What One Says When Placing the Deceased in the Grave & Other Thoughts
Monthly Reflection for May 2008: Thoughts by Abul Layth
As I was looking through Al-Hafith Ibn Hajr Al-’Asqalani’s Talkhis Al-Habir I came acrossed a hadith that struck my soul. The author writes as the section heading,
“. It is recommended (mustahabb) for the one placing the deceased into the grave to say,
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ
“Bismillahi, wa ‘Alaa Millati Rasulullah”
“With Allah’s name, and upon the Religion of the Messenger of Allah.”
As that is reported by Ibn ‘Umar from the Messenger of Allah. When one places the deceased in the grave, place them in the lahd ((A niche that is dug on the side of the grave where the body is placed, so that the dirt does not actually fall on the body ))upon their right side, facing the qiblah, as that was done with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).” ((Talkhis Al-Habir, page 1231 Adwa’us-Salaf Edition ))