The Reward Due for following a Funeral & the Conditions for Gaining this Reward
By Shaykh Ubayd bin Abdullaah al-Jabiri
Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya
From Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
‘Whoever attends a funeral prayer of a Muslim with Eemaan and hoping for a reward and is with him until he prayed over the deceased and finished from burying him then he returns with the reward of two Qiraat (mountains of gold) and each Qiraat is the like of mount Uhud of reward and whoever prays the funeral upon the deceased and returns before he is buried then he returns with one Qiraat of reward.’ Collected by Bukhari, with seperate wording by Muslim and others.
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From Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
《مَنْ اتَّبَعَ جَنَازَةَ مُسْلِمٍ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا وَكَانَ مَعَهُ حَتَّى يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَيَفْرُغَ مِنْ دَفْنِهَا فَإِنَّه يَرْجِعُ مِنْ الْأَجْرِ بِقِيرَاطَيْنِ كُلُّ قِيرَاطٍ مِثْلُ أُحُدٍ وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُدْفَنَ فَإِنَّهُ يَرْجِعُ بِقِيرَاطٍ 》
‘Whoever attends a funeral prayer of a Muslim with Eemaan and hoping for a reward and is with him until he prayed over the deceased and finished from burying him then he returns with the reward of two Qiraat (mountains of gold) and each Qiraat is the like of mount Uhud of reward and whoever prays the funeral upon the deceased and returns before he is buried then he returns with one Qiraat of reward.’ Collected by Bukhari, with separate wording by Muslim and others.
This reward which is encapsulated in the hadeeth has conditions:
Firstly: al-Eeman, you have come to know the belief of the Sharia in regards to al-Eeman.
So this Eemaan is not out of zeal nor just compassion and love
Since even evil people are found following a Janaza, so it is necessary to have Eemaan that a Janaza is a matter from the Sharia.
Secondly: The hope of gaining a reward from Allaah Azza wa Jal.
Thirdly: If a person intended successively to gain two Qiraat (mountains of gold)
Then he should follow the funeral by accompanying it from the beginning, praying upon the deceased and witnessing his burial.
If a person intends one reward then he should follow it until it is prayed upon until the burial.
This indicates that the one who attains two Qiraat (mountains of gold) is more complete than the one who attained one Qiraat.
Also that whoever attained one Qiraat of reward is deficient in comparison to the one who attained two Qiraat.
In this hadeeth and in the previous hadeeth:
أخرجوا من كان في قلبه مثقال ذره مثقال برة مثقال شعيرة.’
‘Take out [from the fire] whoever has in his heart the equivalent of a speck, the equivalent of a grain and the equivalent of a hair.’
This is an evidence that actions have a weight and that actions are weighed. It is also a refutation against the people of Bida who reject the weighing of deeds.
The wisdom behind Allaah weighing deeds on the day of judgement is to show the perfect justice of Allaah -Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him and security be upon the Messengers.
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