Three Funeral Rulings Related to the Mosque, Wailing, and Stillborn Infants
Practice of Umm al-Mu’minin ʿAishah (رضي الله عنها):
When Saʿd ibn Abi Waqqas (رضي الله عنه) passed away, she said:
"Bring his funeral into the mosque so that I may also join the funeral prayer."
When some people hesitated, she said:
"By Allah! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered the funeral prayer in the mosque for Suhayl ibn Bayda’ (رضي الله عنه) and his brother."
(Muslim 973)
Fiqhi Point:
This hadith shows it is permissible for women to attend the funeral prayer, and that offering it inside the mosque is allowed.
Other Examples:
Hadith — ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade following a funeral that is accompanied by women engaged in wailing and lamentation.
(Ibn Majah 1586)
Hadith — al-Mughirah ibn Shuʿbah (رضي الله عنه):
"If a child is born dead, the funeral prayer should be offered for him, and in it a supplication is made for the forgiveness and mercy of his parents."
(Abu Dawood 3180)
1 — Offering the Funeral Prayer in the Mosque
Practice of Umm al-Mu’minin ʿAishah (رضي الله عنها):
When Saʿd ibn Abi Waqqas (رضي الله عنه) passed away, she said:
"Bring his funeral into the mosque so that I may also join the funeral prayer."
When some people hesitated, she said:
"By Allah! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered the funeral prayer in the mosque for Suhayl ibn Bayda’ (رضي الله عنه) and his brother."
(Muslim 973)
Fiqhi Point:
This hadith shows it is permissible for women to attend the funeral prayer, and that offering it inside the mosque is allowed.
Other Examples:
- The funeral prayer of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه) was offered in the mosque.
- ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab’s (رضي الله عنه) funeral prayer was led by Suhayb (رضي الله عنه) in the mosque.
(al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, 4/25)
2 — Attending Funerals with Prohibited Practices
Hadith — ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade following a funeral that is accompanied by women engaged in wailing and lamentation.
(Ibn Majah 1586)
3 — Funeral Prayer for a Stillborn Child
Hadith — al-Mughirah ibn Shuʿbah (رضي الله عنه):
"If a child is born dead, the funeral prayer should be offered for him, and in it a supplication is made for the forgiveness and mercy of his parents."
(Abu Dawood 3180)
