Question: Please inform about the Sunnah method of lowering the deceased into the grave?
Answer: The Sunnah method of lowering the deceased into the grave is to lower the deceased feet first into the grave.
Abu Ishaq narrates:
«اوصى الحارث ان يصلي عليه عبد الله بن يزيد، فصلى عليه، ثم ادخله القبر من قبل رجلي القبر، وقال: هذا من السنة»
“Harith instructed that his funeral prayer be led by Abdullah bin Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him). He led his funeral prayer, then lowered him into the grave feet first and said: ‘This is from the Sunnah.'”
Regarding this hadith, Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“This chain of narration is authentic and this is from the Sunnah and is like a Musnad hadith.”
When a Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) says about a matter that it is from the Sunnah, it means it is from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
«واصحاب النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يقولون السنة الا لسنة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ان شاء الله تعالٰي»
“The noble Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) use the word Sunnah to mean the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), God willing.”
It is narrated from Imam Muhammad bin Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him):
«كُنْتُ مَعَ اَنَسٍ فِيْ جَنَازَةٍ فَاَمَرَ بِالْمَيِّتِ فَاُدْخِلَ مِنْ قِبَلِ رِجْلَيْهِ»
“I was with Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) at a funeral, and he gave the ruling regarding the deceased that he should be lowered into the grave feet first.”
It is narrated from Amr bin Muhajir: “When the son of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) passed away, he also ordered that he be lowered into the grave feet first.”
In Sunan Ibn Majah, it is narrated from Abu Sa’id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was placed in the blessed grave facing the Qiblah, but this narration is weak because it contains the narrator Atiyah Awfi who is weak.
From the above authentic reports, it is understood that lowering the deceased into the grave feet first is Sunnah.
