Hadith 455
اُردوEn
وعن جابر رضي الله عنه قال : كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يكبر على جنائزنا أربعا ويقرأ بفاتحة الكتاب في التكبيرة الأولى.رواه الشافعي بإسناد ضعيف.
Jabir (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say four Takbirat over the dead, and would recite al-Fatihah in (after saying) the first (opening) Takbirat.’ Related by Ash-Shafi’i with a weak chain of narrators.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Safi ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
Benefits and Issues:
➊ In the chain of narration of this hadith, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Aqil is a weak narrator, who narrates from Jabir radi Allahu anhu. However, the next hadith supports and corroborates it, as our esteemed researcher has indicated in his research and referencing. Therefore, despite the aforementioned narration being weak in its chain, it is acceptable as evidence and actionable due to other supporting narrations. Accordingly, it is established from both this narration and the upcoming narration that reciting Surah al-Fatihah after the first takbir in the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is Sunnah. Now, to say that it should not be recited with the intention of recitation (qira’ah), but only with the intention of supplication (du‘a), is merely an interpretation for which there is no Shari‘ah evidence.
➋ In one narration of Sunan al-Nasa’i, the recitation of another surah along with Surah al-Fatihah is also reported. [سنن النسائي ، الجنائز ، باب الدعاء ، حديث : 1989]
According to Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah and Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, reciting Surah al-Fatihah in the funeral prayer is obligatory (wajib). And some scholars do not accept its legislation (mashru‘iyyah). However, there is no authentic evidence for its non-legislation.
➊ In the chain of narration of this hadith, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Aqil is a weak narrator, who narrates from Jabir radi Allahu anhu. However, the next hadith supports and corroborates it, as our esteemed researcher has indicated in his research and referencing. Therefore, despite the aforementioned narration being weak in its chain, it is acceptable as evidence and actionable due to other supporting narrations. Accordingly, it is established from both this narration and the upcoming narration that reciting Surah al-Fatihah after the first takbir in the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is Sunnah. Now, to say that it should not be recited with the intention of recitation (qira’ah), but only with the intention of supplication (du‘a), is merely an interpretation for which there is no Shari‘ah evidence.
➋ In one narration of Sunan al-Nasa’i, the recitation of another surah along with Surah al-Fatihah is also reported. [سنن النسائي ، الجنائز ، باب الدعاء ، حديث : 1989]
According to Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah and Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, reciting Surah al-Fatihah in the funeral prayer is obligatory (wajib). And some scholars do not accept its legislation (mashru‘iyyah). However, there is no authentic evidence for its non-legislation.
Source: Bulugh al-Maram: Commentary by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Page: 455
