Ruling on the Funeral Prayer of a Martyr
Question: Is it permissible to perform the funeral prayer for a martyr? Please clarify with evidence.
Answer: It is not necessary to perform the funeral prayer for a martyr, but if someone does, it is permissible. Those who declare the funeral prayer for a battlefield martyr as impermissible refer to this hadith:
«عن جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما , قال:” كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يجمع بين الرجلين من قتلى احد فى ثوب واحد، ثم يقول: ايهم اكثر اخذا للقرآن؟، فإذا اشير له إلى احدهما قدمه فى اللحد , وقال: انا شهيد على هؤلاء يوم القيامة، وامر بدفنهم فى دمائهم، ولم يغسلوا، ولم يصل عليهم»
Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) gathered two of the slain from Uhud in one shroud and then asked: “Which of them knew more Quran?” When someone pointed to one of them, the Prophet (peace be upon him) placed him at the front of the grave and said: “I will be a witness over them on the Day of Resurrection.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered them to be buried in their blood; they were neither washed nor was the funeral prayer performed for them.
These scholars say that this authentic hadith from Sahih Bukhari is clear evidence that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not perform the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud. They consider weak those hadiths which mention that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the funeral prayer for the martyrs at Uhud because they contradict the Sahih Bukhari hadith. However, the reality is that performing the funeral prayer for martyrs is established from authentic hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him). These hadiths relate to three different occasions, two of which are undisputed in their authenticity, and any disagreement is merely due to conjecture.
The first occasion is the funeral prayer for those martyred at a time other than the Battle of Uhud. It is narrated from Shaddad bin Al-Had (may Allah be pleased with him):
A villager came to the Prophet (peace be upon him), embraced Islam, and followed him. Then he said: “I will migrate with you.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed some of his companions regarding him. When a battle took place, the Prophet (peace be upon him) obtained some spoils and distributed them, taking out his share and giving it to his companions. This man used to steal the mounts of the companions. When he came, they gave him his share. He asked: “What is this?” They said: “It is your share that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has set aside for you.” He took it and came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: “What is this?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I have set this aside for you.” He said: “I did not follow you for this but rather I followed you so that I might be struck by an arrow here (pointing to his throat) and die and enter Paradise.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If you speak the truth to Allah, Allah will treat you truthfully.” A short while later, he rose to fight the enemy. Then he was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him) with an arrow in the place he had indicated. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Is this him?” The companions said: “Yes!” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
«صدق الله فصدقه ثم كفنه النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى جبة النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثم قدمه فصلى عليه فكان فيما ظهر من صلاته:” اللهم هذا عبدك خرج مهاجرا فى سبيلك فقتل شهيدا انا شهيد على ذلك»
“He spoke the truth to Allah, so Allah treated him truthfully.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) shrouded him in his own cloak, placed him in front, and performed the funeral prayer over him. Among the words the Prophet (peace be upon him) uttered in the funeral prayer were:
“O Allah! This is Your servant who migrated in Your path and was martyred and killed. I bear witness to this.”
From this authentic and clear hadith, it is established that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself led the funeral prayer for a battlefield martyr. Even if the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not perform the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud, this hadith alone is sufficient evidence that the funeral prayer for a martyr is Sunnah. If someone wants to object just for the sake of objection, they might say: «فصلٰي عليه» means that he prayed for him. If this is accepted, then the funeral prayer is altogether negated because when the deceased is present, only prayer is not performed but the funeral prayer is, and the word «فصلٰي عليه» is specifically used for it.
The second occasion is the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud eight years later. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Aqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him):
«ان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم خرج يوما فصلى على اهل احد صلاته على الميت ثم انصرف إلى المنبر , فقال: إني فرط لكم وانا شهيد عليكم، وإني والله لانظر إلى حوضي الآن، وإني اعطيت مفاتيح خزائن الارض او مفاتيح الارض، وإني والله ما اخاف عليكم ان تشركوا بعدي ولكن اخاف عليكم ان تنافسوا فيها»
The Prophet (peace be upon him) went out one day and performed the funeral prayer over the people of Uhud as he would for any deceased, then returned to the pulpit and said: “I am going ahead to arrange your affairs, and by Allah! At this moment I am looking at my pond and I have been given the keys to the treasures of the earth. By Allah! I do not fear that you will associate partners with Allah after me, but I fear that you will compete with each other for worldly gains.”
Other hadith collections also narrate that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed this funeral prayer eight years later.
From this hadith, the funeral prayer for the martyr is established. Some people, who have already decided not to accept the funeral prayer for a martyr,
The interpretation of this hadith is that it means the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went to the cemetery and prayed for the martyrs of Uhud. It does not mean that he performed the funeral prayer for the martyrs because «صلاة» also means supplication.
However, the wording of the previous hadith does not allow for this interpretation. The words are:
«فصلٰي علٰي أهل احد صلاته على الميت» meaning “The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed over the people of Uhud in the same way as one prays over the deceased.”
From this, it is understood that he (peace be upon him) formally performed their funeral prayer.
Imam Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: «صلاته على الميت» the words contradict the interpretation that «صلوٰة» means supplication.
Moreover, this action of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is proven from Sahih Bukhari that if the Prophet (peace be upon him) could not perform the funeral prayer before the burial for some reason, he would go to the grave, form rows, and perform the funeral prayer there.
