The Funeral Prayer of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
The funeral prayer of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was not led by any imam. Instead, people participated individually, such that each group would enter the chamber through one door, say the Takbirs, recite Salawat, and make supplication, then exit through another door. The details and evidences are as follows:
Evidence Number 1
During the illness of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, you lost consciousness. When you regained it, you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم asked: Has the time for prayer come? The companions said: Yes! Then you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: Command Bilal (رضی اللہ عنہ) to give the call to prayer and Abu Bakr (رضی اللہ عنہ) to lead the prayer. Then you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم lost consciousness again. When you regained it again, you asked once more: Has the time for prayer come? The Pure Wives said: Yes! Then you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: Command Bilal to give the call to prayer and Abu Bakr to lead the prayer. Lady Aisha رضی اللہ عنہا said: My father has a weak heart. To this, you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: You are like those women who gathered to see Yusuf. Then Sayyidna Bilal رضی اللہ عنہ was commanded to give the call to prayer and Abu Bakr Siddiq رضی اللہ عنہ to lead the prayer. When the congregation stood, you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: Has the congregation stood? The Pure Wives said: Yes! Then you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: Call someone for me whom I can lean on. Lady Barirah رضی اللہ عنہا and another person came and supported you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and you proceeded to the mosque. Sayyidna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ was leading the companions in prayer. You صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم sat beside him. When Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ tried to step back, you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم stopped him and remained seated with him until the prayer was completed.
When the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم passed away, Sayyiduna Umar رضی اللہ عنہ said: If I hear anyone say that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has died, I will strike him down with my sword. The people remained silent because they were illiterate and no prophet had come to them before you. Then the people said: Salem! Bring the companion of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضی اللہ عنہ. I went out and found him standing in the mosque. He asked: Has the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم died? I said: Sayyiduna Umar رضی اللہ عنہ says that if I hear anyone say that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has died, I will strike him down with my sword. Then he took my wrist and proceeded towards Aisha’s chamber رضی اللہ عنہا. When he reached there, people made way for him until he leaned close to the face of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and, when he was certain that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم had indeed passed away, he recited the verse: اِنَّکَ مَیِّتٌ وَّاِنَّھُمْ مَّیِّتُوْنَ
. Then the companions asked: O companion of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, has the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم died? Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضی اللہ عنہ said: Yes! Then the people became certain that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم had truly passed away.
Then the Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, companions of the Prophet! Will we perform the funeral prayer of the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم? Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ said: Yes! They asked: How will we perform the funeral prayer? He replied: People will enter the chamber in groups, say Takbirs, and make supplications, then come out and another group will come. The Companions further asked: O Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, companions! Will the burial of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم also take place? He said: Yes. The Companions asked: Where will your burial be? Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ said: Where the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم passed away, because Allah took the soul of صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in a pure place. The people accepted that this was correct.
Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ said: Your Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is among you. After that, he left from there, and the Muhajireen gathered to consult about the Caliphate. They said: Let us go to the Ansar because they also have a right in this matter. When they reached the Ansar, the Ansar said: One leader will be from us and one leader will be from you. Upon this, Sayyiduna Umar رضی اللہ عنہ said: Two swords cannot remain in one sheath. Then he took the hand of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضی اللہ عنہ and said: To whom do these three statements refer? اِذْ یَقُوْلُ لِصَاحِبِہٖ
“When the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was speaking to his companion,” who was that companion? اِذْ ھُمَا فِی الْغَارِ
“When they both were in the cave,” who were those two? لَا تَحْزَنْ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ مَعَنَا
“O Prophet! Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.” After this, they pledged allegiance to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ and asked the people to pledge allegiance as well. Then everyone pledged allegiance in a very beautiful and excellent manner.
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, may Allah have mercy on him,
has declared this hadith authentic.
Hafiz Busiri says: “This chain is authentic, its narrators are trustworthy”
Hafiz Haithami says: “Its narrators are trustworthy”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “Its chains are authentic, but it is Mauquf (stopped at a Companion)”
Evidence Number 2
The narration is present in Sunan Al-Kubra Al-Bayhaqi:
یَجِیئُونَ عُصْبًا عُصْبًا، فَیُصَلُّونَ
“People will come in groups and will perform the funeral prayer for the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.”
Evidence Number 3
In Shama’il Tirmidhi, there is a narration which provides this detail:
قَالُوا : یَا صَاحِبَ رَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَیُصَلّٰی عَلٰی رَسُولِ اللّٰہِ؟ قَالَ : نَعَمْ، قَالُوا : وَکَیْفَ؟ قَالَ : یَدْخُلُ قَوْمٌ، فَیُکَبِّرُونَ وَیُصَلُّونَ وَیَدْعُونَ، ثُمَّ یَخْرُجُونَ، ثُمَّ یَدْخُلُ قَوْمٌ، فَیُکَبِّرُونَ وَیُصَلُّونَ وَیَدْعُونَ، ثُمَّ یَخْرُجُونَ، حَتّٰی یَدْخُلَ النَّاسُ
“People asked: O companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Will the funeral prayer of the Noble Prophet ﷺ be performed? He said: Yes! People asked: How? He said: People will enter inside (the chamber), say Takbirs, recite Salawat, and make supplications, then come out. Then another group will enter and do the same. In this way, all people will participate in the funeral prayer one after another.”
