1 — Closing the Eyes of the Deceased
Hadith of Umm al-Mu’minīn Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها)
Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to visit Abu Salamah (رضي الله عنه) when he had passed away and his eyes were still open, so the Prophet ﷺ closed them and said: ‘When the soul is taken, the eyes follow it.’”
(Sahih Muslim, Book of Funerals, Chapter on Closing the Eyes of the Deceased: 920)
Hadith of Shaddād ibn Aws (رضي الله عنه)
Shaddād ibn Aws (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When you are present with your dead, close their eyes, for the sight follows the soul. And say good words, for the angels say ‘Āmīn’ to what the family members utter.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Funerals, Chapter on Closing the Eyes of the Deceased: 1455)
Lessons from these ahadith:
- Closing the eyes of the deceased is Sunnah to preserve dignity and appearance.
- Those present should speak only good words, as the angels affirm them.
2 — Hastening the Burial of the Deceased
Prophetic Instruction
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Hasten the funeral. If the deceased was righteous, then you are taking him towards something better for him; and if he was otherwise, then it is an evil that you are removing from your necks.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Funerals, Chapter on Hastening the Funeral: 1315; Sahih Muslim, Book of Funerals, Chapter on Hastening the Funeral: 944)
Scholarly Fatwa from the Permanent Committee (al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah) of Saudi Arabia
The Permanent Committee explained:
“It is Sunnah to expedite the preparation and burial of the deceased so that the righteous may be quickly taken to goodness, or the community may be relieved of an evil. It is permissible to wait a short while for people to gather to perform the funeral prayer, provided the delay is not excessive. Without a valid reason, delaying the burial for a day or more contradicts the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
(Fatawa Islamiyyah, p. 69)
Summary of the Sunnahs:
✔ Close the eyes of the deceased immediately after death.
✔ Speak only good words in their presence.
✔ Expedite the funeral and burial unless a short delay is needed for legitimate reasons.
