The Book of Friday Prayer, the Two Festivals, the Prayer for Rain, the Eclipse Prayer, and Funerals-09a
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The reciter: Yahya ibn Yahya narrated to us, saying: I read to Malik from Ibn Shihab from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib from Abu Hurayrah Sahih Muslim 951a
The Shaykh : His statement: "He announced the death of the Najashi." The Najashi is a title for every king of Abyssinia; he is called the Najashi, just as Kisra is a title for every king of Persia, and Heraclius is a title for every king of the Romans, and Pharaoh is a title for every king of Egypt, and he is a disbeliever. These are general titles. This man, the Najashi (may Allah be pleased with him), was a believer and a righteous person, as attested by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He was a brother to the Companions, as attested by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He died, and that reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through revelation, on that very day. There was no telegram or telegraph, or anything of the sort, but it was revelation. So he announced their [his] death: meaning he informed them of his death. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) went out with them to the prayer ground, and it appears that it was the Eid prayer ground, to demonstrate the honor of this man who believed in Allah and His Messenger and sheltered the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He went out with them to the prayer ground and prayed with them, and described them as will come later, if Allah wills.
If someone were to ask: How do you reconcile this with the prohibition against announcing death? The answer is from one of two angles: Either the intended meaning of the prohibited announcement is the announcement that includes praise, flattery, and exaggeration, as they used to do in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. Or the intended meaning of the prohibited announcement is the announcement that comes after the funeral prayer and burial, in which case it is prohibited. However, before the funeral prayer is performed, the death is announced and the people are informed of it so that many may pray for him, and there is nothing wrong with that. And perhaps this is more likely. As for the first case—meaning my intention is when they announce it after the burial and preparation are finished—this falls under the prohibition, unless there is a reason, such as if this deceased person was someone with whom people had dealings, and they had dealings with him, so he is announced as having died so that whoever has a right against him may assert his right, or so that whoever has a right owed to him may express his willingness to perform it for the heirs. This announcement is not intended to display the honor of the deceased, but rather the intended purpose is the public benefit.
And in this hadith, there is the explicit text that he pronounced the takbir four times with them.
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave the people news of the death of Negus on the day he died, and he took them out to the place of prayer and observed four takbirs.
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نعى للناس النجاشي في اليوم الذي مات فيه فخرج بهم إلى المصلى وكبر أربع تكبيراتThe Shaykh : His statement: "He announced the death of the Najashi." The Najashi is a title for every king of Abyssinia; he is called the Najashi, just as Kisra is a title for every king of Persia, and Heraclius is a title for every king of the Romans, and Pharaoh is a title for every king of Egypt, and he is a disbeliever. These are general titles. This man, the Najashi (may Allah be pleased with him), was a believer and a righteous person, as attested by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He was a brother to the Companions, as attested by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He died, and that reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through revelation, on that very day. There was no telegram or telegraph, or anything of the sort, but it was revelation. So he announced their [his] death: meaning he informed them of his death. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) went out with them to the prayer ground, and it appears that it was the Eid prayer ground, to demonstrate the honor of this man who believed in Allah and His Messenger and sheltered the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He went out with them to the prayer ground and prayed with them, and described them as will come later, if Allah wills.
If someone were to ask: How do you reconcile this
He announced the death of the Najashi.
نعى النجاشيAnd in this hadith, there is the explicit text that he pronounced the takbir four times with them.