Lessons derived from the ḥadith

1. Once the grave has been dug to a depth that contains any odor and protects the deceased from scavenging animals, it is recommended to carve, on the qiblah side of the grave, a space wide enough for the body; this is the lahd (side-niche).
2. Sunan al-Tirmidhī (1043) records, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The lahd is for us, and the shaqq is for others,” while Aḥmad (18728) adds: “and the shaqq is for the People of the Book.” The ministerial scholar reported the unanimous view of the four imams that the sunnah is the lahd and that the shaqq (a simple trench in the middle of the grave) is not sunnah. The jurists agree that both forms are permissible, though Aḥmad deemed the shaqq disliked when no necessity exists.
3. The deceased is then placed in the lahd on his right side facing the qiblah, drawn close to the wall of the niche so that he will not roll onto his face, and supported behind with soil or clods of clay.
4. Next, the mud-bricks are stood upright over the niche, and the gaps between them are packed with clay or stones so that the overlying earth will hold. The bricks and the spaces between them are then plastered with mud so that no soil falls through. Imam Aḥmad (21683) narrated—traced back to the Prophet—on the authority of Mujāhid: “Fill the gaps between the bricks.” After that, earth is heaped back in with a shovel or the like to hasten the completion of the burial. Scholars recommend that those who accompany the funeral throw three handfuls of soil into the grave so that they share in fulfilling the communal obligation.
5. The phrase “and set the mud-bricks upright” means that if the bricks were laid flat across the niche they would collapse into it.
6. Finally, the grave should be raised about one handspan above the surrounding ground so that it may be recognized, visited, and protected from being disrespected by trampling and the like. Al-Shāfiʿī (2/360) and others related “that the Prophet ﷺ sprinkled…"