck!" The Prophet said, "Leave him, for if he is he (i.e., Ad-Dajjal), then you will not be able to overcome him, and if he is not, then you gain no good by killing him."

(the freed slave of Al-Mughira bin Shu'ba) Muawiya wrote to Mughira, "Write to me what you heard the Prophet saying after his prayer." So Al-Mughira dictated to me and said, "I heard the Prophet saying after the prayer, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone Who has no partner. O Allah! No one can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and the fortune of a man of means is useless before You (i.e., only good deeds are of value).' "

The Prophet forbade vowing and said, "In fact, vowing does not prevent anything, but it makes a miser to spend his property."

The Prophet said (that Allah said), "Vowing does not bring to the son of Adam anything I have not already written in his fate, but vowing is imposed on him by way of foreordainment. Through vowing I make a miser spend of his wealth."

Allah's Apostle, the truthful and truly-inspired, said, "Each one of you collected in the womb of his mother for forty days, and then turns into a clot for an equal period (of forty days) and turns into a piece of flesh for a similar period (of forty days) and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age, and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you (or a man) may do deeds of the people of the Fire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Fire, but then that writing (which Allah has ordered the angel to write) precedes, and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it."

The Prophet said, "Allah puts an angel in charge of the uterus and the angel says, 'O Lord, (it is) semen! O Lord, (it is now ) a clot! O Lord, (it is now) a piece of flesh.' And then, if Allah wishes to complete its creation, the angel asks, 'O Lord, (will it be) a male or a female? A wretched (an evil doer) or a blessed (doer of good)? How much will his provisions be? What will his age be?' So all that is written while the creature is still in the mother's womb."

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Can the people of Paradise be known (differentiated) from the people of the Fire?" The Prophet replied, "Yes." The man said, "Why do people (try to) do (good) deeds?" The Prophet said, "Everyone will do the deeds for which he has been created to do or he will do those deeds which will be made easy for him to do," (i.e. everybody will find easy to do such deeds as will lead him to his destined place for which he has been created).

While we were with Allah's Apostle in a holy battle, we never went up a hill or reached its peak or went down a valley but raised our voices with Takbir. Allah's Apostle came close to us and said, "O people! Don't exert yourselves, for you do not call a deaf or an absent one, but you call the All-Listener, the All-Seer." The Prophet then said, "O 'Abdullah bin Qais! Shall I teach you a sentence which is from the treasures of Paradise? ( It is): 'La haula wala quwata illa billah.' (There is neither might nor power except with Allah)."

I asked Ibn 'Umar about those who were involved in a case of Lian. He said, "The Prophet said to those who were involved in a case of Lian, 'Your accounts are with Allah. One of you two is a liar, and you (the husband) have no right over her (she is divorced)." The man said, 'What about my property (Mahr)?' The Prophet said, 'You have no right to get back your property. If you have told the truth about her then your property was for the consummation of your marriage with her; and if you told a lie about her, then you are less rightful to get your property back.' " Sufyan, a sub-narrator said: I learned the Hadith from 'Amr. Narrated Aiyub: I heard Sa'id bin Jubair saying, "I asked Ibn 'Umar, 'If a man (accuses his wife for an illegal sexual intercourse and) carries out the process of Lian (what will happen)?' Ibn 'Umar set two of his fingers apart. (Sufyan set his index finger and middle finger apart.) Ibn 'Umar said, 'The Prophet separated the couple of Bani Al-Ajlan by divorce and said thrice, "Allah knows that one of you two is a liar; so will one of you repent (to Allah)?" ' "

Allah's Apostle took an oath that he would abstain from his wives, and at that time his leg had been sprained (dislocated). So he stayed in the Mashruba (an attic room) of his for 29 days. Then he came down, and they (the people) said, "O Allah's Apostle! You took an oath to abstain from your wives for one month." He said, "The month is of twenty nine days."

Ibn 'Umar used to say about the Ila (which Allah defined (in the Holy Book), "If the period of Ila expires, then the husband has either to retain his wife in a handsome manner or to divorce her as Allah has ordered." Ibn 'Umar added, "When the period of four months has expired, the husband should be put in prison so that he should divorce his wife, but the divorce does not occur unless the husband himself declares it. This has been mentioned by 'Uthman, 'Ali, Abu Ad-Darda, 'Aisha and twelve other companions of the Prophet ."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Once Lian was mentioned before the Prophet whereupon 'Asim bin Adi said something and went away. Then a man from his tribe came to him, complaining that he had found a man with his wife. 'Asim said, 'I have not been put to task except for my statement (about Lian).' 'Asim took the man to the Prophet and the man told him of the state in which he had found his wife. The man was pale, thin, and of lank hair, while the other man whom he claimed he had seen with his wife, was brown, fat and had much flesh on his calves. The Prophet invoked, saying, 'O Allah! Reveal the truth.' So that lady delivered a child resembling the man whom her husband had mentioned he had found her with. The Prophet then made them carry out Lian." Then a man from that gathering asked Ibn 'Abbas, "Was she the same lady regarding which the Prophet had said, 'If I were to stone to death someone without witness, I would have stoned this lady'?" Ibn 'Abbas said, "No, that was another lady who, though being a Muslim, used to arouse suspicion by her outright misbehavior."

Those involved in a case of Lian were mentioned before Allah's Apostle. Asim bin Adi said something about that and then left. Later on a man from his tribe came to him and told him that he had found another man with his wife. On that 'Asim said, "I have not been put to task except for what I have said (about Lian)." 'Asim took the man to Allah's Apostle and he told him of the state in which he found his wife. The man was pale, thin and lank-haired, while the other man whom he had found with his wife was brown, fat with thick calves and curly hair. Allah's Apostle said, "O Allah! Reveal the truth." Then the lady delivered a child resembling the man whom her husband had mentioned he had found with her. So Allah's Apostle ordered them to carry out Lian. A man from that gathering said to Ibn 'Abbas, "Was she the same lady regarding whom Allah's Apostle said, 'If I were to stone to death someone without witnesses, I would have stoned this lady'?" Ibn 'Abbas said, "No, that was another lady who, though being a Muslim, used to arouse suspicion because of her outright misbehavior."

Ma'qil gave his sister in marriage and later her husband divorced her once.

The sister of Ma'qil bin Yasar was married to a man and then that man divorced her and remained away from her till her period of the 'Iddah expired. Then he demanded for her hand in marriage, but Ma'qil got angry out of pride and haughtiness and said, "He kept away from her when he could still retain her, and now he demands her hand again?" So Ma'qil disagreed to remarry her to him. Then Allah revealed: "When you have divorced women and they have fulfilled the term of their prescribed period, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands." (2.232) So the Prophet sent for Ma'qil and recited to him (Allah's order) and consequently Ma'qil gave up his pride and haughtiness and yielded to Allah's order.

Ibn 'Umar bin Al-Khattab divorced his wife during her menses. Allah's Apostle ordered him to take her back till she became clean, and when she got another period while she was with him, she should wait till she became clean again and only then, if he wanted to divorce her, he could do so before having sexual relations with her. And that is the period Allah has fixed for divorcing women. Whenever 'Abdullah (bin 'Umar) was asked about that, he would say to the questioner, "If you divorced her thrice, she is no longer lawful for you unless she marries another man (and the other man divorces her in his turn)." Ibn 'Umar further said, "Would that you (people) only give one or two divorces, because the Prophet has ordered me so."

The Prophet said, "It is not lawful for a lady who believes in Allah and the Last Day, to mourn for more than three days for a dead person, except for her husband, in which case she should neither put kohl in her eyes, nor perfume herself, nor wear dyed clothes, except a garment of 'Asb." Um 'Atiyya added: The Prophet said, "She should not use perfume except when she becomes clean from her menses whereupon she can use Qust, and Azfar (two kinds of incense)."

'Aisha intended to buy Barira, but her masters stipulated that her wala would be for them. 'Aisha mentioned that to the Prophet who said (to 'Aisha), "Buy and manumit her, for the wala is for the one who manumits." Once some meat was brought to the Prophet and was said, "This meat was given in charity to Barira." The Prophet said, "It is an object of charity for Barira and a present for us."

Shu'ba related the same Hadith and added: Barira was given the option regarding her husband.

The wife of Thabit bin Qais came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I do not blame Thabit for defects in his character or his religion, but I, being a Muslim, dislike to behave in un-Islamic manner (if I remain with him)." On that Allah's Apostle said (to her), "Will you give back the garden which your husband has given you (as Mahr)?" She said, "Yes." Then the Prophet said to Thabit, "O Thabit! Accept your garden, and divorce her once."

The sister of 'Abdullah bin Ubai narrated (the above narration, 197) with the addition that the Prophet said to Thabit's wife, "Will you return his garden?" She said, "Yes," and returned it, and (then) the Prophet ordered Thabit to divorce her. Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The wife of Thabit bin Qais came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I do not blame Thabit for any defects in his character or his religion, but I cannot endure to live with him." On that Allah's Apostle said, "Will you return his garden to him?" She said, "Yes."

The wife of Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I do not blame Thabit for any defects in his character or his religion, but I am afraid that I (being a Muslim) may become unthankful for Allah's Blessings." On that, Allah's Apostle said (to her), 'Will you return his garden to him?" She said, "Yes." So she returned his garden to him and the Prophet told him to divorce her.

that Jamila... Then he related the whole Hadith, (i.e. 199).

Ibn 'Umar said: "I divorced my wife while she was menstruating." 'Umar mentioned that to the Prophet. The Prophet said, (to my father), "Let your son take her back." I asked (Ibn 'Umar), "Is such a divorce counted (i.e. as one legal divorce)?" Ibn 'Umar said, "Of course." Narrated Yunus bin Jubair: Ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet said to 'Umar, 'Order him (Ibn 'Umar) to take her back.' " I asked, "Is such a divorce counted (as one legal divorce)?" Ibn 'Umar said, "What do you think if someone becomes helpless and foolish?"

(Divorcing my wife during her menses) was counted as one legal divorce.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Sulayman ibn Zayd ibn Thabit that Kharija ibn Zayd ibn Thabit told him that he was sitting with Zayd ibn Thabit when Muhammad ibn Abi Atiq came to him with his eyes brimming with tears. Zayd asked him what the matter was. He said, "I gave my wife command of herself, and she separated from me." Zayd said to him, "What made you do that?" He said, "The Decree." Zayd said, "Return to her if you wish for it is only one pronouncement, and you have access to her."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father that a man of Thaqif gave his wife command over herself, and she said, "You are divorced." He was silent. She said, "You are divorced." He said, "May a stone be in your mouth." She said, "You are divorced." He said, "May a stone be in your mouth." They argued and went to Marwan ibn al-Hakam. He took an oath that he had only given her control over one pronouncement, and then she returned to him.

Malik said that Abd ar-Rahman declared that this decision had amazed al-Qasim, who thought it the best that he had heard on the subject.

Malik added, "That is also the best of what I have heard on the subject."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf divorced his wife, and gave her compensation in the form of a slave-girl.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "Every divorced woman has compensation except for the one who is divorced and is allocated a bride-price and has not been touched. She has half of what was allocated to her."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab said, "Every divorced woman has compensation."

Malik said, "I have also heard the same as that from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad."

Malik said, "There is no fixed limit among us as to how small or large the compensation is."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Amr ibn Sulaym az-Zuraqi that he asked al-Qasim ibn Muhammad about a man who made divorce conditional on his marrying a woman i.e. if he married her he would automatically divorce her. Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said, "If a man marries a woman whom he has made as his mother's back, i.e. has made haram for him, Umar ibn al-Khattab ordered him not to go near her if he married her until he had done the kaffara for pronouncing dhihar."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man asked al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Sulayman ibn Yasar about a man who pronounced dhihar from his wife before he had married her. They said, "If he marries her, he must not touch her until he has done the kaffara for pronouncing dhihar."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said that a man who pronounced a dhihar from his four wives in one statement, had only to do one kaffara. Yahya related the same as that to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman.

