11/9. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 928b — Funeral Wailing and Correct Understanding
The deceased is tormented because of his family's crying for him
Funeral Wailing Hadith and Aisha's Clarification
Sahih Muslim : 928b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 928b
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، قَالَ تُوُفِّيَتِ ابْنَةٌ لِعُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ بِمَكَّةَ قَالَ فَجِئْنَا لِنَشْهَدَهَا - قَالَ - فَحَضَرَهَا ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ وَإِنِّي لَجَالِسٌ بَيْنَهُمَا - قَالَ - جَلَسْتُ إِلَى أَحَدِهِمَا ثُمَّ جَاءَ الآخَرُ فَجَلَسَ إِلَى جَنْبِي فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ وَهُوَ مُوَاجِهُهُ أَلاَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْبُكَاءِ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الْمَيِّتَ لَيُعَذَّبُ بِبُكَاءِ أَهْلِهِ عَلَيْهِ " . فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ قَدْ كَانَ عُمَرُ يَقُولُ بَعْضَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ حَدَّثَ فَقَالَ صَدَرْتُ مَعَ عُمَرَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِالْبَيْدَاءِ إِذَا هُوَ بِرَكْبٍ تَحْتَ ظِلِّ شَجَرَةٍ فَقَالَ اذْهَبْ فَانْظُرْ مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ الرَّكْبُ فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا هُوَ صُهَيْبٌ - قَالَ - فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ ادْعُهُ لِي . قَالَ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى صُهَيْبٍ فَقُلْتُ ارْتَحِلْ فَالْحَقْ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ . فَلَمَّا أَنْ أُصِيبَ عُمَرُ دَخَلَ صُهَيْبٌ يَبْكِي يَقُولُ وَاأَخَاهْ وَاصَاحِبَاهْ . فَقَالَ عُمَرُ يَا صُهَيْبُ أَتَبْكِي عَلَىَّ وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ الْمَيِّتَ يُعَذَّبُ بِبَعْضِ بُكَاءِ أَهْلِهِ عَلَيْهِ " . فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَلَمَّا مَاتَ عُمَرُ ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعَائِشَةَ فَقَالَتْ يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ عُمَرَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا حَدَّثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُعَذِّبُ الْمُؤْمِنَ بِبُكَاءِ أَحَدٍ " . وَلَكِنْ قَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَزِيدُ الْكَافِرَ عَذَابًا بِبُكَاءِ أَهْلِهِ عَلَيْهِ " قَالَ وَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ حَسْبُكُمُ الْقُرْآنُ { وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى} قَالَ وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ وَاللَّهُ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَى . قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ .
Abdullah b. Abu Mulaika said: The daughter of 'Uthman b. 'Affan died in Mecca. We came to attend her (funeral). Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas were also present there, and I was sitting between them. He added: I (first sat) by the side of one of them, then the other one came and he sat by my side. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar said to 'Amr b. 'Uthman who was sitting opposite to him: Will you not prevent the people from lamenting, for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said:" The dead is punished because of the lamenting of his family for him"? Ibn 'Abbas then said that Umar used to say someting of that nature, and then narrated saying: I proceeded from Mecca along with 'Umar till we reached al-Baida' and there was a party of riders under the shade of a tree. He said (to me): Go and find out who this party is. I cast a glance and there was Suhaib (in that party). So I informed him ('Umar) about it. He said: Call him to me. So I went back to Suhaib and said: Go and meet the Commander of the believers. When 'Umar was wounded, Suhaib came walling: Alas, for the brother! alas for the companion! 'Umar said: O Suhaib, do you wail for me, whereas the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:" The dead would be punished on account of the lamentation of the (members of his family)"? Ibn 'Abbas said: When 'Umar died I made a mention of it to 'A'isha. She said: May Allah have mercy upon 'Umar! I swear by Allah that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never said that Allah would punish the believer because of the weeping (of any one of the members of his family), but he said that Allah would increase the punishment of the unbeliever because of the weeping of his family over him. 'A'isha said: The Qur'an is enough for you (when it states):" No bearer of burden will bear another's burden" (vi. 164). Thereupon Ibn 'Abbas said: Allah is He Who has caused laughter and weeping. Ibn Abu Mulaika said: By Allah, Ibn 'Umar said nothing.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 928b, 927i, 929bIn-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 28USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 2023
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 928b
This funeral wailing hadith records a discussion at the funeral of the daughter of Uthman b. Affan. Ibn Umar told Amr b. Uthman to stop the people from lamenting because he had heard the Prophet mention punishment connected to family lamentation. Ibn Abbas then shared Umar's wording from the incident of Suhaib weeping after Umar was wounded. When the matter reached Aisha, she corrected the broad understanding. She said the Messenger of Allah did not say that Allah punishes a believer because someone cries over him. Rather, she explained the wording as connected to the unbeliever, and she reminded them of the Quranic statement that no bearer carries another's burden. The hadith teaches careful narration, fair understanding, and measured grief.
What we learn from this hadith
- One should avoid wailing and uncontrolled lamentation at funerals.
- A hadith must be understood with its correct wording and setting.
- The Quranic rule mentioned by Aisha protects the principle of personal responsibility.
