It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Abu al-Hasan, tell us about walking with the funeral: which way of doing it is more virtuous?" Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, the virtue of the one who walks behind it over the one who walks in front of it is like the virtue of the obligatory prayer over voluntary worship." Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, ever since I attended a funeral which Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) also attended, I saw both of them walking in front of it (so how can this be?)." At this, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "May Allah forgive them both. Indeed, the best people of this Ummah after its Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both); then Allah knows best where goodness lies. If you saw the two of them doing that, they did it despite knowing that the virtue of walking behind the funeral over walking in front of it is exactly like the virtue of the obligatory over the voluntary, just as we know that before tomorrow there is a night; but the two of them liked to create ease and room for the people and disliked hardship for them, because they knew that their action would be followed." Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "O Abu al-Hasan, tell me about carrying the bier: is it obligatory upon the one who attends it?" He said: "No, but it is a good deed; whoever wishes may take part and whoever wishes may leave it. When you are with a funeral, keep it in front of you and make it a sign set before your eyes, for it is only an admonition, a reminder and a lesson. Then, if you intend to carry it, place the rear leg on the left side of the bier on your right shoulder. When you reach the graveyard, stand and do not sit, for you are witnessing a tremendous matter. Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Your brother, your brother! He used to compete with you in the world and was greedy for it; he strove to build palaces in the expanses of the earth, (but now) he has been placed in a grave, on his side, at the bottom of a pit.' So stand and do not sit until you have thoroughly poured earth over him. If people do not leave you alone, and they will not leave you alone, and they say: 'By Allah, this is of no importance,' still stand and do not sit until he is lowered into his grave, even if they quarrel with you over it."
I (Ibn Hajar) say: This chain is extremely weak.
Hadith Referenceالمطالب العالية بزوائد المسانيد الثمانية / كتاب الجنائز / 805
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسناده ضعيف
Hadith Takhrij«حکم الحدیث المطالب العالیہ محققاً تنسیق د. سعد بن ناصر بن عبد العزيز الشَّثري- مکتبہ شاملہ :قال ابن حجر: هَذَا إِسْنَادٌ ضَعِيفٌ بِمَرَّةٍ . » «أخرجه ابن حبان فى «صحيحه» برقم: 2958، والضياء المقدسي فى "الأحاديث المختارة"، 414، 698، 699، والبيهقي فى«سننه الكبير» برقم: 6969، وأحمد فى «مسنده» برقم: 765، 970، وأبو يعلى فى «مسنده» برقم: 289، والبزار فى «مسنده» برقم: 480»