Malik said, "That is what is done among us. Allah, the Exalted said about the kaffara for pronouncing dhihar, 'It is to free a slave before they touch one another. If he does not find the means to do that, then fasting for two consecutive months before they touch one another. If he cannot do that, it is to feed sixty poor people. ' " (Sura 58 ayats 4,5).

Malik said that a man who pronounced dhihar from his wife on various occasions had only to do one kaffara. If he pronounced dhihar, and then did kaffara, and then pronounced dhihar after he had done the kaffara, he had to do kaffara again.

Malik said, "Some one who pronounces dhihar from his wife and then has intercourse with her before he has done kaffara, only has to do one kaffara. He must abstain from her until he does kaffara and ask forgiveness of Allah. That is the best of what I have heard. "

Malik said, "It is the same with dhihar using any prohibited relations of fosterage and ancestry."

Malik said, "Women have no dhihar."

Malik said that he had heard that the commentary on the word of Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, "Those of you who pronounce the dhihar about their wives, and then retract what they have said," (Sura 56 ayat 3), was that a man pronounced dhihar on his wife and then decided to keep her and have intercourse with her. If he decided on that, he must do kaffara. If he divorced her and did not decide to retract his dhihar of her and to keep her and have intercourse with her, there would be no kaffara incumbent on him.

Maliksaid, "If he marries her after that, he does not touch her until he has completed the kaffara of pronouncing dhihar."

Malik said that if a man who pronounced dhihar from his slave-girl wanted to have intercourse with her, he had to do the kaffara of the dhihar before he could sleep with her.

Malik said, "There is no ila in a man's dhihar unless it is evident that he does not intend to retract his dhihar."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that he heard a man ask Urwa ibn az-Zubayr about a man who said to his wife, "Any woman I marry along with you as long as you live will be like my mother's back to me." Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said, "The freeing of slaves is enough to release him from that."

that he had divorced his wife while she was menstruating during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asked Allah's Apostle about that. Allah's Apostle said, "Order him (your son) to take her back and keep her till she is clean and then to wait till she gets her next period and becomes clean again, whereupon, if he wishes to keep her, he can do so, and if he wishes to divorce her he can divorce her before having sexual intercourse with her; and that is the prescribed period which Allah has fixed for the women meant to be divorced."

The Prophet said, "Allah has forgiven my followers the evil thoughts that occur to their minds, as long as such thoughts are not put into action or uttered." And Qatada said, "If someone divorces his wife just in his mind, such an unuttered divorce has no effect.

A man from the tribe of Bani Aslam came to the Prophet while he was in the mosque and said, "I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." The Prophet turned his face to the other side. The man turned towards the side towards which the Prophet had turned his face, and gave four witnesses against himself. On that the Prophet called him and said, "Are you insane?" (He added), "Are you married?" The man said, 'Yes." On that the Prophet ordered him to be stoned to the death in the Musalla (a praying place). When the stones hit him with their sharp edges and he fled, but he was caught at Al-Harra and then killed.

A man from Bani Aslam came to Allah's Apostle while he was in the mosque and called (the Prophet ) saying, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." On that the Prophet turned his face from him to the other side, whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet had turned his face, and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." The Prophet turned his face (from him) to the other side whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet had turned his face, and repeated his statement. The Prophet turned his face (from him) to the other side again. The man moved again (and repeated his statement) for the fourth time. So when the man had given witness four times against himself, the Prophet called him and said, "Are you insane?" He replied, "No." The Prophet then said (to his companions), "Go and stone him to death." The man was a married one. Jabir bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari said: I was one of those who stoned him. We stoned him at the Musalla ('Id praying place) in Medina. When the stones hit him with their sharp edges, he fled, but we caught him at Al-Harra and stoned him till he died.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Talha ibn Abdullah ibn Awf said, and he knew that better than them, from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf divorced his wife irrevocably while he was terminally ill, and Uthman ibn Affan made her an heir after the end of her idda.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn al-Fadl from al-Araj that Uthman ibn Affan made the wives of ibn Mukmil inherit from him, and he had divorced them while he was terminally ill.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman say, ''I heard that the wife of Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf asked him to divorce her. He said, 'When you have menstruated and are pure, then come to me.' She did not menstruate until Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf was ill. When she was purified, she told him and he divorced her irrevocably or made a pronouncement of divorce which was all that he had left over her Abd arRahman ibn Awf was terminally ill at the time, so Uthman ibn Affan made her one of the heirs after the end of her idda."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban said, "My grandfather Habban had two wives, one from the Hashimites and one from the Ansars. He divorced the Ansariyya while she was nursing, and a year passed and he died and she had still not yet menstruated. She said, 'I inherit from him. I have not menstruated yet.' The wives quarrelled and went to Uthman ibn Affan. He decided that she did inherit, and the Hashimiyya rebuked Uthman. He said, 'This is the practice of the son of your paternal uncle. He pointed this out to us.' He meant Ali ibn Abi Talib."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard Ibn Shihab say, "When a man who is terminally ill divorces his wife three times, she inherits from him."

Malik said, "If he divorces her while he is terminally ill before he has consummated the marriage, she has half of the bride-price and inherits, and she does not have to do an idda. If he consummated the marriage, she has all the dowry and inherits. The virgin and the previously married woman are the same in this situation according to us."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Thawban that Muhammad ibn Iyas ibn al-Bukayr said, "A man divorced his wife three times before he had consummated the marriage, and then it seemed good to him to marry her. Therefore, he wanted an opinion, and I went with him to ask Abdullah ibn Abbas and Abu Hurayra on his behalf about it, and they said, 'We do not think that you should marry her until she has married another husband.' He protested that his divorcing her had been only once. Ibn Abbas said, 'You threw away what you had of blessing.' "

Uwaimir Al-'Ajlani came to 'Asim bin Adi Al-Ansari and asked, "O 'Asim! Tell me, if a man sees his wife with another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him in Qisas, or what should he do? O 'Asim! Please ask Allah's Apostle about that." 'Asim asked Allah's Apostle about that. Allah's Apostle disliked that question and considered it disgraceful. What 'Asim heard from Allah's Apostle was hard on him. When he returned to his family, 'Uwaimir came to him and said "O 'Asim! What did Allah's Apostle say to you?" 'Asim said, "You never bring me any good. Allah's Apostle disliked to hear the problem which I asked him about." 'Uwaimir said, "By Allah, I will not leave the matter till I ask him about it." So 'Uwaimir proceeded till he came to Allah's Apostle who was in the midst of the people and said, "O Allah's Apostle! If a man finds with his wife another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him (in Qisas): or otherwise, what should he do?" Allah's Apostle said, "Allah has revealed something concerning the question of you and your wife. Go and bring her here." So they both carried out the judgment of Lian, while I was present among the people (as a witness). When both of them had finished, 'Uwaimir said, "O Allah's Apostle! If I should now keep my wife with me, then I have told a lie". Then he pronounced his decision to divorce her thrice before Allah's Apostle ordered him to do so. (Ibn Shihab said, "That was the tradition for all those who are involved in a case of Lian.")

The wife of Rifa'a Al-Qurazi came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Rifa'a divorced me irrevocably. After him I married 'Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubair Al-Qurazi who proved to be impotent." Allah's Apostle said to her, "Perhaps you want to return to Rifa'a? Nay (you cannot return to Rifa'a) until you and 'Abdur-Rahman consummate your marriage."

A man divorced his wife thrice (by expressing his decision to divorce her thrice), then she married another man who also divorced her. The Prophet was asked if she could legally marry the first husband (or not). The Prophet replied, "No, she cannot marry the first husband unless the second husband consummates his marriage with her, just as the first husband had done."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said and from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt al-Laythi that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab said, 'If a woman is divorced and has one or two periods and then stops menstruating, she must wait nine months. If it is clear that she is pregnant, that is that. If not, she must do an idda of three months after the nine, and then she is free to marry.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "Divorce belongs to men, and women have the idda."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "The idda of the woman who bleeds constantly is a year."

Malik said, "What is done among us about a divorced woman whose periods stop when her husband divorces her is that she waits nine months. If she has not had a period in them, she has an idda of three months. If she has a period before the end of the three months, she accepts the period. If another nine months pass without her having a period, she does an idda of three months. If she has a second period before the end of those three months, she accepts the period. If nine months then pass without a period, she does an idda of three months. If she has a third period, the idda of the period is complete. If she does not have a period, she waits three months, and then she is free to marry. Her husband can return to her before she becomes free to marry unless he made her divorce irrevocable."

Malik said, "The sunna with us is that when a man divorces his wife and has the option to return to her, and she does part of her idda and then he returns to her and then parts from her before he has had intercourse with her, she does not add to what has passed of her idda. Her husband has wronged himself and erred if he returned to her and had no need of her."

Malik said, "What is done among us is that if a woman becomes a muslim while her husband is a kafir and then he becomes muslim, he is entitled to her as long as she is in her idda. If her idda is finished, he has no access to her. If he remarries her after the end of her idda, however, that is not counted as divorce. Islam removed her from him without divorce."

Allah's Apostle gave us the option (to remain with him or to be divorced) and we selected Allah and His Apostle. So, giving us that option was not regarded as divorce.

I asked 'Aisha about the option: She said, "The Prophet gave us the option. Do you think that option was considered as a divorce?" I said, "It matters little to me if I give my wife the option once or a hundred times after she has chosen me."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar divorced his wife while she was menstruating in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Umar ibn al-Khattab asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Go and tell him to take her back and keep her until she is purified and then has a period and then is purified. Then if he wishes, he an keep her, and if he wishes he should divorce her before he has intercourse with her. That is the idda which Allah has commanded for women who are divorced."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from A'isha, umm al-muminin, that she took Hafsa ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr as-Siddiq into her house when she had entered the third period of her idda. Ibn Shihab said, "That was mentioned to Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman, and she said that Urwa had spoken the truth and people had argued with A'isha about it. They said that Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, 'Three quru.' A'isha said, 'You spoke the truth. Do you know what quru are? Quru are times of becoming pure after menstruation .' "

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab said that he heard Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman say, "I have never seen any of our fuqaha who did not say that this was what the statement of A'isha meant."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi and Zayd ibn Aslam from Sulayman ibn Yasar that al-Ahwas died in Syria when his wife had begun her third menstrual period after he had divorced her. Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan wrote and asked Zayd ibn Thabit about that. Zayd wrote to him, "When she began her third period, she was free from him and he was free from her, and he does not inherit from her nor she from him."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman and Sulayman ibn Yasar and Ibn Shihab used to say, "When the divorced woman enters the beginning of her third period, she is clearly separated from her husband and there is no inheritance between them and he has no access to her."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "When a man divorces his wife and she begins her third period, she is free from him and he is free from her."

Malik said, "This is how things are done among us."

Yahya related to me from Malik from al-Fudayl ibn Abi Abdullah, the mawla of al-Mahri that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Salim ibn Abdullah said, "When a woman is divorced and begins her third period, she is clearly separated from him and is free to marry again."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Said ibn al-Musayyab and Ibn Shihab and Sulayman ibn Yasar all said, "The idda of the woman with a khul divorce is three periods."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard Ibn Shihab say, "The idda of the divorced woman is reckoned by the menstrual cycles even if she is estranged ." (The reason the idda is normally reckoned by the menstrual cycle is to see whether the woman is pregnant or not.)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from a man of the Ansar that his wife asked him for a divorce, and he said to her, "When you have had your period, then tell me." When she had her period, she told him. He said, "When you are purified then tell me." When she was purified, she told him and he divorced her.

Malik said, "This is the best of what I have heard about it."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Said ibn al-Musayyab and Sulayman ibn Yasar said, "The idda of a slave-girl when her husband dies is two months and five days."