Imam Shu’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
«اخبرني من مر مع النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم على قبر منبوذ فامهم وصلوا خلفه”، قلت: من حدثك هذا يا ابا عمرو؟ قال: ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما»
“A person told me that he passed by a solitary grave with the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the Prophet led the prayer over it, and they prayed the funeral prayer behind him.” Sulaiman said: “I asked Shu’bi: O Abu Amr! Who narrated this hadith to you?” He said: “Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both).” Another narration states that Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
«ان اسود رجلا , او امراة , كان يقم المسجد فمات , ولم يعلم النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بموته، فذكره ذات يوم , فقال: ما فعل ذلك الإنسان؟ , قالوا: مات يا رسول الله، قال: افلا آذنتموني، فقالوا: إنه كان كذا , وكذا قصته، قال: فحقروا شانه، قال فدلوني على قبره فاتى قبره فصلى عليه»
“A black man or woman used to sweep the mosque and then died, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not informed of his death. One day the Prophet remembered him and said: ‘What happened to this man?’ People said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, he has died.’ The Prophet said: ‘Why did you not inform me?’ They said: ‘His matter was considered insignificant.’ The Prophet said: ‘Show me his grave.’ Abu Huraira said: ‘The Prophet (peace be upon him) went to his grave and prayed the funeral prayer over him.'”
From Sahih Bukhari, the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud eight years later proves that if there is no opportunity earlier, the funeral prayer can be performed even years later, including for martyrs. And if the hadiths are authentic that mention the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the funeral prayer for the martyrs at Uhud, then the funeral prayer eight years later proves that if the funeral prayer was performed earlier, it is permissible to pray again at the grave years later.
The third occasion is the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud at the time of the battle. There is no doubt that Sahih Bukhari narrates from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not perform the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud. A narration with this meaning is also reported from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). But when it is authentically proven from other companions with a sound chain that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did perform the funeral prayer for the martyrs on that occasion, it must be accepted. Because it is an established principle that when one person says an event did not happen and another says it did, and both are truthful, the statement of the one who confirms the event is accepted, and the other is considered unaware of it.
Imam Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
«وَاَيْضًا اَحَادِيْثُ الصَّلَاةِ قَدْ شَدَّ مَنْ عَضَدَهَا كَوْنُهَا مُثْبِتَةً وَالْاِثْبَاتُ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَي النَّفْيِ وَهٰذَا مُرَجَّحٌ مُعْتَبَرٌ»
“Those who consider the hadiths about the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud as strong gain further strength from the fact that these hadiths affirm the funeral prayer, and affirmation takes precedence over negation, and this preference must be accepted.”
As for the question of how such a matter could be hidden from the noble companions Sayyiduna Jabir and Anas (may Allah be pleased with them), it is not unlikely. In the state of distress faced by the Muslims during the Battle of Uhud, it is possible that not everyone could reach the funeral or be aware of it. Especially it is quite possible that Sayyiduna Jabir was unaware and could not attend the funeral because he did not participate in the Battle of Uhud, as Imam Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
«وكان جابر قد اطاع اباه يوم احد وقعد لاجل اخواته ثم شهد الخندق وبيعة الشجرة»
“And Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) obeyed his father on the day of Uhud and stayed at home because of his sisters, then he participated in the Battle of the Trench and the Pledge of Ridwan.”
He himself said: “I did not participate in Badr and Uhud because of my father’s prohibition; when he was martyred, I did not stay behind in any battle.”
Also, Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) was a young child at that time. The hadiths mentioning the funeral prayer for the martyrs at Uhud are:
Narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them):
«ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم امر يوم احد بحمزة فسجي ببردة ثم صلٰي عليه فكبر تسع تكبيرات ثم اتي بالقتلٰي يصفون ويصلي عليهم وعليه معهم»
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered on the day of Uhud regarding Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him), so he was covered with a sheet, then the Prophet performed the funeral prayer over him and said nine takbirs. Then other killed were brought, they were placed in rows, and the Prophet performed the funeral prayer over them and also prayed with Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him).”
Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Its chain is Hasan (good), and all its narrators are well-known trustworthy.”
Narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them):
«لما وقف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم علٰي حمزة امر به فهيئ الي القبلة ثم كبر عليه تسعا ثم جمع اليه الشهداء كلما اتي بشهيد وضع الٰي حمزة فصلٰي عليه وعلي الشهداء معه حتٰي صلٰي عليه وعلي الشهداء اثنين وسبعين صلاة»
“When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood for Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) for the funeral prayer and ordered regarding him, preparations were made and he was laid facing the Qiblah. Then the Prophet said nine takbirs, then the other martyrs were gathered with him; whenever a martyr was brought, he was laid with Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet performed the funeral prayer over him and the other martyrs repeatedly, until he performed the funeral prayer seventy-two times.”
Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) graded its chain as strong.
In summary, the funeral prayer for the martyr of the battle is proven from many hadiths from the Prophet (peace be upon him). If the hadiths about the funeral prayer for the martyrs at the time of the Battle of Uhud are accepted as authentic, then there is no objection. And even if there is doubt about their authenticity, after the hadiths about the funeral prayer for the companion who was martyred by an arrow in the throat and the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud eight years later, there remains no room to deny the funeral prayer for the martyrs of the battle.
