A man who receives news of someone's death: what he says

Abdullah bin Abd al-Rahman bin Abza said: When news of a man's death reached Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he would say: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Allahumma irfa' darajatahu fi al-muhtadin, wakhlufhu fi 'aqibihi fi al-ghabirin, wa nahtasibuhu 'indaka Rabb al-'alamin, la tudillana ba'dahu wa la tahrimna ajrahu' (We belong to Allah and to Him we return. O Allah, raise his rank among the rightly guided, take his place among his descendants who remain behind, and we hope for the reward of his loss with You, Lord of the worlds; do not let us go astray after him and do not deprive us of his reward).

It is narrated from Abu Maysarah that when news of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Zayd, Sayyiduna Ja'far and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with them) reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned their affair and then said: "O Allah, forgive Zayd; O Allah, forgive Zayd; O Allah, forgive Zayd; O Allah, forgive Ja'far and Abdullah bin Rawahah."

Hurayth bin Zuhayr said: When Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) received the news of the death of Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: "He has left no one after him who can take his place like him."

Asim said: When I informed al-Hasan of the death of al-Sha'bi, he said: "May Allah have mercy on him. By Allah, he held a great position in Islam."

Ibn Abjar said: I informed al-Sha'bi of the death of Ibrahim, and he said: "May Allah have mercy on him. Indeed, he has not left anyone after him like him to take his place. Indeed, in death he is more learned than he was in life."

Yazid bin Abi Ziyad said: People passed by Sayyiduna Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) carrying the bier of Abu Abd al-Rahman, and he said: "He has found rest, and people have found rest from him."

Abu Uthman said: I came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) with the news of the death of Sayyiduna al-Nu'man bin Muqarrin (may Allah be pleased with him), and he placed his hand on his head and began to weep.

Nafi' said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was in the market when he was informed of the death of Hujr; he undid his hubwah (the cloth wrapped around the knees while sitting), stood up, and weeping overcame him.

Kulthum said: I heard Ibn al-Hanafiyyah saying at the funeral of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "Today the master of knowledge, the one perfected in knowledge, has passed away."

Ammar said: We were sitting with Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the shade of the palace at the funeral of Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: "Today a great deal of knowledge has been buried."