Evidence Number 4
Hazrat Bahz bin Asad رضي الله عنه narrates:
إِنَّہٗ شَہِدَ الصَّلَاۃَ عَلٰی رَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالُوا : کَیْفَ نُصَلِّي عَلَیْہِ؟ قَالَ : ادْخُلُوا أَرْسَالًا أَرْسَالًا، قَالَ : فَکَانُوا یَدْخُلُونَ مِنْ ہٰذَا الْبَابِ، فَیُصَلُّونَ عَلَیْہِ، ثُمَّ یَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْبَابِ الْآخَرِ، قَالَ : فَلَمَّا وُضِعَ فِي لَحْدِہٖ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ الْمُغِیرَۃُ : قَدْ بَقِيَ مِنْ رِجْلَیْہِ شَيْئٌ لَّمْ یُصْلِحُوہُ، قَالُوا : فَادْخُلْ فَأَصْلِحْہُ، فَدَخَلَ، وَأَدْخَلَ یَدَہٗ، فَمَسَّ قَدَمَیْہِ، فَقَالَ : أَہِیلُوا عَلَيَّ التُّرَابَ، فَأَہَالُوا عَلَیْہِ التُّرَابَ، حَتّٰی بَلَغَ أَنْصَافَ سَاقَیْہِ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ، فَکَانَ یَقُولُ : أَنَا أَحْدَثُکُمْ عَہْدًا بِرَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ
“He was present in Medina when the funeral prayer of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was performed. People asked: How should we perform the funeral prayer? Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Come in groups of one. People entered through one door, performed the funeral prayer, and exited through another door. Then, when the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was placed in the grave, Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that some part near the feet of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was not properly arranged. People said: You enter the grave and fix it. He entered the grave and touched the blessed feet, then said: Throw soil on my behalf. People started throwing soil until it reached halfway up the calves. Then he came out and said: I am the last person among you who met the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.”
Evidence Number 5
Hazrat Abu Asim or Hazrat Abu Usaib, may Allah be pleased with them, narrate:
لَمَّا قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ؛ قَالُوا : کَیْفَ نُصَلِّي عَلَیْہِ؟ قَالُوا : ادْخُلُوا مِنْ ذَا الْبَابِ أَرْسَالًا أَرْسَالًا، فَصَلُّوا عَلَیْہِ، وَاخْرُجُوا مِنَ الْبَابِ الْآخَرِ
“When the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, passed away, people asked: How should the funeral prayer of the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, be performed? The Companions replied: Enter through this gate in groups and perform the funeral prayer, then exit through the other gate.”
Scholars’ Verdict
Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وَذٰلِکَ لِعِظَمِ أَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیہِ وَسَلَّمَ، بِأَبِي ہُوَ وَأُمِّي، وَتَنَافُسِہِمْ فِي أَنْ لَّا یَتَوَلَّی الْإِمَامَۃَ فِي الصَّلَاۃِ عَلَیْہِ وَاحِدٌ، وَصَلَّوْا عَلَیْہِ مَرَّۃً بَعْدَ مَرَّۃً
“May my parents be sacrificed for the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him. His funeral prayer was performed individually so that his greatness might be expressed, and because none of the Companions was willing to lead the funeral prayer of the Prophet, peace be upon him.”
The statement of the Muhaddith of Andalusia, Allama Ibn Abd al-Barr, may Allah have mercy on him:
وَأَمَّا صَلَاۃُ النَّاسِ عَلَیْہِ أَفْذَاذًا، فَمُجْتَمَعٌ عَلَیْہِ، عِنْدَ أَہْلِ السِّیَرِ، وَجَمَاعَۃُ أَہْلِ النَّقْلِ لَا یَخْتَلِفُونَ فِیہٖ
“There is consensus among the people of the Seerah that the funeral prayer of the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, was performed individually, and no disagreement is found in this.”
The Islamic historian Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
وَہٰذَا الصَّنِیعُ، وَہُوَ صَلَاتُہُمْ عَلَیْہِ فُرَادٰی، لَمْ یَوُمَّہُمْ أَحَدٌ عَلَیْہِ، أَمْرٌ مُّجْمَعٌ عَلَیْہِ، لَا خِلَافَ فِیہٖ
“There is consensus on the individual performance of the funeral prayer of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and that no one should lead the prayer, and there is no disagreement on this.”
