467 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"When you perform the funeral prayer over a deceased person, devote sincere supplication to him." Narrated by Abu Dawud, and Ibn Hibban declared it authentic. (1)
Grading of the ḥadīth:
This ḥadīth is sound (ḥasan). It was transmitted by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah (1497), and al-Bayhaqi (4/40) through the chain of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Salamah ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman, from Abu Hurayrah, who said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ..." and the wording is as cited.
Al-Albani said: "This isnād is ḥasan; all of its narrators are trustworthy, save that Muhammad ibn Ishaq was given to tadlīs and here reports by ʿanʿana. However, al-Hafiz [Ibn Hajar] stated in al-Talkhīs that Ibn Hibban produced it through another route from him with an explicit statement of hearing, so the chain is connected and the ḥadīth is authentic. Praise be to Allah."
Vocabulary of the ḥadīth:
• akhliṣū – Ibn Faris notes that the root conveys the idea of purifying and refining something; al-Jurjani adds that, linguistically, ikhlāṣ (sincerity) means abandoning ostentation in acts of worship.
Lessons derived from the ḥadīth:
- It is recommended that the supplication in the funeral prayer be offered after the third takbīr, though it is permissible after the fourth, and it should be recited silently, whether the prayer takes place by day or by night.
- Sharḥ al-Iqnaʿ states: "One supplicates for the deceased after the third takbīr with whatever fine wording comes to mind; there is no fixed formula." Jābir said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not prescribe any particular supplication for us, nor did Abu Bakr or ʿUmar," which shows that no specific wording is obligatory.