Hadith 3206

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ نَجْدَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ . ح وحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ الْفَضْلِ السِّجِسْتَانِيُّ ، حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ إِسْمَاعِيل ، بِمَعْنَاهُ ، عَنْ كَثِيرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ الْمَدَنِيِّ ، عَنِ الْمُطَّلِبِ ، قَالَ : لَمَّا مَاتَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ ، أُخْرِجَ بِجَنَازَتِهِ فَدُفِنَ ، أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ بِحَجَرٍ ، فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ حَمْلَهُ ، فَقَامَ إِلَيْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَحَسَرَ عَنْ ذِرَاعَيْهِ ، قَالَ كَثِيرٌ : قَالَ الْمُطَّلِبُ : قَالَ الَّذِي يُخْبِرُنِي ذَلِكَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى بَيَاضِ ذِرَاعَيْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ حَسَرَ عَنْهُمَا ، ثُمَّ حَمَلَهَا فَوَضَعَهَا عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ ، وَقَالَ : أَتَعَلَّمُ بِهَا قَبْرَ أَخِي ، وَأَدْفِنُ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ مَاتَ مِنْ أَهْلِي " .
Narrated Al-Muttalib: When Uthman ibn Maz'un died, he was brought out on his bier and buried. The Prophet ﷺ ordered a man to bring him a stone, but he was unable to carry it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up and going over to it rolled up his sleeves. The narrator Kathir told that al-Muttalib remarked: The one who told me about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I still seem to see the whiteness of the forearms of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he rolled up his sleeves. He then carried it and placed it at his head saying: I am marking my brother's grave with it, and I shall bury beside him those of my family who die.
Hadith Reference سنن ابي داود / كتاب الجنائز / 3206
Hadith Grading الألبانی: حسن  |  زبیر علی زئی: إسناده حسن, مشكوة المصابيح (1711)
Hadith Takhrij « تفرد بہ أبو داود، (تحفة الأشراف: 15672) (حسن) » (متابعات و شواہد سے تقویت پا کر یہ صحیح بھی حسن ہے، ورنہ کثیر بن زید سے روایت میں غلطیاں ہو جایا کرتی تھی)۔
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:

It is permissible to place an appropriate marker on a grave.
However, it is not permissible to install an inscribed plaque or to plant a flag or similar object.

A person should choose a righteous neighbor, to the extent that even in the grave it is recommended to seek the neighborhood of a righteous person.

One translation of the words of the hadith "دفن الیہ" (bury near him) is as has been done here, from which the recommendation of being buried near righteous people is established.
Another meaning that has been given is that I should bury my other family members with him, from which the permissibility of burying multiple individuals in a single grave is established.
It is likely that this is the meaning Imam Abu Dawud had in mind, and he has titled the chapter accordingly.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 3206