Yahya related to me the like of that from Malik from Ibn Shihab.

Malik said, about a slave who divorced a slave-girl but did not make it absolute, "He can return to her. If he then dies while she is still in the idda from her divorce, she does the idda of a slave-girl whose husband dies, and it is two months and five days. If she has been set free and he can return to her, and she does not choose to separate after she has been set free, and he dies while she is in the idda from the divorce, she does the idda of a free woman whose husband has died, four months and ten days. That is because the idda of widowhood befell her while she was free, so her idda is the idda of a free woman."

Malik said, "That is what is done among us."

Yahya related to me from Malik thal Yahya ibn Said heard al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Sulayman ibn Yasar both mention that Yahya ibn Said ibn al-As divorced the daughter of Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Hakam irrevocably, so Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Hakam took her away A'isha umm al-muminin sent to Marwan ibn al-Hakam who was the Amir of al-Madina at that time. She said, "Fear Allah and make him return the woman to her house." Marwan said in what Sulayman related, ''Abd ar-Rahman has the upper hand over me." Marwan said in what al-Qasim related, "Hasn't the affair of Fatima bint Qays reached you?" A'isha said, "You are forced to mention the story of Fatima " Marwan said, "If you know that evil, whatever evil there was between those two is enough for you." (See hadith 67.)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that the daughter of Said ibn Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl was the wife of Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Uthman ibn Affan, and he divorced her irrevocably and she moved out. Abdullah ibn Umar rebuked her for that.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar divorced one of his wives in the house of Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was on the way to the mosque. He went another route from behind the houses being averse to ask permission to enter until he returned to her.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab was asked who was obliged to pay the rent for a woman whose husband divorced her while she was in a leased house. Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "Her husband is obliged to pay it." Someone asked, "what if her husband does not have it?" He said, "Then she must pay it." Someone asked, "And if she does not have it?" He said, "Then the Amir must pay it."

(the wife of the Prophet) When believing women came to the Prophet as emigrants, he used to test them in accordance with the order of Allah. 'O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them . . .' (60.10) So if anyone of those believing women accepted the above mentioned conditions, she accepted the conditions of faith. When they agreed on those conditions and confessed that with their tongues, Allah's Apostle would say to them, "Go, I have accepted your oath of allegiance (for Islam). By Allah, and hand of Allah's Apostle never touched the hand of any woman, but he only used to take their pledge of allegiance orally. By Allah, Allah's Apostle did not take the pledge of allegiance of the women except in accordance with what Allah had ordered him. When he accepted their pledge of allegiance he would say to them, "I have accepted your oath of allegiance."

Yaha related to me from Malik that he had heard that Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said that if the child of the woman against whom lian had been pronounced or the child of fornication, died, his mother inherited from him her right in the Book of Allah the Exalted, and his maternal half-brothers had their rights. The rest was inherited by the owners of his mother's wala' if she was a freed slave. If she was an ordinary free woman, she inherited her right, his maternal brothers inherited their rights, and the rest went to the muslims.

Malik said,"I heard the same as that from Sulayman ibn Yasar, and it is what I saw the people of knowledge in our city doing."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sahl ibn Sad as-Saidi told him that Uwaymir al-Ajlani came to Asim ibn Adi al-Ansari and said to him, "Asim! What do you think a man who finds another man with his wife should do? Should he kill him and then be killed himself, or what should .he do? Asim! ask the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about that for me." Asim asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was revolted by the questions and reproved them until what he heard from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. was intolerable for Asim. When Asim returned to his people, Uwaymir came to him and said, " Asim! what did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say to you?" Asim said to Uwaymir, "You didn't bring me any good. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was revolted by the question which I asked him." Uwaymir said, "By Allah! I will not stop until I ask him about it!" Uwaymir stood up and went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the middle of the people and said, "Messenger of Allah! What do you think a man who finds another man with his wife should do? Should he kill him and then be killed himself, or what should he do?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Something has been sent down about you and your wife, so go and bring her."

Sahl continued, "They mutually cursed one another in the presence of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I was present with the people. When they finished cursing each other, Uwaymir said, 'I shall have lied about her, Messenger of Allah, if I keep her,' and pronounced the divorce three times before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered him to do it."

Malik said that Ibn Shihab said, "That was how the sunna of a couple mutually cursing each other was established (lian)."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafic from Abdullah ibn Umar that a man cursed his wife in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and disowned her child. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, separated them and gave the child to the woman.

Malik said, "Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, said, 'The testimony of men who accuse their wives but do not have any witnesses except themselves is to testify by Allah four times that he is being truthful, and a fifth time, that the curse of Allah will be upon him, if he should be a liar. She will avoid punishment if she testifies by Allah four times that he is a liar, and a fifth time, that the wrath of Allah shall be upon her, if he should be telling the truth. ' "(Sura 24 ayat 6).

Malik said, "The sunna with us is that those who curse each other are never to be remarried. If the man calls himself a liar, (i.e. takes back his accusation), he is flogged with the hadd-punishment, and the child is given to him, and his wife can never return to him. There is no doubt or dispute about this sunna among us. "

Malik said, "If a man separates from his wife by an irrevocable divorce by which he cannot return to her, and then he denies the paternity of the child she is carrying, whilst she claims that he is the father, and it is possible by the timing, that he be so, he must curse her, and the child is not recognised as his."

Malik said, "That is what is done among us, and it is what I have heard from the people of knowledge."

Malik said that a man who accused his wife after he had divorced her trebly while she was pregnant, and he had at first accepted being the father but then claimed that he had seen her committing adultery before he separated from her, was flogged with the hadd-punishment, and did not curse her.

If he denied the paternity of her child after he had divorced her trebly, and he had not previously accepted it, then he cursed her.

Malik said, "This is what I have heard."

Malik said, "The slave is in the same position as the free man as regards making accusations and invoking mutual curses (lian). He acts in the lian as the free man acts although there is no hadd applied for slandering a female-slave."

Malik said, "The muslim slave-girl and the christian and jewish free woman also do lian when a free muslim marries one of them and has intercourse with her. That is because Allah - may He be blessed and Exalted, said in His Book, 'As for those who accuse their wives,' and they are their wives. This is what is done among us.

Malik said that a man who did the lian with his wife, and then stopped and called himself a liar after one or two oaths and he had not cursed himself in the fifth one, had to be flogged with the hadd-punishment, but they did not have to be separated.

Malik said that if a man divorced his wife and then after three months the woman said, "I am pregnant," and he denied paternity, then he had to do lian.

Malik said that the husband of a female slave who pronounced the lian on her and then bought her, was not to have intercourse with her, even if he owned her. The sunna which had been handed down about a couple who mutually cursed each other in the lian was that they were never to return to each other.

Malik said that when a man pronounced the lian against his wife before he had consummated the marriage, she only had half of the bride price.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Yazid, the mawla of al-Aswad ibn Sufyan from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf from Fatima bint Qays that Abu Amr ibn Hafs divorced her absolutely while he was away in Syria. His agent sent her some barley and she was displeased with it, saying, "By Allah, I don't expect anything from you." She went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and mentioned it to him. He said, "You have no maintenance." He then ordered her to spend her idda in the house of Umm Sharik. Then he said, "This is a woman whom my companions visit. Spend the idda in the house of Ibn Umm Maktum. He is a blind man and you can undress at his home. When you are free to remarry, tell me."

She continued, "When I was free to remarry, I mentioned to him that Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan and Abu Jahm ibn Hisham had asked for me in marriage. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'As for Abu Jahm, he never puts down his stick from his shoulder (i.e. he is always travelling), and as for Muawiya he is a poor man with no property. Marry Usama ibn Zayd.' I objected to him and he said, 'Marry Usama ibn Zayd,' so I married him, and Allah put good in it and I was content with him."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard Ibn Shihab say, "The woman who is absolutely divorced does not leave her house until she is free to remarry. She has no maintenance unless she is pregnant. In that circumstance the husband spends on her until she gives birth."

Malik said, "This is what is done among us."

The pagans were of two kinds as regards their relationship to the Prophet and the Believers. Some of them were those with whom the Prophet was at war and used to fight against, and they used to fight him; the others were those with whom the Prophet made a treaty, and neither did the Prophet fight them, nor did they fight him. If a lady from the first group of pagans emigrated towards the Muslims, her hand would not be asked in marriage unless she got the menses and then became clean. When she became clean, it would be lawful for her to get married, and if her husband emigrated too before she got married, then she would be returned to him. If any slave or female slave emigrated from them to the Muslims, then they would be considered free persons (not slaves) and they would have the same rights as given to other emigrants. The narrator then mentioned about the pagans involved with the Muslims in a treaty, the same as occurs in Mujahid's narration. If a male slave or a female slave emigrated from such pagans as had made a treaty with the Muslims, they would not be returned, but their prices would be paid (to the pagans). Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Qariba, the daughter of Abi Umaiyya, was the wife of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab. 'Umar divorced her and then Mu'awiyya bin Abi Sufyan married her. Similarly, Um Al-Hakam, the daughter of Abi Sufyan was the wife of 'Iyad bin Ghanm Al-Fihri. He divorced her and then 'Abdullah bin 'Uthman Al-Thaqafi married her.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Masud, Salim ibn Abdullah, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, Ibn Shihab,and Sulayman ibn Yasar all said, "If a man has vowed to divorce his wife before marrying her and then he breaks his vow, divorce is obligatory for him when he marries her."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Masud said that there was nothing binding on someone who said, "Every woman I marry is divorced," if he did not name a specific tribe or woman.

Malik said, "That is the best of what I have heard."

Malik said about a man saying to his wife, "You are divorced, and every woman I marry is divorced," or that all his property would be sadaqa if he did not do such-and-such, and he broke his oath: "As for his wives, it is divorce as he said, and as for his statement, 'Every woman I marry is divorced', if he did not name a specific woman, tribe, or land, or such, it is not binding on him and he can marry as he wishes. As for his property, he gives a third of it away as sadaqa."

(the wife of the Prophet) Three traditions were established concerning situations in which Barira was involved: When she was manumitted, she was given the option to keep her husband or leave him; Allah's Apostle said, "The wala is for the one who manumits; Once Allah's Apostle entered the house while some meat was being cooked in a pot, but only bread and some soup of the house were placed before him. He said, "Don't I see the pot containing meat?" They said, "Yes, but that meat was given to Barira in charity (by someone), and you do not eat what is given in charity." The Prophet said "That meat is alms for her, but for us it is a present."

A man came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! A black child has been born for me." The Prophet asked him, "Have you got camels?" The man said, "Yes." The Prophet asked him, "What color are they?" The man replied, "Red." The Prophet said, "Is there a grey one among them?' The man replied, "Yes." The Prophet said, "Whence comes that?" He said, "May be it is because of heredity." The Prophet said, "May be your latest son has this color because of heredity."

I asked Az-Zuhri, "Which of the wives of the Prophet sought refuge with Allah from him?" He said "I was told by 'Ursa that 'Aisha said, 'When the daughter of Al-Jaun was brought to Allah's Apostle (as his bride) and he went near her, she said, "I seek refuge with Allah from you." He said, "You have sought refuge with The Great; return to your family."

We went out with the Prophet to a garden called Ash-Shaut till we reached two walls between which we sat down. The Prophet said, "Sit here," and went in (the garden). The Jauniyya (a lady from Bani Jaun) had been brought and lodged in a house in a date-palm garden in the home of Umaima bint An-Nu'man bin Sharahil, and her wet nurse was with her. When the Prophet entered upon her, he said to her, "Give me yourself (in marriage) as a gift." She said, "Can a princess give herself in marriage to an ordinary man?" The Prophet raised his hand to pat her so that she might become tranquil. She said, "I seek refuge with Allah from you." He said, "You have sought refuge with One Who gives refuge. Then the Prophet came out to us and said, "O Abu Usaid! Give her two white linen dresses to wear and let her go back to her family." Narrated Sahl and Abu Usaid: The Prophet married Umaima bint Sharahil, and when she was brought to him, he stretched his hand towards her. It seemed that she disliked that, whereupon the Prophet ordered Abu Usaid to prepare her and to provide her with two white linen dresses. (See Hadith No. 541).

similarly as above (182).

