Lesson 46 Matters surrounding graves, The Life + trial of the grave and the issue of Wailing by Alhuda Bolton

Saturday 2 Dec 2017
Chapter of Prayer: Funeral Prayer

Lesson 46: Matters surrounding graves, The Life + trial of the grave and the issue of Wailing

Note: the hadiths from this lesson were taken from the Book Bulūghul Marām
Lesson 46:

• Sa’d Ibn Abī Waqqās (may Allāh be pleased with him) said (during his death illness) “Make a lahd for me and cover it with un-burnt bricks, as you did with the grave of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).” [Related by Muslim]
o Who was Sa’d Ibn Abii Waqqaas?
o What did this request mean? What is a Lahd?

• Al-Baihaqī translated on the authority of Jābir (may Allāh be pleased with him) a similar narration and added, “and his grave was raised one span from the ground.” [Ibn Hibbān graded it as Sahiih]
o NOTE: the surface of the grave is raised one span above the ground so that its location can be known.
o This hadith shows that the graves of the Muslims may be as the hadith mentions (i.e.one hand span). HOWEVER, going beyond this is not legislated nor permissible
o This (i.e. raising the grave by a hand span) marks it as a grave and prevents people from walking over it or digging into/around it by accident.
o Note: This is also how the grave of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was made. Allah made the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) the best of creation and choose for him the best, then how about the one who says elevating graves beyond this is better?!

• Jābir (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) prohibited whitening a grave with plaster, to sit on it or to build over it (such as a dome). [Related by Muslim]
o Whitening a grave with plaster: i.e. beautifying it. Modern day examples include using marble material etc. Beatifying a grave can lead to exaggeration in the matter of the grave as it becomes closer to a shrine and attracts people.
o NOTE: Building upon a grave includes headstones (this is a very common modern day occurrence na’uudhubillaah).
o It is also impermissible to sit on top of the grave area as this against the honour of the deceased.
o Islam allows us to bury the person, raise the grave by a hand span, and use some rocks or stone to identify where the head is. This is how the early Muslims including the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) were buried.

• ‘Âmir Ibn Rabī’ah (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) prayed over ‘Uthmān bin Madh’ūn, then went to the grave and sprinkled three handfuls of soil while he was standing. [Related by Ad-Dāraqutnī]
o Who was ‘Uthmān bin Madh’ūn?
o This hadith shows that this act is a sunnah act.
o The handfuls should be full handfuls

• ‘Uthmān Ibn ‘Affān (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated, “Whenever the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) finished the burial of the dead, he would stand by the grave and say, “Seek forgiveness for your brother and pray for him to be steadfast, because he is now being questioned.” [Related by Abū Dāwūd. Al-Haakim graded it as Sahīh]
o This hadith refers to the trial of the grave by the two Angles; Munkar and Nakīr
o The deceased (in the life of the grave) hears the footsteps of the people who buried him/her walking away, the two angels come and the trial starts.
o What is this trial?
o What other things happen during the life of the grave (both good and bad)?
o One should therefore not just walk off, but instead remain and make duā for the deceased.
o Question: what if the other people do innovated acts as part of a burial, what should one do?
o Issue: When making this duā at the grave should you raise your hands up? (=no specific hadith mentioning this)

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