The niche grave (lahd) for the deceased: those who ordered it and disliked the trench grave

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him) as a marfu' report that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The lahd (niche grave) is for us, and the shaqq (trench grave) is for others."

Hafs narrates from his father that a lahd (niche grave) was made for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Nafi' said: A lahd grave was dug for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), then you vied in boasting about it.

Ibrahim said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried in a lahd.

Hisham bin Urwah narrates from the jurists of the people of Madinah that there were two men in Madinah who used to dig graves; one of them made the shaqq (trench) grave and the other the lahd (niche) grave. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) departed from this world, the Companions said: "Go, and whichever of them you see, tell him to come and do his work." Then the man who used to dig the lahd came, and the Companions ordered him to dig a lahd for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Abd al-Rahman bin al-Qasim narrates from his father that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, all the Companions gathered. There was one man who made lahd graves and another who made shaqq graves. The Companions prayed: "O Allah, choose one of them (decide for him)." Then the man who used to dig lahd graves came and dug a lahd grave for him (peace and blessings be upon him).

Abu Ja'far, Salim and al-Qasim said: The blessed graves of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) are inclined towards the qiblah (facing the qiblah); (unbaked) bricks are set up in them, and they were dug in the form of a lahd.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: A niche grave (lahd) was made for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).

Ibrahim said: A niche grave (lahd) was made for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Mughirah said: Ibrahim used to dislike the shaqq (trench) grave, and he would say: A niche grave (lahd) should be made.

Sa'id said: A niche grave (lahd) was made for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The same is reported from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had left instructions that a niche grave (lahd) be made for him.

Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We had a lahd grave made for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Sayyiduna al-Bara' (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at a funeral, then we reached the grave, and the lahd had not yet been dug for him (the deceased).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said (on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud): "See which of them knew more of the Qur'an by heart, and place him first in the lahd."

Abd al-Rahman bin Ka'b bin Malik narrates from his father that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed two or three men together in a lahd (buried them together).