I asked Ibn 'Umar,"(What is said regarding) a man divorces his wife during her period?" He said, "Do you know Ibn 'Umar? Ibn 'Umar divorced his wife while she was menstruating. 'Umar then went to the Prophet and mentioned that to him. The Prophet ordered him to take her back and when she became clean, he could divorce her if he wanted." I asked (Ibn 'Umar), "Was that divorce counted as one legal divorce?" He said, "If one becomes helpless and foolish (will he be excused? Of course not)."

I heard the Prophet saying, "Banu Al-Mughira have asked my leave to let 'Ali marry their daughter, but I give no leave to this effect."

The Prophet prohibited taking the price of a dog, the earnings of a soothsayer and the money earned by prostitution.

The Prophet cursed the lady who practices tattooing and the one who gets herself tattooed, and one who eats (takes) Riba' (usury) and the one who gives it. And he prohibited taking the price of a dog, and the money earned by prostitution, and cursed the makers of pictures.

The Prophet forbade taking the earnings of a slave girl by prostitution.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Marwan ibn al-Hakam decided about a man who had made a vow to abstain from intercourse with his wife, that when four months had passed, it was a divorce and he could return to her as long as she was in her idda.

Malik added, "That was also the opinion of Ibn Shihab."

Malik said that if a man made a vow to abstain from intercourse with his wife and at the end of four months he declared his intent to continue to abstain, he was divorced. He could go back to his wife, but if he did not have intercourse with her before the end of her idda, he had no access to her and he could not go back to her unless he had an excuse - illness, imprisonment, or a similar excuse. His return to her maintained her as his wife. If her idda passed and then he married her after that and did not have intercourse with her until four months had passed and he declared his intent to continue to abstain, divorce was applied to him by the first vow. If four months passed, and he had not returned to her, he had no idda against her nor access because he had married her and then divorced her before touching her.

Malik said that a man who made a vow to abstain from intercourse with his wife and continued to abstain after four months and so divorced her, but then returned and did not touch her and four months were completed before her idda was completed, did not have to declare his intent and divorce did not befall him. If he had intercourse with her before the end of her idda, he was entitled to her. If her idda passed before he had intercourse with her, he had no access to her. This is what Malik preferred of what he had heard on the subject.

Malik said that if a man made a vow to abstain from intercourse with his wife and then divorced her, and the four months of the vow were completed before completion of the idda of the divorce, it counted as two pronouncements of divorce. If he declared his intention to continue to abstain and the idda of the divorce finished before the four months the vow of abstention was not a divorce. That was because the four months had passed and she was not his on that day.

Malik said, "If someone makes a vow not to have intercourse with his wife for a day or a month and then waits until more than four months have passed, it is not ila. Ila only applies to someone who vows more than four months. As for the one who vows not to have intercourse with his wife for four months or less than that, I do not think that it is ila because when the term enters into it at which it stops, he comes out of his oath and he does not have to declare his intention."

Malik said, "If someone vows to his wife not to have intercourse with her until her child has been weaned, that is not ila. I have heard that Ali ibn Abi Talib was asked about that and he did not think that it was ila."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had asked Ibn Shihab about the ila of the slave. He said that it was like the ila of the free man, and it put an obligation on him. The ila of the slave was two months.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man said to Abdullah ibn Abbas, "I have divorced my wife by saying I divorce you a hundred times. What do you think my situation is?" Ibn Abbas said to him, "She was divorced from you by three pronouncements, and by the ninety-seven, you have mocked the ayat of Allah."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man came to Abdullah ibn Masud and said, "I have divorced my wife by saying I divorce you eight times." Ibn Masud said to him, "What have people told you?" He replied, "I have been told that I have to part absolutely from her." Ibn Masud said, "They have spoken the truth. A person who divorces as Allah has commanded, Allah makes it clear for him, and a person who obscures himself in error, we make stay by his error. So do not confuse yourselves and pull us into your confusion. It is as they have said."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Abu Bakr ibn Hazm thatUmar ibn Abd al-Aziz had asked him what people said about the 'irrevocable' divorce, and Abu Bakr had replied that Aban ibn Uthman had clarified that it was declared only once. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz said, "Even if divorce had to be declared a thousand times, the'irrevocable' would use them all up. A person who says, 'irrevocably' has cast the furthest limit."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Marwan ibn al-Hakam decided that if someone made three pronouncements of divorce, he had divorced his wife irrevocably.

Malik said, "That is what I like best of what I have heard on the subject."

29.2 Divorce by Euphemistic Statements

I asked Ibn 'Umar, "(What is the verdict if) a man accuses his wife of illegal sexual intercourse?" Ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet separated (by divorce) the couple of Bani Al-Ajlan, and said, (to them), 'Allah knows that one of you two is a liar; so will one of you repent?' But both of them refused. He again said, 'Allah knows that one of you two is a liar; so will one of you repent?' But both of them refused. So he separated them by divorce." (Aiyub, a sub-narrator said: 'Amr bin Dinar said to me, "There is something else in this Hadith which you have not mentioned. It goes thus: The man said, 'What about my money (i.e. the Mahr that I have given to my wife)?' It was said, 'You have no right to restore any money, for if you have spoken the truth (as regards the accusation), you have also consummated your marriage with her; and if you have told a lie, you are less rightful to have your money back.' ")

Hilal bin Umaiyya accused his wife of illegal sexual intercourse and came to the Prophet to bear witness (against her), (taking the oath of Lian). The Prophet was saying, "Allah knows that either of you is a liar. Will anyone of you repent (to Allah)?" Then the lady got up and gave her witness.

(the Maula of Munba'ith) The Prophet was asked regarding the case of a lost sheep. He said, "You should take it, because it is for you, or for your brother, or for the wolf." Then he was asked about a lost camel. He got angry and his face became red and he said (to the questioner), "You have nothing to do with it; it has its feet and its water container with it; it can go on drinking water and eating trees till its owner meets it." And then the Prophet was asked about a Luqata (money found by somebody). He said, "Remember and recognize its tying material and its container, and make public announcement about it for one year. If somebody comes and identifies it (then give it to him), otherwise add it to your property."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Ali ibn Abi Talib said about the two arbiters about whom Allah, the Exalted, said,"If you fear a breach between the two, appoint an arbiter from his people, and an arbiter from her people. If they desire to set things aright, Allah will make peace between them, surely Allah is Knowing, Aware," (Sura 4 ayat 35), that the separation and the joining were overseen by the two of them.

Malik said, "That is the best of what I have heard from the people of knowledge. Whatever the two arbiters say concerning separation or joining is taken into consideration "

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man came to Abdullah ibn Umar, and said, "Abu Abd ar-Rahman! I placed the command of my wife in her hand, and she divorced herself, what do you think?" Abdullah ibn Umar said, "I think that it is as she said." The man said, "Don't do it, Abu Abd ar-Rahman!" Ibn Umar said, "You did it, it has nothing to do with me."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "When a man gives a woman command over herself, then the result is as she decides unless he denies it and says that he only meant to give her one divorce and he swears to it - then he has access to her while she is in her idda."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Ishaq ibn Kab ibn Ujra from his paternal aunt, Zaynab bint Kab ibn Ujra that al-Furaya bint Malik ibn Sinan, the sister of Abu Said al-Khudri, informed her that she went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked to be able to return to her people among the Banu Khudra since her husband had gone out in search of some of his slaves who had run away and he had caught up with them near al-Qudum, (which is 6 miles from Madina), and they had killed him.

She said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, if I could return to my people in the Banu Khudra, as my husband had not left me in a dwelling which belonged to him, and had left me no maintenance. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,'Yes.' So I left. When I was in the courtyard, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called me or summoned me, and I answered him. He said, 'What did you say?' I repeated the story about my husband. He said, 'Stay in your house until what is written reaches its term.' I did the idda in the house for four months and ten days."

She added, "When Uthman ibn Affan sent for me, I told him that, and he followed it and made decisions by it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd ibn Qays al-Makki from Amr ibn Shuayb from Said ibn al-Musayyab that Umar ibn al-Khattab sent back widows from the desert and prevented them from doing the hajj.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Saqd that he had heard that as-Sa'ib ibn Khabbab died, and his wife went to Abdullah ibn Umar and mentioned to him that her husband had died and mentioned some land which they had at Qanah, (a district on the outskirts of Madina), and asked him if it would be alright for her to stay overnight there. He forbade her to do so. So, she went out before dawn from Madina and spent the whole day on their land, but when evening came, she spent the night in her house.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Hisham ibn Urwa said about a Bedouin woman whose husband died, that she was to stay where her people stayed.

Malik said, "This is what is done among us."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullan ibn Umar said, "The only place a woman whose husband has died and a woman who is absolutely divorced can spend the night is in their houses."

(a companion of the Prophet and one of his cavalry men) "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan; so, if anyone of you had a bad dream which he disliked, then he should spit on his left and seek refuge with Allah from it, for it will not harm him.' "

Allah's Apostle said, "While I was sleeping, some people were displayed before me (in a dream). They were wearing shirts, some of which were merely covering their breasts, and some a bit longer. Then there passed before me, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab wearing a shirt he was dragging it (on the ground behind him.)" They (the people) asked, "What have you interpreted (about the dream) O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "The religion."

Allah's Apostle used to visit Um Haram bint Milhan. She was the wife of 'Ubada bin As-Samit. One day the Prophet visited her and she provided him with food and started looking for lice in his head. Then Allah's Apostle slept and afterwards woke up smiling. Um Haram asked, "What makes you smile, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Some of my followers were presented before me in my dream as fighters in Allah's Cause, sailing in the middle of the seas like kings on the thrones or like kings sitting on their thrones." (The narrator Ishaq is not sure as to which expression was correct). Um Haram added, "I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah, to make me one of them.' " So Allah's Apostle invoked Allah for her and then laid his head down (and slept). Then he woke up smiling (again). (Um Haram added): I said, "What makes you smile, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Some people of my followers were presented before me (in a dream) as fighters in Allah's Cause." He said the same as he had said before. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah to make me from them." He said, "You are among the first ones." Then Um Haram sailed over the sea during the Caliphate of Muawiya bin Abu Sufyan, and she fell down from her riding animal after coming ashore, and died.

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "While I was sleeping, I saw (in a dream) the people being displayed before me, wearing shirts, some of which (were so short that it) reached as far as their breasts and some reached below that. Then 'Umar bin Al-Khattab was shown to me and he was wearing a shirt which he was dragging (behind him)." They asked. What have you interpreted (about the dream), O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "The religion."

about the Prophet's dream in which he has seen Abu Bakr and 'Umar: The Prophet said, "I saw (in a dream) that the people had gathered. Then Abu Bakr stood up and pulled out one or two buckets full of water (from a well) and there was weakness in his pulling--may Allah forgive him. Then Ibn Al-Khattab stood up, and the bucket turned into a very large one and I have never seen any strong man among the people doing such a hard job. He pulled out so much water that the people (drank to their satisfaction) and watered their camels to their fill, (and then after quenching their thirst) they sat beside the water."

Allah's Apostle said, "While I was sleeping, I saw myself standing at a well over which there was a bucket. I pulled out from it as many buckets of water as Allah wished, and then Ibn Abi Quhafa (Abu Bakr) took the bucket from me and pulled out one or two full buckets, and there was weakness in his pull--may Allah forgive him. Then the bucket turned into a very large one and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab took it. I have never seen any strong man among the people, drawing water with such strength as 'Umar did, till the people (drank to their satisfaction and) watered their camels to their fill; whereupon the camels sat beside the water."

