so I asked him about it. He replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—used to pronounce five takbīrs.’” Reported by Muslim. (1)
The evidence for six takbīrs is the report from Abd Khayr, who said: “Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—used to pronounce six takbīrs over the veterans of Badr, five over the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and four over everyone else.” Reported by Ibn Abī Shayba and al-Dāraqutnī. (2)
I say: This report is attributed only to a Companion, but it has the status of one traced back to the Prophet, since it records an act performed by one of the senior Companions before an assembly of Companions without any objection from them. (3)
The evidence for seven takbīrs is the report from Mūsā ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Yazīd: “Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—performed the funeral prayer over Abū Qatāda and pronounced seven takbīrs over him, for he was a veteran of Badr.” Reported by al-Bayhaqī. (4)
(1) An authentic hadith. Recorded by Muslim in *The Book of Funerals*, chapter “Prayer over the Grave” (no. 957). See *Jāmi al-Usūl* (6/216) and *Ahkām al-Janāiz* (p. 112).
(2) Its chain of transmission is authentic. Recorded by Ibn Abī Shayba in *al-Musannaf* (3/303), al-Tahāwī in *Sharh Maānī al-Āthār* (1/497), al-Dāraqutnī in *al-Sunan* (2/73), and al-Bayhaqī in *al-Kubrā* (4/37), through al-Dāraqutnī’s chain. Regarding this report, al-Albānī states in *Ahkām al-Janāiz* (p. 113): “Its chain is authentic; all its transmitters are trustworthy.” End quote.
(3) See *Ahkām al-Janāiz* (p. 112).
(4) Its chain of transmission is authentic. Recorded by Ibn Abī Shayba in *al-Musannaf* (3/304) and al-Tahāwī in *Sharh Maānī al-Āthār* (1/496). In al-Tahāwī’s text, the word *Abū* was omitted from the name “Abū Qatāda,” leaving it as “Qatāda.”
It was also recorded by al-Bayhaqī (54/36–37), who deemed it defective on the grounds that Abū Qatāda died after Alī.
Regarding this hadith, Ibn al-Turkumānī states in *al-Jawhar al-Naqī* (4/36–37): “Its transmitters are trustworthy.” He rebutted al-Bayhaqī’s criticism, explaining that the correct account is that Abū Qatāda died in Kufa while Alī was there. Al-Albānī likewise states in *Ahkām al-Janāiz* (p. 114): “Its chain is authentic according to Muslim’s criteria…” He rebutted al-Bayhaqī’s criticism and also cited Ibn Hajar’s rebuttal.