Desirability of large congregation in funeral prayers and formation of three or more lines of those who pray the funeral prayer.
  • Ayesha, Radiallahu anha, relates that the Holy Prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam, said: If as many as a hundred Muslims join in the funeral prayer for a person, and all of them pray to Allah for his salvation, their recommendation would be granted. (Muslim)

  • Ibn Abbaas, radiallahu anhu, says that he heard the Holy Prophet, sallalahu aleyhi sallam, say: ‘If a Muslim dies and forty people; who do not associate anthing with Allah, join in the funeral rayers for him, allah accepts their prayers for him.’ (Muslim)

  • Marthad bin Abdullah al-Yazaani, radiallahu anhu, relates that when Malik bin Hubayrah, radiallahu anhu, while leading a funeral prayer noticed that the number of perticipants was less, he divided them into three rows, explaining that the Holy Prohet, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam, had said: ‘If three rows of supplicants pray for the deliverance of a deceased person, he would be attmitted to Paradise.’ (Abu Dawood and al-Tirmithi, said it is of good chain).


The Interpretation (of the Hadiths):
An-Nawawi – Rahimahullah – said in the chapter “Desirability of large congregation in funeral prayers and formation of three or more lines of those who pray,” than he mentions three Hadeeths: The Hadeeths which were arrated by Aisha, Abdullah bin Abbaas, and Malik bin Hubayrah, May Allah be pleased with them all. All three Hadiths indicate that the more people ttending the funeral prayer, than that is better for intession. For in the Hadith of Aisha, it is said, if one hundred people attend the funeral prayer, seelking interssision for him, Allah will forgive him through their intersession. It is very important that the people praying to ask Allah to forgive the dead person. In fact making dua and asking Allah to forgive the deceased one is ne of the pillars of the Funeral prayer. Thus, the Salah will be invalid if the praying person doesn’t make dua for the dead one.

Ibn Abbaas’s Hadith states that if the number of people praying reaches forty, Allah will forgive the dead person. However, the people who are praying must be free from shirk, that is associating any partner or partners with Allah the most high.

As for the hadith of Malik’s bin Hubayrah: It states that the Prophet sallalahu alyehi wa sallam said: ‘Anyone who has three lines of people praying on him, he will be given Jannah.’

And all three Hadiths indicate that the more people praying the Janazah prayer, the better. And That is why we find that if a Funeral prayer is performed at one mosque, the people of the surrounding mosques inform those at that mosque to attend the funeral prayer until the people at the Funeral Prayer is abundant in number (of people).

Therefore it is upon the Imam that if he sees the (other) people coming to attend the Funeral Prayer and that they have missed any part of the (current) obligatory prayer, he should not be hasty in beginning the Funeral Prayer until those who are finishing their (obligatory) prayer have completed it, so that they may join those that are present for the Funeral Prayer, so that the number of people praying for the deceased increases. Perhaps the Dua of one of these people i.e the newcomers, is the one that is responded to.

Taken from: The interpretation of Riyad us-Saliheen, By Shiekh Saalih ibn Uthymeen.

Note: The translation of the Sharh (interpretations) of these Hadiths has not been completed.