The Prophet said, "A true good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan."

The Prophet said, "If anyone of you sees a dream that he likes, then it is from Allah, and he should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others; but if he sees something else, i.e., a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Satan, and he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he should not mention it to anybody, for it will not harm him."

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Nothing is left of the prophetism except Al-Mubashshirat." They asked, "What are Al-Mubashshirat?" He replied, "The true good dreams (that conveys glad tidings)."

Allah's Apostle very often used to ask his companions, "Did anyone of you see a dream?" So dreams would be narrated to him by those whom Allah wished to tell. One morning the Prophet said, "Last night two persons came to me (in a dream) and woke me up and said to me, 'Proceed!' I set out with them and we came across a man lying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man's head, injuring it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and took it back. By the time he reached the man, his head returned to the normal state. The thrower then did the same as he had done before. I said to my two companions, 'Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?' They said, 'Proceed!' So we proceeded and came to a man lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. He hardly completed this side when the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to it to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, 'Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?' They said to me, 'Proceed!' So we proceeded and came across something like a Tannur (a kind of baking oven, a pit usually clay-lined for baking bread)." I think the Prophet said, "In that oven there was much noise and voices." The Prophet added, "We looked into it and found naked men and women, and behold, a flame of fire was reaching to them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried loudly. I asked them, 'Who are these?' They said to me, 'Proceed!' And so we proceeded and came across a river." I think he said, "...red like blood." The Prophet added, "And behold, in the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had collected many stones. Behold, while the other man was swimming, he went near him. The former opened his mouth and the latter (on the bank) threw a stone into his mouth whereupon he went swimming again. He returned and every time the performance was repeated, I asked my two companions, 'Who are these (two) persons?' They replied, 'Proceed! Proceed!' And we proceeded till we came to a man with a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance, you ever saw a man having! Beside him there was a fire and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my companions, 'Who is this (man)?' They said to me, 'Proceed! Proceed!' So we proceeded till we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, having all sorts of spring colors. In the midst of the garden there was a very tall man and I could hardly see his head because of his great height, and around him there were children in such a large number as I have never seen. I said to my companions, 'Who is this?' They replied, 'Proceed! Proceed!' So we proceeded till we came to a majestic huge garden, greater and better than I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, 'Go up,' and I went up." The Prophet added, "So we ascended till we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks and we went to its gate and asked (the gatekeeper) to open the gate, and it was opened and we entered the city and found in it, men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the handsomest person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing across (the city), and its water was like milk in whiteness. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness (of their bodies) had disappeared and they became in the best shape." The Prophet further added, "My two companions (angels) said to me, 'This place is the Eden Paradise, and that is your place.' I raised up my sight, and behold, there I saw a palace like a white cloud! My two companions said to me, 'That (palace) is your place.' I said to them, 'May Allah bless you both! Let me enter it.' They replied, 'As for now, you will not enter it, but you shall enter it (one day). I said to them, 'I have seen many wonders tonight. What does all that mean which I have seen?' They replied, 'We will inform you: As for the first man you came upon whose head was being injured with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Qur'an and then neither recites it nor acts on its orders, and sleeps, neglecting the enjoined prayers. As for the man you came upon whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. And those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses, and the man whom you saw swimming in the river and given a stone to swallow, is the eater of usury (Riba) and the bad looking man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going round it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell and the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Abraham and the children around him are those children who die with Al-Fitra (the Islamic Faith).' The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet, "O Allah's Apostle! What about the children of pagans?" The Prophet replied, "And also the children of pagans." The Prophet added, "My two companions added, 'The men you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was bad, but Allah forgave them.' "

The Prophet said, "Whoever claims to have seen a dream which he did not see, will be ordered to make a knot between two barley grains which he will not be able to do; and if somebody listens to the talk of some people who do not like him (to listen) or they run away from him, then molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever makes a picture, will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and will be ordered to put a soul in that picture, which he will not be able to do."

as above, 165.

Allah's Apostle said, "The worst lie is that a person claims to have seen a dream which he has not seen."

We were sitting with Allah's Apostle he said, "While I was sleeping, I saw myself in Paradise, and behold, a woman was performing ablution by the side of a palace. I asked, 'For whom is this palace?' They replied, 'For 'Umar' Then I remembered the Ghira of 'Umar and returned immediately." 'Umar wept (on hearing that) and said, " Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle! How dare I think of my Ghira being offended by you.' "

Allah's Apostle said (to me), "You were shown to me twice in (my) dream. Behold, a man was carrying you in a silken piece of cloth and said to me, 'She is your wife, so uncover her,' and behold, it was you. I would then say (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' "

concerning the dream of the Prophet in Medina: The Prophet said, "I saw (in a dream) a black woman with unkempt hair going out of Medina and settling at Mahai'a. I interpreted that as (a symbol of) the epidemic of Medina being transferred to Mahai'a, namely, Al-Juhfa."

Um Al-'Ala an Ansari woman who had given the Pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle said, (Uthman bin Maz'un came in our share when the Ansars drew lots to distribute the emigrants (to dwell) among themselves. He became sick and we looked after (nursed) him till he died. Then we shrouded him in his clothes. Allah's Apostle came to us. I (addressing the dead body) said, 'May Allah's Mercy be on you, O Aba As-Sa'ib! I testify that Allah has honored you.' The Prophet said, 'How do you know that?' I replied, 'I do not know, by Allah.' He said, 'As for him, death has come to him and I wish him all good from Allah. By Allah, though I am Allah's Apostle, I neither know what will happen to me, nor to you.' "

Um Al-'Ala said, "By Allah, I will never attest the righteousness of anybody after that." She added, "Later I saw in a dream, a flowing spring for 'Uthman. So I went to Allah's Apostle and mentioned that to him. He said, 'That is (the symbol of) his good deeds (the reward for) which is going on for him.' "

The Prophet said, "I saw (in a dream) a black woman with unkempt hair going out of Medina and settling in Mahai'a. I interpreted that as (a symbol of) epidemic of Medina being transferred to Mahai'a, namely, Al-Juhfa."

The Prophet said, "I saw in a dream that I was migrating from Mecca to a land where there were date palm trees. I thought that it might be the land of Al-Yamama or Hajar, but behold, it turned out to be Yathrib (i.e. Medina). And I saw cows (being slaughtered) there, but the reward given by Allah is better (than worldly benefits). Behold, those cows proved to symbolize the believers (who were killed) on the Day (of the battle) of Uhud, and the good (which I saw in the dream) was the good and the reward and the truth which Allah bestowed upon us after the Badr battle (or the Battle of Uhud) and that was the victory bestowed by Allah in the Battle of Khaibar and the conquest of Mecca."

Allah's Apostle said to me, "You were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you. I saw an angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said to him, 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' Then you were shown to me, the angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said (to him), 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' "

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "I have been sent with Jawami' al-Kalim (i.e., the shortest expression carrying the widest meanings), and I was made victorious with awe (caste into the hearts of the enemy), and while I was sleeping, the keys of the treasures of the earth were brought to me and were put in my hand." Muhammad said, "Jawami' al-Kalim means that Allah expresses in one or two statements or thereabouts the numerous matters that used to be written in the books revealed before (the coming of) the Prophet."

(In a dream) I saw myself in a garden, and there was a pillar in the middle of the garden, and there was a handhold at the top of the pillar. I was asked to climb it. I said, "I cannot." Then a servant came and lifted up my clothes and I climbed (the pillar), and then got hold of the handhold, and I woke up while still holding it. I narrated that to the Prophet who said, "The garden symbolizes the garden of Islam, and the handhold is the firm Islamic handhold which indicates that you will be adhering firmly to Islam until you die."

Allah's Apostle said, "If I stayed in prison as long as Joseph stayed and then the messenger came, I would respond to his call (to go out of the prison)."

Um Al-'Ala an Ansari woman who had given a pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle told me, "The Muhajirin (emigrants) were distributed amongst us by drawing lots, and we got 'Uthman bin Maz'un in our share. We made him stay with us in our house. Then he suffered from a disease which proved fatal. When he died and was given a bath and was shrouded in his clothes. Allah's Apostle came, I said, (addressing the dead body), 'O Aba As-Sa'ib! May Allah be Merciful to you! I testify that Allah has honored you.' Allah's Apostle said, 'How do you know that Allah has honored him?' I replied, 'Let my father be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle! On whom else shall Allah bestow His honor?' Allah's Apostle said, 'As for him, by Allah, death has come to him. By Allah, I wish him all good (from Allah). By Allah, in spite of the fact that I am Allah's Apostle, I do not know what Allah will do to me.' " Um Al-'Ala added, "By Allah, I will never attest the righteousness of anybody after that."

Regarding the above narration, The Prophet said, "I do not know what Allah will do to him (Uthman bin Maz'un)." Um Al-'Ala said, "I felt very sorry for that, and then I slept and saw in a dream a flowing spring for 'Uthman bin Maz'un, and told Allah's Apostle of that, and he said, 'That flowing spring symbolizes his good deeds.' "

I was a young unmarried man during the lifetime of the Prophet. I used to sleep in the mosque. Anyone who had a dream, would narrate it to the Prophet. I said, "O Allah! If there is any good for me with You, then show me a dream so that Allah's Apostle may interpret it for me." So I slept and saw (in a dream) two angels came to me and took me along with them, and they met another angel who said to me, "Don't be afraid, you are a good man." They took me towards the Fire, and behold, it was built inside like a well, and therein I saw people some of whom I recognized, and then the angels took me to the right side. In the morning, I mentioned that dream to Hafsa. Hafsa told me that she had mentioned it to the Prophet and he said, "'Abdullah is a righteous man if he only prays more at night." (Az-Zuhri said, "After that, 'Abdullah used to pray more at night.)"

Allah's Apostle said, "While I was sleeping, I saw myself standing over a tank (well) giving water to the people to drink. Then Abu Bakr came to me and took the bucket from me in order to relieve me and he pulled out one or two full buckets, and there was weakness in his pulling--may Allah forgive him. Then Ibn Al-Khattab took it from him and went on drawing water till the people left (after being satisfied) while the tank was overflowing with water."

Allah's Apostle said, "Allah will not look at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit.''

One night I was with the Prophet on a journey. He asked (me), "Have you got water with you?" I replied, "Yes" So he got down from his she-camel and went away till he disappeared in the darkness of the night. Then he came back and I poured water for him from the pot (for the ablution). He washed his face and hands while he was wearing a woollen cloak (the sleeves of which were narrow), so he could not take his arms out of it. So he took them out from underneath the cloak. Then he washed his forearms and passed his wet hands over his head. Then I tried to take off his Khuffs, but he said, "Leave them, for I have performed ablution before putting them on." And so he passed his wet hands over them.

that 'Umar bin Nafi' told him that Nafi', Maula 'Abdullah had heard 'Umar saying, "I heard Allah's Apostle forbidding Al-Qaza'." 'Ubaidullah added: I said, "What is Al-Qaza'?" 'Ubaidullah pointed (towards his head) to show us and added, "Nafi' said, 'It is when a boy has his head shaved leaving a tuft of hair here and a tuft of hair there." Ubaidullah pointed towards his forehead and the sides of his head. 'Ubaidullah was asked, "Does this apply to both girls and boys?" He said, "I don't know," but Nafi' said, "The boy." 'Ubaidullah added, "I asked Nafi' again, and he said, 'As for leaving hair on the temples and the back part of the boy's head, there is no harm, but Al-Qaza' is to leave a tuft of hair on his forehead unshaved while there is no hair on the rest of his head, and also to leave hair on either side of his head.' "

Allah's Apostle forbade Al-Qaza' (leaving a tuft of hair here and there after shaving one's head.)

Once Gabriel promised to visit the Prophet but he delayed and the Prophet got worried about that. At last he came out and found Gabriel and complained to him of his grief (for his delay). Gabriel said to him, "We do not enter a place in which there is a picture or a dog."

Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their face hairs, and those who create a space between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, and such women as change the features created by Allah. Why then should I not curse those whom the Prophet has cursed? And that is in Allah's Book, i.e. His Saying: "And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you abstain (from it)." (59.7)

I heard Muhammad saying, "Whoever makes a picture in this world will be asked to put life into it on the Day of Resurrection, but he will not be able to do so."

Allah's Apostle said, "To shave the pubic hair, to clip the nails and to cut the moustaches short, are characteristics of the Fitra."

I heard the Prophet saying. "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the moustaches short, clipping the nails, and depilating the hair of the armpits."

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short." Whenever Ibn 'Umar performed the Hajj or 'Umra, he used to hold his beard with his hand and cut whatever moustaches. Ibn Umar used to cut his moustache so short that the whiteness of his skin (above the upper lip) was visible, and he used to cut (the hair) between his moustaches and his beard.

The Prophet had forbidden: (A) the Mulamasa and Munabadha (bargains), (B) the offering of two prayers, one after the morning compulsory prayer till the sun rises, and the other, after the 'Asr prayer till the sun sets. (C) He also forbade that one should sit wearing one garment, nothing of which covers his private parts, (D) and prevent them from exposure to the sky; (E) he also forbade Ishtimal-as-Samma'.

Allah's Apostle forbade two ways of wearing clothes and two kinds of dealings. (A) He forbade the dealings of the Mulamasa and the Munabadha. In the Mulamasa transaction the buyer just touches the garment he wants to buy at night or by daytime, and that touch would oblige him to buy it. In the Munabadha, one man throws his garment at another and the latter throws his at the former and the barter is complete and valid without examining the two objects or being satisfied with them. (B) The two ways of wearing clothes were Ishtimal-as-Samma, i.e., to cover one's shoulder with one's garment and leave the other bare; and the other way was to wrap oneself with a garment while one was sitting in such a way that nothing of that garment would cover one's private part.

The Prophet was neither conspicuously tall, nor short; neither very white, nor tawny. His hair was neither much curled, nor very straight. Allah sent him (as an Apostle) at the age of forty (and after that) he stayed for ten years in Mecca, and for ten more years in Medina. Allah took him unto Him at the age of sixty, and he scarcely had ten white hairs on his head and in his beard.

I did not see anybody in a red cloak looking more handsome than the Prophet. Narrated Malik: The hair of the Prophet used to hang near his shoulders. Narrated Shu'ba: The hair of the Prophet used to hang down to the earlobes.

Allah's Apostle said, "Today I saw myself in a dream near the Ka'ba. I saw a whitish brown man, the handsomest of all brown men you might ever see. He had the most beautiful Limma (hair hanging down to the earlobes) you might ever see. He had combed it and it was dripping water; and he was performing the Tawaf around the Kaba leaning on two men or on the shoulders of two men. I asked, 'Who is this?' It was said, 'Messiah, the son of Mary.' Suddenly I saw a curly-haired man, blind in the right eye which looked like a protruding out grape. I asked, 'Who is this?' It was said, 'He is Masiah Ad-Dajjal.' "

I asked Anas bin Malik about the hair of Allah's Apostle. He said, "The hair of Allah's Apostle was neither much straight, nor much curly, and it used to hang down till between the shoulders and tje earlobes.

The Prophet had big hands, and I have never seen anybody like him after him. The hair of the Prophet was wavy, neither curly nor straight.

The Prophet had big hands and feet, and I have not seen anybody like him, neither before nor after him, and his palms were soft.

The Prophet had big feet and a good-looking face and I have not seen anybody like him after him. Narrated Anas: The Prophet had big feet and hands. Narrated Anas or Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet had big hands and feet and I have not seen anybody like him after him.

We were with Ibn 'Abbas and the people mentioned Ad-Dajjal. Someone said, "The word 'Kafir' (unbeliever) is written in between his (Ad-Dajjal's) eyes." Ibn 'Abbas said, "I have not heard the Prophet saying this, but he said, 'As regards Abraham, he looks like your companion (i.e. the Prophet, Muhammad), and as regards Moses, he is a brown curly haired man riding a camel and reigned with a strong jute rope, as if I am now looking at him getting down in the valley and saying, "Labbaik".' "

The Prophet said, "To get the moustaches cut short is characteristic of the Fitra."

Allah's Apostle said, "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra: circumcision, shaving the pubic region, clipping the nails and cutting the moustaches short."

The Prophet said, "Allah will not look, on the Day of Resurrection, at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit." On that Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Apostle! One side of my Izar hangs low if I do not take care of it." The Prophet said, "You are not one of those who do that out of conceit."

The solar eclipse occurred while we were sitting with the Prophet. He got up dragging his garment (on the ground) hurriedly till he reached the mosque. The people turned (to the mosque) and he offered a two-Rak'at prayer whereupon the eclipse was over and he traced us and said, "The sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah, so if you see a thing like this (eclipse) then offer the prayer and invoke Allah till He remove that state."

The Prophet offered a two-Rak'at prayer on 'Id day and he did not offer any (Nawafil prayer) before or after it. He then went towards the women, and Bilal was accompanying him, and ordered them to give alms. And so the women started giving their earrings (etc.)."

The Prophet forbade us to use seven things: He forbade using gold rings, silk, Istabraq, Dibaj, red Mayathir, Al-Qassiy, and silver utensils. He ordered us to do seven other things. To pay a visit to the sick; to follow funeral processions; to say, "May Allah be merciful to you" to a sneezer if he says "Praise be to Allah"; to return greetings, to accept invitations; to help others to fulfil their oaths and to help the oppressed ones.

The Prophet forbade the wearing of a gold ring.

Allah's Apostle wore a gold or silver ring and placed its stone towards the palm of his hand. The people also started wearing gold rings like it, but when the Prophet saw them wearing such rings, he threw away that golden ring and then wore a silver ring.

I asked Anas, "Did the Prophet dye his hair?" Anas replied, "The Prophet did not have except a few grey hairs."

Anas was asked whether the Prophet used a a hair dye or not. Anas replied, "The Prophet had not enough grey hair to dye. I could even count the white grey hairs of his beard if I would."

Uthman bin 'Abdullah bin Mauhab said, "My people sent me with a bowl of water to Um Salama." Isra'il approximated three fingers ('indicating the small size of the container in which there was some hair of the Prophet). 'Uthman added, "If any person suffered from evil eye or some other disease, he would send a vessel (containing water) to Um Salama. I looked into the container (that held the hair of the Prophet) and saw a few red hairs in it."

I went to Um Salama and she brought out for us some of the dyed hair of the Prophet. Ibn Mauhab also said that Um Salama had shown him the red hair of the Prophet.

The Prophet used to copy the people of the Scriptures in matters in which there was no order from Allah. The people of the Scripture used to let their hair hang down while the pagans used to part their hair. So the Prophet let his hair hang down first, but later on he parted it.

As if I am now looking at the shine of the hair parting of the Prophet while he was in the state of Ihram.

Some clothes were presented to Allah's Apostle as a gift and there was a black Khamisa with it. The Prophet asked (his companions), "To whom do you suggest we give this Khamisa?" The people kept quiet. Then he said, "Bring me Um Khalid." So I was brought to him and he dressed me with it with his own hands and said twice, "May you live so long that you will wear out many garments." He then started looking at the embroidery of that Khamisa and said, "O Um Khalid! This is Sana!" (Sana in Ethiopian language means beautiful.) Ishaq, a sub-narrator, said: A woman of my family had told me that she had seen the Khamisa worn by Um Khalid.

The Prophet has cursed the lady who lengthens her hair artificially and the one who gets her hair lengthened, and also the lady who tattoos (herself or others) and the one who gets herself tattooed.

A woman asked the Prophet saying, "O Allah's Apostle! My daughter got measles and her hair fell out. Now that I got her married, may I let her use false hair?" He said (to her), "Allah has cursed the lady who lengthens hair artificially and the one who gets her hair lengthened artificially."

I heard the Prophet saying, (or the Prophet said), "Allah has cursed the lady who practices tattooing and that who gets it done for herself, and also the lady who lengthens hair artificially and that who gets her hair lengthened artificially." The Prophet has cursed such ladies.

Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing or get it done for themselves, and those who remove hair from their faces, and those who create spaces between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, such ladies as change the features created by Allah. Why then shall I not curse those whom Allah's Apostle has cursed and who are cursed in Allah's Book too?

The Prophet forbade men to use saffron.

While I was riding behind the Prophet and between me and him there was only the back of the saddle, he said, "0 Mu'adh!" I replied, "Labbaik, 0 Allah's Apostle, and Sa'daik!" he said, "Do you know what is Allah's right upon his slave?" I said, "Allah and His Apostle know best." He said, "Allah's right upon his slaves is that they should worship Him alone and not worship anything else besides Him." Then he proceeded for a while and then said, "O Muadh bin Jabal!" I replied, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle, Sa'daik!" He said, "Do you know what is the right of the slaves upon Allah if they do that?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know best." He said, "The right of the slaves upon Allah is that He will not punish them (if they do that)."

The Prophet said, "(Allah said), 'Every good deed of Adam's son is for him except fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.' Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk."

(the wife of the Prophet)

I bought a cushion having pictures on it. When Allah's Apostle saw it, he stopped at the gate and did not enter. I noticed the signs of hatred (for that) on his face! I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I turn to Allah and His Apostle in repentance! What sin have I committed?" He said, "What about this cushion?" I said, "I bought it for you to sit on and recline on." Allah's Apostle said, "The makers of these pictures will be punished (severely) on the Day of Resurrection and it will be said to them, 'Make alive what you have created.' " He added, "Angels do not enter a house in which there are pictures."

Allah's Apostle said, "None of you should walk, wearing one shoe only; he should either put on both shoes or put on no shoes whatsoever."

We were with Masruq at the house of Yasar bin Numair. Masruq saw pictures on his terrace and said, "I heard 'Abdullah saying that he heard the Prophet saying, "The people who will receive the severest punishment from Allah will be the picture makers.' "

Allah's Apostle said, "Those who make these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them, 'Make alive what you have created.' "

Allah's Apostle returned from a journey when I had placed a curtain of mine having pictures over (the door of) a chamber of mine. When Allah's Apostle saw it, he tore it and said, "The people who will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be those who try to make the like of Allah's creations." So we turned it (i.e., the curtain) into one or two cushions.

The Prophet returned from a journey when I had hung a thick curtain having pictures (in front of a door). He ordered me to remove it and I removed it. 'Aisha added: The Prophet and I used to take a bath from one container (of water).

The Prophet cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses." The Prophet turned out such-and-such man, and 'Umar turned out such-and-such woman.

that once the Prophet was in her house, and an effeminate man was there too. The effeminate man said to 'Abdullah, (Um Salama's brother) "0 'Abdullah! If Ta'if should be conquered tomorrow, I recommend you the daughter of Ghailan, for she is so fat that she has four curves in the front (of her belly) and eight at the back." So the Prophet said (to his wives) "These effeminate (men) should not enter upon you (your houses)."

'Abdullah cursed those women who practiced tattooing and those who removed hair from their faces and those who created spaces between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, such ladies as changed what Allah has created. Um Ya'qub said, "What is that?" 'Abdullah said, "Why should I not curse those who were cursed by Allah's Apostle and are referred to in Allah's Book?" She said to him "By Allah, I have read the whole Qur'an but I have not found such a thing. 'Abdullah said, "By Allah, if you had read it (carefully) you would have found it. (Allah says:) 'And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you abstain (from it).'" (59.7)

I offered the 'Id prayer with the Prophet and he offered prayer before the Khutba (sermon). Ibn 'Abbas added: After the prayer the Prophet came towards (the rows of) the women and ordered them to give alms, and the women started putting their big and small rings in the garment of Bilal.

