Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 806 — Walking with the funeral and staying

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Yasar that Sayyiduna Amr bin Hurayth (may Allah be pleased with him) visited Sayyiduna al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) in his illness while Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting with him. Amr bin Hurayth (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: "What do you say about walking in front of the funeral?" Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The virtue of the one who walks behind the funeral over the one who walks in front of it is like the virtue of the obligatory prayer over the voluntary prayer." He said: "But I saw Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with them both) walking in front of the funeral." At this, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Those two (chose to walk in front because they) disliked putting the people into any difficulty or hardship."
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from this report only the story of the sick-visit and did not mention its final part.