Chapter: People’s Praise of the Deceased

950 – Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: A funeral cortege passed by and the people spoke well of the deceased. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “It has become obligatory.” Another cortege then passed and the people spoke ill of the deceased, and the Prophet said, “It has become obligatory.” ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) asked, “What has become obligatory?” He replied, “This one whom you praised with good—Paradise has become obligatory for him; and this one whom you spoke of with evil—Hellfire has become obligatory for him. You are Allah’s witnesses on earth.” Agreed upon.

951 – Abu al-Aswad reported: I arrived in Madinah and sat with ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him). A funeral passed and the people spoke well of its bearer, so ʿUmar said, “It has become obligatory.” Another funeral passed and the people again spoke well of its bearer, so ʿUmar said, “It has become obligatory.” A third funeral passed and the people spoke ill of its bearer, so ʿUmar said, “It has become obligatory.” Abu al-Aswad asked, “What has become obligatory, Commander of the Believers?” He replied, “I said what the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: ‘Any Muslim for whom four people testify to his goodness, Allah will admit him into Paradise.’ We asked, ‘And three?’ He said, ‘And three.’ We asked, ‘And two?’ He said, ‘And two.’ After that we did not ask him about one.” Related by al-Bukhari.