The Prophet allowed Az-Zubair and 'Abdur-Rahman to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch.

The Prophet used to construct a room with a Hasir at night in order to pray therein, and during the day he used to spread it out and sit on it. The people started coming to the Prophet at night to offer the prayer behind him. When their number increased, the Prophet faced them and said, "O people! Do only those good deeds which you can do, for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) till you get tired, and the best deeds to Allah are the incessant ones though they were few."

The Prophet used to like to start from the right side as far as possible in combing and in performing ablution.

When the disease of Allah's Apostle got aggravated, he covered his face with a Khamisa, but when he became short of breath, he would remove it from his face and say, "It is like that! May Allah curse the Jews and Christians because they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship." By that he warned his followers of imitating them, by doing that which they did.

'Aisha brought out to us a Kisa and an Izar and said, "The Prophet died while wearing these two." (Kisa, a square black piece of woolen cloth. Izar, a sheet cloth garment covering the lower half of the body).

Allah's Apostle offered prayer while he was wearing a Khamisa of his that had printed marks. He looked at its marks and when he finished prayer, he said, "Take this Khamisa of mine to Abu Jahm, for it has just now diverted my attention from my prayer, and bring to me the Anbijania (a plain thick sheet) of Abu Jahm bin Hudhaifa bin Ghanim who belonged to Bani Adi bin Ka'b."

Once I was walking with Allah's Apostle and he was wearing a Najram Burd with thick margin. A bedouin followed him and pulled his Burd so violently that I noticed the side of the shoulder of Allah's Apostle affected by the margin of the Burd because of that violent pull. The Bedouin said, "O Muhammad! Give me some of Allah's wealth which is with you." Allah's Apostle turned and looked at him, and smiling, he ordered that he be given something.

Shahl bin Sa'd said, "A lady came with a Burda. Sahl then asked (the people), "Do you know what Burda is?" Somebody said, "Yes, it is a Shamla with a woven border." Sahl added, "The lady said, 'O Allah's Apostle! I have knitted this (Burda) with my own hands for you to wear it.' Allah's Apostle took it and he was in need of it. Allah's Apostle came out to us and he was wearing it as an Izar. A man from the people felt it and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Give it to me to wear.' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' Then he sat there for some time (and when he went to his house), he folded it and sent it to him. The people said to that man, 'You have not done a right thing. You asked him for it, though you know that he does not put down anybody's request.' The man said, 'By Allah! I have only asked him so that it may be my shroud when I die.' " Sahl added, "Later it was his shroud."

I heard Allah's Apostle saying "From among my followers, a group (of 70,000) will enter Paradise without being asked for their accounts. Their faces will be shining like the moon." 'Ukasha bin Muhsin Al-Asadi got up, lifting his covering sheet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah for me that He may include me with them." The Prophet said! "O Allah! Make him from them." Then another man from Al-Ansar got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Invoke Allah for me that He may include me with them." On that Allah's Apostle said, "'Ukasha has anticipated you."

I asked Anas, "What kind of clothes was most beloved to the Prophet?" He replied, "The Hibra (a kind of Yemenese cloth)."

The most beloved garment to the Prophet to wear was the Hibra (a kind of Yemenese cloth).

(the wife of the Prophet) When Allah's Apostle died, he was covered with a Hibra Burd (green square decorated garment).

(the wife of the Prophet)

The wife of Rifa'a Al-Qurazi came to Allah's Apostle while I was sitting, and Abu Bakr was also there. She said, "O Allah's Apostle! I was the wife of Rifa'a and he divorced me irrevocably. Then I married Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubair who, by Allah, O Allah's Apostle, has only something like a fringe of a garment,"showing the fringe of her veil. Khalid bin Sa'id, who was standing at the door, for he had not been admitted, heard her statement and said, "O Abu Bakr! Why do you not stop this lady from saying such things openly before Allah's Apostle?" No, by Allah, Allah's Apostle did nothing but smiled. Then he said to the lady, "Perhaps you want to return to Rifa'a? That is impossible unless Abdur-Rahman consummates his marriage with you." That became the tradition after him.

In the year of the conquest of Mecca the Prophet entered Mecca, wearing a helmet on his head.

used to perfume the Prophet before his assuming the state of Ihram with the best scent available.

The worst of three (persons riding one animal) was mentioned in 'Ikrima's presence. 'Ikrima said, "Ibn 'Abbas said, '(In the year of the conquest of Mecca) the Prophet came and mounted Qutham in front of him and Al-Fadl behind him, or Qutham behind him and Al-Fadl in front of him.' Now which of them was the worst off and which was the best?"

Allah's Apostle has set forth an example for a miser and a charitable person by comparing them to two men wearing two iron cloaks and their hands are raised to their breasts and necks. Whenever the charitable man tries to give a charitable gift, his iron cloak expands till it becomes so wide that it will cover his fingertips and obliterate his tracks. And, whenever the miser wants to give a charitable gift, his cloak becomes very tight over him and every ring gets stuck to its place. Abu Huraira added; I saw Allah's Apostle putting his finger in the (chest) pocket of his shirt like that. If you but saw him trying to widen (the opening of his shirt) but it did not widen.

Allah's Apostle distributed some Qaba's but he did not give anything to Makhrama. Makhrama said (to me), "O my son! Let us go to Allah's Apostle." So I proceeded with him and he said, "Go in and call him for me." So I called the Prophet for him. The Prophet came out to him, wearing one of those Qaba's and said, (to Makhrama), "I have kept this for you " Makhrama looked at it and said, "Makhrama is satisfied now."

A silken Farruj was presented to Allah's Apostle and he put it on and offered the prayer in it. When he finished the prayer, he took it off violently as if he disliked it and said, "This (garment) does not befit those who fear Allah!"

I came to the Prophet while he was inside a red leather tent, and I saw Bilal taking the remaining water of the ablution of the Prophet, and the people were taking of that water and rubbing it on their faces; and whoever could not get anything of it, would share the moisture of the hand of his companion (and then rub it on his face).

The Prophet called for the Ansar and gathered them in a leather tent.

The Prophet asked for his Rida, put it on and set out walking. Zaid bin Haritha and I followed him till he reached the house where Harnza (bin 'Abdul Muttalib) was present and asked for permission to enter, and they gave us permission.

The sandal of the Prophet had two straps.

Anas bin Malik brought out for us, two sandals having two straps. Thabit Al-Banani said, "These were the sandals of the Prophet."

Anas was asked, "Did the Prophet wear a ring?" Anas said, "Once he delayed the 'Isha' prayer till midnight. Then he came, facing us...as if I am now looking at the glitter of his ring...and said, "The people have offered their prayers and slept but you have been in prayer as you have been waiting for it."

The ring of the Prophet was of silver, and its stone was of silver too.

A man asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What kind of clothes should a Muhrim wear?" The Prophet, said, "A Muhrim should not wear a shirt, trousers a hooded cloak, or Khuffs (leather socks covering the ankles) unless he cannot get sandals, in which case he should cut the part (of the Khuff) that covers the ankles."

The Prophet came to visit Abdullah bin Ubai (bin Salul) after he had been put in his grave. The Prophet ordered that 'Abdullah be taken out. He was taken out and was placed on the knees of the Prophet, who blew his (blessed) breath on him and dressed the body with his own shirt. And Allah knows better.

When Abdullah bin Ubdi (bin Salul) died, his son came to Allah's Apostle and said "O Allah's Apostle, give me your shirt so that I may shroud my father's body in it. And please offer a funeral prayer for him and invoke Allah for his forgiveness." The Prophet gave him his shirt and said to him, "Inform us when you finish (and the funeral procession is ready) call us." When he had finished he told the Prophet and the Prophet proceeded to order his funeral prayers but Umar stopped him and said, "Didn't Allah forbid you to offer the funeral prayer for the hypocrites when He said: 'Whether you (O Muhammad) ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them: (and even) if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times. Allah will not forgive them.' (9.80) Then there was revealed: 'And never (O Muhammad) pray for any of them that dies, nor stand at his grave.' " (9.34) Thenceforth the Prophet did not offer funeral prayers for the hypocrites.

Allah's Apostle said, "The evil eye is a fact," and he forbade tattooing.

(As above 827).

The Prophet forbade the use of the price of blood and the price of a dog, the one who takes (eats) usury the one who gives usury, the woman who practises tattooing and the woman who gets herself tattooed.

that he saw a silver ring on the hand of Allah's Apostle for one day only. Then the people had silver rings made for themselves and wore it. On that, Allah's Apostle threw his ring away and the people threw away their rings as well. (For the details of this Hadith, see Fateh-Al-Bari, Vol. 12, page 438).

I saw Bilal bringing an 'Anza (a small spear) and fixing it in the ground, and then he proclaimed the Iqarna of the prayer, and I saw Allah's Apostle coming out, wearing a cloak with its sleeves rolled up. He then offered a two-Rak'at prayer while facing the 'Anza, and I saw the people and animals passing in front of him beyond the 'Anza.

The Prophet said, "Whoever cannot get an Izar, can wear trousers, and whoever cannot wear sandals can wear Khuffs."

A man got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! What do you order us to wear when we assume the state of Ihram?" The Prophet replied, "Do not wear shirts, trousers, turbans, hooded cloaks or Khuffs, but if a man has no sandals, he can wear Khuffs after cutting them short below the ankles; and do not wear clothes touched with (perfumes) of saffron or wars."

When the Prophet intended to write to the Byzantines, it was said to him, "Those people do not read your letter unless it is stamped." So the Prophet took a silver ring and got "Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah" engraved on it...as if I am now looking at its glitter in his hand.

The Prophet forbade us to drink out of gold and silver vessels, or eat in it, and also forbade the wearing of silk and Dibaj or sitting on it.

The Prophet had a golden ring made for himself, and when he wore it, he used to turn its stone toward the palm of his hand. So the people too had gold made for themselves. The Prophet then ascended the pulpit, and after glorifying and praising Allah, he said, "I had it made for me, but now I will never wear it again." He threw it away, and then the people threw away their rings too. (Juwairiya, a sub-narrator, said: I think Anas said that the Prophet was wearing the ring in his right hand.)

On the day of the battle of Uhud, on the right and on the left of the Prophet were two men wearing white clothes, and I had neither seen them before, nor did I see them afterwards.

I came to the Prophet while he was wearing white clothes and sleeping. Then I went back to him again after he had got up from his sleep. He said, "Nobody says: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah' and then later on he dies while believing in that, except that he will enter Paradise." I said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft?" He said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft." I said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft?" He said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft." I said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft?" He said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft, in spite of the Abu Dharr's dislikeness." Abu 'Abdullah said, "This is at the time of death or before it if one repents and regrets and says 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' He will be forgiven his sins."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Bakr ibn Nafi from his father Nafi, the mawla of Ibn Umar that Safiyya bint Abi Ubayd informed him that Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that when the lower garment of women was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, he said, "She lets it down a handspan." Umm Salama said, "If it leaves her uncovered?" He said, "Then the length of a forearm and let her not increase it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj that Abu Hurayra said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade two sales. Mulamasa, in which a man is obliged to buy whatever he touches without any choice in the matter, and munabadha, in which two men throw their garment to each other without either seeing the other's garment. He also forbade two ways of dressing. One in which a man sits with his legs drawn up to his chest wrapped in one garment that does not cover his genitals, and the other in which a man wraps a single garment over one arm and shoulder restricting them."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-Khattab saw a silk robe at the door of the mosque. He said, "Messenger of Allah, would you buy this robe and wear it on jumua and when envoys come to you?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Only a person who has no portion in the next world wears this." Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was brought some robes of the same material and gave Umar ibn al-Khattab one of the robes. Umar said, "Messenger of Allah, do you clothe me in it when you said what you said about the robe of Utarid?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I did not give it to you to wear." Umar gave it to a brother of his in Makka who was still an idolater.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha said, "Anas ibn Malik said, 'I saw Umar ibn al-Khattab when he was the amir of Madina. Three patches were sewn between his shoulders, one patched over the other.' ''

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar wore garments dyed with red earth and dyed with saffron.

Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "I disapprove of youths wearing any gold because I heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade wearing gold rings, and I disapprove of it for males old or young."

Yahya said, "I heard Malik say about men wearing wraps dyed with safflower in their houses and courtyards, 'I do not know that any of that is haram but I prefer other garments than that.' "

Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that A'isha the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, dressed Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr in a shawl of silk which A'isha used to wear.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that Ibn Wala al-Misri asked Abdullah ibn Abbas about what is squeezed from the grapes. Ibn Abbas replied, "A man gave the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a small water-skin of wine. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'Don't you know that Allah has made it haram?' He said, 'No.' Then a man at his side whispered to him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked what he had whispered, and the man replied, 'I told him to sell it.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The One who made drinking it haram has made selling it haram.' The man then opened the water-skins and poured out what was in them ."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha that Anas ibn Malik said, "I was serving wine to Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah and Abu Talha al-Ansari and Umayy ibn Kab. The wine had been prepared from crushed ripe dates and dried dates. Someone came to them and said, 'Wine has been made haram.' Abu Talha ordered me to go and take the jugs and break them. I stood up and went to a mortar of ours and I struck them with the bottom of it until they broke."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn that Waqid ibn Amr ibn Sad ibn Muadh informed him from Mahmud ibn Labid al-Ansari that when Umar ibn al-Khattab went to ash-Sham, the people of ash-Sham complained to him about the bad air of their land and its heaviness. They said, "Only this drink helps." Umar said, "Drink this honey preparation." They said, "Honey does not help us." A man from the people of that land said, "Can we give you something of this drink which does not intoxicate?" He said, "Yes." They cooked it until two-thirds of it evaporated and one-third of it remained. Then they brought it to Umar. Umar put his finger in it and then lifted his head and extended it. He said, "This is fruit juice concentrated by boiling. This is like the distillation with which you smear the camel's scabs." Umar ordered them to drink it. Ubada ibn as-Samit said to him, "You have made it halal, by Allah!" Umar said, "No, by Allah! O Allah! I will not make anything halal for them which You have made haram for them! I will not make anything haram for them which You have made halal for them."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that some men from Iraq said to him, "Abu Abd ar-Rahman, we buy the fruit of the palm and grapes and we squeeze them into wine and we sell it." Abdullah ibn Umar said, "I call on Allah and His angels and whoever hears of jinn and men to testify to you that I order you not to buy it nor sell it nor to press it nor to drink it nor to give it to people to drink. It is something impure from the work of Shaytan."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that as-Sa'ib ibn Yazid informed him that Umar ibn al-Khattab came out to them. He said, "I have found the smell of wine on so-and-so, and he claimed that it was the drink of boiled fruit juice, and I am inquiring about what he has drunk. If it intoxicates, I will flog him." Umar then flogged him with the complete hadd.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Thawr ibn Zayd ad-Dili that Umar ibn al-Khattab asked advice about a man drinking wine. Ali ibn Abi Talib said to him, "We think that you flog him for it with eighty lashes. Because when he drinks, he becomes intoxicated, and when he becomes intoxicated, he talks confusedly, and when he talks confusedly, he lies." (80 lashes is the same amount as for slandering) Umar gave eighty lashes for drinking wine.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that he was asked about the hadd of the slave for wine. He said, "I heard that he has half the hadd of a freeman for drinking wine. Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Abdullah ibn Umar flogged their slaves with half of the hadd of a freeman when they drank wine."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he heard Said ibn al-Musayyab say, "There is nothing that Allah does not like to be pardoned as long as it is not a hadd."

Yahya said that Malik said, "The sunna with us is that the hadd is obliged against anyone who drinks something intoxicating whether or not he becomes drunk."

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever drinks alcoholic drinks in the world and does not repent (before dying), will be deprived of it in the Hereafter."

On the night Allah's Apostle was taken on a night journey (Miraj) two cups, one containing wine and the other milk, were presented to him at Jerusalem. He looked at it and took the cup of milk. Gabriel said, "Praise be to Allah Who guided you to Al-Fitra (the right path); if you had taken (the cup of) wine, your nation would have gone astray."

I heard from Allah's Apostle a narration which none other than I will narrate to you. The Prophet said, "From among the portents of the hour are the following: General ignorance (in religious affairs) will prevail, (religious) knowledge will decrease, illegal sexual intercourse will prevail, alcoholic drinks will be drunk (in abundance), men will decrease and women will increase so much so that for every fifty women there will be one man to look after them."

The Prophet said, "An adulterer, at the time he is committing illegal sexual intercourse is not a believer; and a person, at the time of drinking an alcoholic drink is not a believer; and a thief, at the time of stealing, is not a believer." Ibn Shihab said: 'Abdul Malik bin Abi Bakr bin 'Abdur-Rahman bin Al- Harith bin Hisham told me that Abu Bakr used to narrate that narration to him on the authority of Abu Huraira. He used to add that Abu Bakr used to mention, besides the above cases, "And he who robs (takes illegally something by force) while the people are looking at him, is not a believer at the time he is robbing (taking)."

'Umar delivered a sermon on the pulpit of Allah's Apostle, saying, "Alcoholic drinks were prohibited by Divine Order, and these drinks used to be prepared from five things, i.e., grapes, dates, wheat, barley and honey. Alcoholic drink is that, that disturbs the mind." 'Umar added, "I wish Allah's Apostle had not left us before he had given us definite verdicts concerning three matters, i.e., how much a grandfather may inherit (of his grandson), the inheritance of Al-Kalala (the deceased person among whose heirs there is no father or son), and various types of Riba(1 ) (usury)."

I was serving Abu 'Ubaida, Abu Talha and Ubai bin Ka'b with a drink prepared from ripe and unripe dates. Then somebody came to them and said, "Alcoholic drinks have been prohibited." (On hearing that) Abu Talha said, "Get up, O Anas, and pour (throw) it out!" So I poured (threw) it out.

While I was waiting on my uncles and serving them with (wine prepared from) dates--and I was the youngest of them--it was said, "Alcoholic drinks have been prohibited." So they said (to me), "Throw it away." So I threw it away.

Alcoholic drinks were prohibited. At that time these drinks used to be prepared from unripe and ripe dates.

Anas used to breathe twice or thrice in the vessel (while drinking) and used to say that the Prophet used to take three breaths while drinking.

I was with the Prophet and the time for the 'Asr prayer became due. We had no water with us except a little which was put in a vessel and was brought to the Prophet. He put his hand into it and spread out his fingers and then said, "Come along! Hurry up! All those who want to perform ablution. The blessing is from Allah.'' I saw the water gushing out from his fingers. So the people performed the ablution and drank, and I tried to drink more of that water (beyond my thirst and capacity), for I knew that it was a blessing. The sub-narrator said: I asked Jabir, "How many persons were you then?" He replied, "We were one-thousand four hundred men." Salim said: Jabir said, 1500.

While Hudhaita was at Mada'in, he asked for water. The chief of the village brought him a silver vessel. Hudhaifa threw it away and said, "I have thrown it away because I told him not to use it, but he has not stopped using it. The Prophet forbade us to wear clothes of silk or Dibaj, and to drink in gold or silver utensils, and said, 'These things are for them (unbelievers) in this world and for you (Muslims) in the Hereafter.' "

The Prophet and one of his companions entered upon an Ansari man. The Prophet and his companion greeted (the man) and he replied, "O Allah's Apostle! Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you! It is hot," while he was watering his garden. The Prophet asked him, "If you have water kept overnight in a water skin, (give us), or else we will drink by putting our mouths in the basin." The man was watering the garden The man said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have water kept overnight in a water-skin." He went to the shade and poured some water into a bowl and milked some milk from a domestic goat in it. The Prophet drank and then gave the bowl to the man who had come along with him to drink.

(daughter of Al-Harith) that she sent a bowl of milk to the Prophet while he was standing (at 'Arafat) in the afternoon of the Day of 'Arafat. He took it in his hands and drank it. Narrated Abu Nadr: The Prophet was on the back of his camel.

Abu Talha had the largest number of datepalms from amongst the Ansars of Medina. The dearest of his property to him was Bairuha garden which was facing the (Prophet's) Mosque. Allah's Apostle used to enter it and drink of its good fresh water. When the Holy Verse: "By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you spend (in charity) of that which you love." (3.92) was revealed, Abu Talha got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allah says: "By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you spend of that which you love,' and the dearest of my property to me is the Bairuha garden and I want to give it in charity in Allah's Cause, seeking to be rewarded by Allah for that. So you can spend it, O Allah's Apostle, whereever Allah instructs you." Allah's Apostle said, "Good! That is a perishable (or profitable) wealth." ('Abdullah is in doubt as to which word was used.) He said, "I have heard what you have said but in my opinion you'd better give it to your kith and kin." On that Abu Talha said, "I will do so, O Allah's Apostle!" Abu Talha distributed that garden among his kith and kin and cousins.

Allah's Apostle was presented a bowl of milk and a bowl of wine on the night he was taken on a journey (Al-Mi'raj).

The people doubted whether Allah's Apostle was fasting on the Day of 'Arafat or not. So I sent a cup containing milk to him and he drank it.

Abu Humaid brought a cup of mix from a place called Al-Naqi. Allah's Apostle said to him, "Will you not cover it, even by placing a stick across it?"

Abu Humaid, an Ansari man, came from An-Naqi carrying a cup of milk to the Prophet. The Prophet said, "Will you not cover it even by placing a stick across it?"

The Prophet came from Mecca with Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr said, "We passed by a shepherd and at that time Allah's Apostle was thirsty. I milked a little milk in a bowl and Allah's Apostle drank till I was pleased. Suraqa bin Ju'shum came to us riding a horse (chasing us). The Prophet invoked evil upon him, whereupon Suraqa requested him not to invoke evil upon him, in which case he would go back. The Prophet agreed.

Allah's Apostle said, "The best object of charity is a she-camel which has (newly) given birth and gives plenty of milk, or a she-goat which gives plenty of milk; and is given to somebody to utilize its milk by milking one bowl in the morning and one in the evening."

Allah's Apostle drank milk and then rinsed his mouth and said, "It contains fat." The Prophet added: "I was raised to the Lote Tree and saw four rivers, two of which were coming out and two going in. Those which were coming out were the Nile and the Euphrates, and those which were going in were two rivers in paradise. Then I was given three bowls, one containing milk, and another containing honey, and a third containing wine. I took the bowl containing milk and drank it. It was said to me, "You and your followers will be on the right path (of Islam)."

Allah's Apostle said, "When you drink (water), do not breathe in the vessel; and when you urinate, do not touch your penis with your right hand. And when you cleanse yourself after defecation, do not use your right hand."

The Prophet said, "Do not drink in gold or silver utensils, and do not wear clothes of silk or Dibaj, for these things are for them (unbelievers) in this world and for you in the Hereafter."

(the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Apostle said, "He who drinks in silver utensils is only filling his abdomen with Hell Fire."

Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us from seven. He ordered us to visit the sick, to follow funeral processions, (to say) to a sneezer, (May Allah bestow His Mercy on you, if he says, Praise be to Allah), to accept invitations, to greet (everybody), to help the oppressed and to help others to fulfill their oaths. He forbade us to wear gold rings, to drink in silver (utensils), to use Mayathir (silken carpets placed on saddles), to wear Al-Qissi (a kind of silken cloth), to wear silk, Dibaj or Istabraq (two kinds of silk).

Milk mixed with water was brought to Allah's Apostle while a bedouin was on his right and Abu Bakr was on his left. He drank (of it) and then gave (it) to the bedouin and said, 'The right" "The right (first)."