Hurry Up with the Dead (Ahadith 1099 – 1101)

Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 400:

Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri :

Allah’s Apostle said, When the funeral is ready and the men carry it on their shoulders, if the deceased was righteous it will say, ‘Present me (hurriedly),’ and if he was not righteous, it will say, ‘Woe to it (me)! Where are they taking it (me)?’ Its voice is heard by everything except man and if he heard it he would fall unconscious.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 401:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “Hurry up with the dead body for if it was righteous, you are forwarding it to welfare; and if it was otherwise, then you are putting off an evil thing down your necks.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 402:

Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri

The Prophet said, “When a funeral is ready and the men carry the deceased on their necks (shoulders), if it was pious then it will say, ‘Present me quickly’, and if it was not pious, then it will say, ‘Woe to it (me), where are they taking it (me)?’ And its voice is heard by everything except mankind and if he heard it he would fall unconscious.”

It is not permissible to delay (burial) except within the limits of what is needed to prepare him or to wait for his relatives or neighbours to come, if that will not take too long according to local custom, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hasten to bury your dead….” This hadeeth was narrated by Maalik and Ahmad, 2/240; and by al-Bukhaari, 2/87-88. It is not permitted to hold a “wake” for him, or to set up pavilions (for mourners to gather), i.e., so called mourning rituals. Those who could not attend the funeral may pray over his grave, if he was in the city where he was, within a period of two months, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed over the grave of Umm Sa’d one month after her burial.

Standing Committee for Research, p. 355

Wassalam.