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Among his practices was offering the funeral prayer for children. It is authentically reported that he said: “The funeral prayer is to be offered for a child” (1).
In Sunan Ibn Mājah (2), a report traced back to the Prophet states: “Offer the funeral prayer for your children, for they are among those who have gone ahead of you.”
Ahmad ibn Abī ‘Abda (3) said: “I asked Ahmad: ‘When must the funeral prayer be offered for a miscarried fetus?’ He replied: ‘When it has reached four months, for the soul is breathed into it.’ I asked: ‘What, then, of the hadith of al-Mughīra ibn Shu‘ba: “The funeral prayer is to be offered for a child”?’ He replied: ‘It is authentic and traced back to the Prophet.’ I asked: ‘But this specifies neither four months nor any other age, does it?’ He replied: ‘Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib stated that.’”
If it is asked, “Did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, offer the funeral prayer for his son Ibrāhīm on the day he died?” the answer is that there is disagreement concerning this. Abū Dāwūd narrated in his Sunan (4) that ‘Ā’isha said: “Ibrāhīm died; he was the son of
(1) Recorded by Ahmad (18162), Abū Dāwūd (3180), al-Tirmidhī (1031), al-Nasā’ī in al-Mujtabā (1942, 1943, 1948) and al-Kubrā (2080, 2081, 2086), and Ibn Mājah (1507), from al-Mughīra ibn Shu‘ba. Al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Hibbān (769), and al-Hākim (1:355, 363) graded it authentic. There is disagreement over whether it is attributed to the Prophet or to the Companion. See al-‘Ilal by al-Dāraqutnī (1258) and the comments of the editors of al-Musnad.
(2) No. 1509, from Abū Hurayra; Ibn Mājah alone recorded it. Its chain includes al-Bakhtarī ibn ‘Ubayd al-Tābikhī, whose reports are abandoned; his father is unknown.
(3) I have not located his report, but similar accounts appear in Masā’il Sālih (3:176), Masā’il Abī Dāwūd (p. 223), al-Mughnī (3:458), and Fath al-Bārī by Ibn Rajab (2:118).
(4) No. 3187. Also recorded by Ahmad and al-Tahāwī in Ma‘ānī al-Āthār (1:507). Ibn Ishāq explicitly stated that he heard the report directly. Al-Hāfiz (the hadith master) graded its chain of transmission as good in al-Isāba (1:338). He cited Ibn Hazm’s authentication, then noted Ahmad’s assessment of it as weak, which will be mentioned below. He also cited Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr’s assessment of it as weak.