The Procession of People During a Funeral
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His Eminence the Shaykh: Regarding the funeral, which is better: to follow the bier or to be followed by it? And what is the ruling on supplicating loudly for the deceased while the people behind him say "Ameen" during the burial?
The scholars have mentioned that if the one following the funeral is riding, it is better for him to be behind the bier. If he is walking, the Sunnah is for him to be behind it, to its right, or to its left.
The matter is broad in this regard, and the scholars said: The riders were behind the funeral in their time because people used to ride on camels, donkeys, or similar animals.
As for now, it is preferable for riders in cars to be in front of the bier, because their presence behind the mourners disturbs them and may cause the mourners to hurry excessively, which is feared might cause something to come out of the deceased due to the strong shaking. Therefore, I see that riders in cars in the present time should be in front of the bier. If that is not possible, let them be behind it, far from the pedestrians, so as not to disturb the pedestrians. The matter is broad for the pedestrians; whether they are in front of it, behind it, to its right, or to its left.
As for supplicating for the deceased by raising the voice at the time of burial, it is a religious innovation; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he finished burying the deceased, would stand over him and say: (Seek forgiveness for your brother and ask Allah for steadfastness for him, for he is now being questioned) And if supplicating with a collective voice had been a Sunnah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have supplicated in that manner for his Companions, because his supplication for them is more blessed and closer to being answered.But it is said to the people: Each person supplicates on his own for this deceased when he is buried, so they seek forgiveness for him and ask Allah for steadfastness for him, and once is sufficient. But if he repeats it three times, that is better, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he supplicated, would supplicate three times.
The scholars have mentioned that if the one following the funeral is riding, it is better for him to be behind the bier. If he is walking, the Sunnah is for him to be behind it, to its right, or to its left.
The matter is broad in this regard, and the scholars said: The riders were behind the funeral in their time because people used to ride on camels, donkeys, or similar animals.
As for now, it is preferable for riders in cars to be in front of the bier, because their presence behind the mourners disturbs them and may cause the mourners to hurry excessively, which is feared might cause something to come out of the deceased due to the strong shaking. Therefore, I see that riders in cars in the present time should be in front of the bier. If that is not possible, let them be behind it, far from the pedestrians, so as not to disturb the pedestrians. The matter is broad for the pedestrians; whether they are in front of it, behind it, to its right, or to its left.
As for supplicating for the deceased by raising the voice at the time of burial, it is a religious innovation; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he finished burying the deceased, would stand over him and say: (Seek forgiveness for your brother and ask Allah for steadfastness for him, for he is now being questioned) And if supplicating with a collective voice had been a Sunnah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have supplicated in that manner for his Companions, because his supplication for them is more blessed and closer to being answered.But it is said to the people: Each person supplicates on his own for this deceased when he is buried, so they seek forgiveness for him and ask Allah for steadfastness for him, and once is sufficient. But if he repeats it three times, that is better, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he supplicated, would supplicate three times.