excerpt from “Ṣaff Bandi ke Aḥkām wa Masā’il” by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri:
In the case where only two men are present for the funeral prayer, the correct manner is:
❖ The Imām stands in front,
❖ The sole follower (muqtadī) stands alone behind him.
إن أبا طلحة دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى عمير بن أبي طلحة حين توفي، فأتاهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فصلى عليه في منزلهم، فتقدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وكان أبو طلحة وراءه، وأم سليم وراء أبي طلحة، ولم يكن معهم غيرهم
“Abū Ṭalḥah رضي الله عنه invited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ upon the death of his son, ʿUmayr. The Prophet ﷺ came and offered the funeral prayer for him in their home.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood in front, Abū Ṭalḥah stood behind him, and Umm Sulaym رضي الله عنها stood behind her husband, Abū Ṭalḥah.
There was no one else present besides them.”
[Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār by al-Ṭaḥāwī: 1/508 | al-Mustadrak by al-Ḥākim: 1/365]
Its chain is authentic.
If Only Two Men Are Present for the Funeral Prayer
In the case where only two men are present for the funeral prayer, the correct manner is:
❖ The Imām stands in front,
❖ The sole follower (muqtadī) stands alone behind him.
❀ Report of ʿAbdullāh bin Abī Ṭalḥah رحمه الله:
إن أبا طلحة دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى عمير بن أبي طلحة حين توفي، فأتاهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فصلى عليه في منزلهم، فتقدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وكان أبو طلحة وراءه، وأم سليم وراء أبي طلحة، ولم يكن معهم غيرهم
“Abū Ṭalḥah رضي الله عنه invited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ upon the death of his son, ʿUmayr. The Prophet ﷺ came and offered the funeral prayer for him in their home.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood in front, Abū Ṭalḥah stood behind him, and Umm Sulaym رضي الله عنها stood behind her husband, Abū Ṭalḥah.
There was no one else present besides them.”
[Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār by al-Ṭaḥāwī: 1/508 | al-Mustadrak by al-Ḥākim: 1/365] Its chain is authentic. Authentication:
- Imām al-Ḥākim رحمه الله declared this ḥadīth authentic upon the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
- Ḥāfiẓ al-Ḏhahabī رحمه الله agreed with his assessment
