—that the funeral prayer be offered for him outside the mosque. The deceased is then laid in his grave on his right side facing the qiblah; if that is not possible, he may be placed on his back with his face turned toward the qiblah. Walking in front of the bier is preferable, God willing, and this is the option favored by most of the scholars of Medina. There is no fixed manner for carrying the bier; it may be borne in whatever way the bearers proceed. The body should be lowered into the grave by his relatives and other righteous people, and there is no prescribed number for those who lower him or for those who carry the bier.

Offering condolences to the family of the deceased is recommended, as is sending them food on the night of the burial. It is unobjectionable for men to visit graves, though it is disliked for women, and I hope that brief, casual sitting on such occasions will be regarded leniently. Wailing is unlawful, and the earnings of a professional wailer are forbidden.

If a dhimmī (a non-Muslim living under Muslim protection) dies while among Muslims and has no coreligionists to bury him, the Muslims should inter him without washing the body and without offering the funeral prayer.

Mālik considered weeping for the deceased to be disliked, except for what flows naturally from a sorrowful heart and shedding tears. He allowed such weeping while the person is still in the throes of death, but once death has occurred no mourner should wail aloud. Leveling a grave or leaving it modestly mounded are both permissible, but it is not to be plastered or built over.