The Book of Friday Prayer, the Two Festivals, the Prayer for Rain, the Eclipse Prayer, and Funerals-09a
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The reciter: And Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna, and Ibn Bashar narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us, and Shu'bah narrated to us. Abu Bakr said: From Shu'bah, from Amr ibn Murrah, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, who said: Sahih Muslim 957.
The Shaykh : And this, meaning the takbir four times and five times, is among the variations in the Sunnah. The Sunnah may vary, being sometimes this and sometimes that. So what do we do? Do we take one and leave the rest, or what? Some scholars chose a specific one when there is variation and followed it, while others said: We combine them, taking this and that, where combination is possible. And others said: Rather, we take this one time and that one time. For example, the opening supplication (du'a al-istiftah) varied.Jami` at-Tirmidhi 243Hasan (Darussalam)
And another:Sunan an-Nasa'i 895Sahih (Darussalam) So do we take one and leave the rest, or do we take both? And we say: Mention this and that? Or do we vary? The most correct is the third: that we vary, taking this one time and that one time. We have referred to this in our organized rules, and we said that there are two benefits in it: preserving the Sunnah and acting upon both Sunnahs. Good.
Based on this, regarding the takbir of the funeral prayer, do we continue with four, or do we say: sometimes four and sometimes five? The second option: sometimes four and sometimes five. But if it is five, what do we say after the fourth takbir? I do not know of a Sunnah in this, but if I want to do it, I would divide the supplication that comes after the third takbir, dividing it between the fourth and the third. So I would make the general supplication after the third, and the specific supplication for the deceased after the fourth. This is my independent reasoning (ijtihad). If it is wrong, I ask Allah for forgiveness, and if it is correct, praise be to Allah for that.
Good, and also in this: the majority in the era of the Salaf was four. This is why they asked Zayd about his five takbirs: was it based on a principle? Was it based on a Sunnah or not? So he informed them that it is a Sunnah, and that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say it.
Zaid used to recite four takbirs on our funerals and he recited five takbirs on one funeral. I asked him the reason (for this variation), to which he replied: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited thus.
كَانَ زَيْدٌ يُكَبِّرُ عَلَى جَنَائِزِنَا أَرْبَعًا، وَإِنَّهُ كَبَّرَ عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ خَمْسًا، فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُكَبِّرُهَاThe Shaykh : And this, meaning the takbir four times and five times, is among the variations in the Sunnah. The Sunnah may vary, being sometimes this and sometimes that. So what do we do? Do we take one and leave the rest, or what? Some scholars chose a specific one when there is variation and followed it, while others said: We combine them, taking this and that, where combination is possible. And others said: Rather, we take this one time and that one time. For example, the opening supplication (du'a al-istiftah) varied.
Glorious You are O Allah, and with Your praise, and blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your majesty, and none has the right to be worshipped but You.
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك وتبارك اسمك، وتعالى جدُّك ولا إله غيركAnd another:
Allahuma ba'id bayni wa bayna khatayaya kama ba'adta bayna al-mashriqi wal-maghrib; Allahumma naqqini min khatayaya kama yunaqqa ath-thawb al-abyad min ad-danas; Allahumma ighsilni min khatayaya bil ma'i wa ath-thalji wal-barad. (O Allah, put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made between the East and the West; O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as a white garment is cleansed from filth; O Allah, wash away my sins with water and snow and hail).
اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطاياي كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغرب، اللهم نقني من خطاياي كما يُنقَّى الثوب الأبيض من الدَّنَس، اللهم اغسلني من خطاياي بالماء والثلج والبرَدBased on this, regarding the takbir of the funeral prayer, do we continue with four, or do we say: sometimes four and sometimes five? The second option: sometimes four and sometimes five. But if it is five, what do we say after the fourth takbir? I do not know of a Sunnah in this, but if I want to do it, I would divide the supplication that comes after the third takbir, dividing it between the fourth and the third. So I would make the general supplication after the third, and the specific supplication for the deceased after the fourth. This is my independent reasoning (ijtihad). If it is wrong, I ask Allah for forgiveness, and if it is correct, praise be to Allah for that.
Good, and also in this: the majority in the era of the Salaf was four. This is why they asked Zayd about his five takbirs: was it based on a principle? Was it based on a Sunnah or not? So he informed them that it is a Sunnah, and that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say it.