473 – Abū Isḥāq relates: “ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yazīd lowered the deceased into the grave from the side where the feet are placed and said, ‘This is part of the sunnah.’” Recorded by Abū Dāwūd (1).
Hadith grading:
The report is authentic. Al-Bayhaqī stated, “Its chain is sound,” and al-Ḥāfiẓ declared, “Its narrators are trustworthy.” Al-Shawkānī added: “Abū Dāwūd, al-Munḏirī, and al-Ḥāfiẓ in al-Talkhīṣ remained silent about it, and its transmitters are those of the two Ṣaḥīḥs.”
Glossary:
– “The legs of the grave”: the end where the deceased’s feet will lie; an expression that transfers the attribute to the location.
Points derived from the ḥadith:
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It is recommended to lower the body into the grave by sliding it gently from the foot-side: the head is first placed in the spot where the feet will rest once burial is complete, then the body is slid in with care. The Prophet ﷺ was placed in this way—“He was slid in from the head-side” (narrated by al-Shāfiʿī 2/360 and al-Bayhaqī 4/54 with an authentic chain)—and this was the known practice of the Companions, both the Emigrants and the Helpers.
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If this precise manner is impracticable or causes hardship, the deceased may be placed in the grave by whatever approach proves easiest, for the aim is to treat the body with gentleness.
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The statement “this is part of the sunnah” refers to the Prophet’s ﷺ sunnah in the broad sense, which includes both obligatory and recommended acts.