Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 11572 — Those who liked walking behind

Sayyiduna Ibn Abza (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I was at a funeral; Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) were in front of the funeral, and Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was walking behind. I went to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "Is walking behind the funeral better, or in front of it? For I see you walking behind, while these two are walking in front." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We know well that walking behind the funeral is better than walking in front of it, just as the congregational prayer is better than the prayer of a person alone. Those two are walking in front for ease; they love to make things easy for people."