Nasai

(1) This hadith is also found in Sahih Muslim (943), in which there is the addition that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) rebuked for burying the deceased at night except in the case where the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) had already been performed. Apparently, this indicates that he did not perform the funeral prayer for that companion, but such a thing is highly unlikely. Therefore, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah interpreted its meaning as follows: If the funeral prayer has been performed during the day, then it is permissible to bury at night, because the statement of the Prophet “except out of necessity” does not mean that the funeral prayer should be omitted in case of necessity; rather, it means that in case of necessity, burial at night is permissible.

(2) Is it permissible to perform the funeral prayer at night or not? The preferred opinion in this matter is that it is best to perform the funeral prayer during the day so that more people can participate, as this is legislatively desirable. However, in case of necessity, the funeral prayer may also be performed at night, as is established by authentic narrations.