Ibrahim bin Muslim Hadi narrates: He saw Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) participating in the funeral of his daughter. He was riding a mule, which was being led forward. So he said to the one leading the mule: "Where am I in relation to the funeral?" When he was told: "You are ahead of it," he said: "Stop it." The narrator says: I saw him say four takbirs in the funeral prayer for that woman, then he stood for a little while, so the attendees began to say "Subhan Allah" (i.e., they wanted to draw his attention). Then he said the salam. He said: "Did you think that I would say more than four takbirs, while I saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) say four takbirs?" Then he heard some women reciting elegies, so he forbade them from it and said: "I heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) forbidding the recitation of elegies."
Hadith Referenceمسند الحميدي / 735
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسناده ضعيف
Hadith Takhrij«إسناده ضعيف وأخرجه الضياء المقدسي فى «الأحاديث المختارة» برقم: 176، والحاكم فى «مستدركه» برقم: 1334، 1416، وابن ماجه فى «سننه» برقم: 1503، 1592، والبيهقي فى«سننه الكبير» برقم: 7038، 7039، 7081، 7088، وأحمد فى «مسنده» ، برقم: 19447 برقم: 19727»
´Al-Hajari said:` “I prayed with ‘Abdullah bin Abi Awfa Al-Aslami, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), offering the funeral prayer for a daughter of his. He said Takbir over her four times, and he paused for a while after the fourth. I heard the people saying Subhan- Allah to him throughout the rows. Then he said the Salam and said: ‘Did you think that I was going to say a fifth Takbir?’ They said: ‘We were afraid of that.’ He said: ‘I was not going to do that, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say four Takbir, then pause for a while, and he would say whatever Allah willed he should say, then he would say the Salam.’”
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefit: From this, it is understood that the practice of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was both to give the salutation (salam) immediately after the fourth takbir, and also to recite a supplication (dua) after the fourth takbir and then give the salutation. Therefore, both methods are correct. According to some scholars, the aforementioned narration is hasan (good).
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1503