In his Sunan he relates: “Qutaybah narrated to us; al-Layth narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from Abu Umamah, who said: ‘The Sunnah for the funeral prayer is to recite the Opening Chapter of the Book quietly after the first takbir, then pronounce three further takbirs, and the salutation comes after the last of them.’ This chain is sound according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs.”

Al-Nasaʾi then added: “Qutaybah narrated to us; al-Layth narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from Muhammad ibn Suwayd al-Dimashqi al-Fihri, from al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Dimashqi, with the same wording.” This is a good chain.

Al-Shafiʿi likewise transmitted it in his Musnad through Maʿmar, from al-Zuhri, who said: “Muhammad al-Fihri told me, from al-Dahhak ibn Qays, that he said the same as Abu Umamah.”

There are also Prophetic (marfūʿ) reports on this subject. Among them is what al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah recorded, through al-Hakam, from Miqsam, from Ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): that the Prophet ﷺ recited the Opening Chapter of the Book over a funeral. Al-Tirmidhi commented, “Its chain is not especially strong, and the sound narration from Ibn ʿAbbas is his own statement that it is Sunnah to recite the Opening Chapter over the funeral.”

He further said, “There is also a report from Umm Sharik.” I say: this is what Ibn Majah related in his Sunan with a hasan chain from her—may Allah be pleased with her—where she said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to recite the Opening Chapter of the Book over the funeral.”

Al-Shafiʿi also reported in his Musnad: “Ibrahim ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn ʿAqil, from Jabir ibn ʿAbd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet ﷺ pronounced four takbirs over the deceased and recited the Opening Chapter of the Book, prolonging the first takbir.”