the familiar qirāṭ, and others that regard it simply as “a portion,” even though the exact ratio is not specified.

– Man tabaʿa: the verb is vocalised with an open tā, a light pronunciation, and a kasrah on the bāʾ. One may say: tabiʿtu al-shayʾa tabʿan or tibāʿan—both mean “I followed the thing.” Thus, “I followed the people” means “I walked behind them.”
Most versions of the ḥadith, however, read ittabʿa, with an alif prefix and a doubled tā.

– Īmānan wa-iḥtisāban (“out of faith and seeking reward”) function as objects of purpose (mafʿūl li-ajlih); they may also be parsed as circumstantial accusatives, as though the sentence read: “while believing and anticipating reward.”

– Ḥattā yuṣallā ʿalayhā (“until the funeral prayer is performed over it”): the majority of narrations vocalise the lām with a fatḥah, while some place a kasrah on it. The fatḥah reading is interpreted in light of the kasrah one, because earning a qirāṭ is contingent on actually attending the prayer.

– Ḥattā: the particle can denote either causation or limitation; here the stronger view is that it marks the limit (“up to the point that…”).

– Uḥud: a famous mountain in Madinah that extends along the city’s northern side from east to west. Urban expansion has now reached it, and the nearby district is called “The Quarter of the Master of Martyrs,” referring to Ḥamzah ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib—may Allah be pleased with him—who was killed in the battle fought at that mountain between the Muslims, led by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Quraysh under Abū Sufyān.

• Points derived from the ḥadith:

1. Twelve Companions transmitted this report. When Abū Hurayrah related it to ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar, the latter asked ʿĀʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—“Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that?” She replied, “Abū Hurayrah has spoken the truth.” Ibn ʿUmar then said, “We have forfeited many qirāṭs.”

2. The phrase “īmanan wa-iḥtisāban” means that what moved a person to attend and accompany the funeral was the intention of obedience. This qualification is indispensable for every act of worship, because reward is predicated on prior intention; someone might follow a funeral merely in reciprocation for past favors or out of personal friendship.