Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest among people on following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and they would probably correct one another when it came to unclear matters or confusing to them. In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says when the Companion Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) died, and he passed away in his palace in the region of Al-‘Aqīq, ten miles away from Madīnah, in 55 A.H., according to the famous view, and he was carried on the shoulders of men so as to be buried in the Baqī‘, the graveyard of the people of Madīnah, which happened during the caliphate of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him), and Marawān ibn Al-Hakam was the then-governor of Madīnah. The Prophet's wives sent word to those who were carrying him and asked them to bring the bier - in reference to the deceased person - to the Prophet's Mosque so that the Mothers of the Believers, the Prophet's wives, could offer prayer over him. In a version by Muslim, it was ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who asked for that. The bier was brought into the mosque and placed in front of the rooms of the Mothers of the Believers, who offered the funeral prayer over him. After the prayer was finished, he was taken out of the Door of Funerals, i.e., the door of the mosque that was prepared for the passing of funerals; or because the funerals would often pass through this door - given its closeness to the direction of the Baqī‘ - it was called as such. It was located near "the Maqā‘id", which was situated behind the eastern wall of the Prophet's Mosque, east of the noble chamber, where the Imām would stand up to offer the funeral prayer, the Prophet's grave would lay to his right. It was said: "The Maqā‘id" is a place at the door of the mosque reserved for sitting for the fulfillment of needs, performing ablution, and taking rest. And it was said: It was a stone near the house of ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) upon which he used to sit. It was also said: It was stairs. News reached ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the people criticized the entry of the bier into the mosque for the funeral prayer. That is because they would usually offer the funeral prayer outside the mosque, in an open space. Thereupon, ‘Ā’ishah said in wonder: "How quickly people are criticizing what they have no knowledge about!" i.e., how quickly they forgot the Sunnah. It was said: How quick they are in maligning and finding faults. It was also said: How quick they are in denying what they do not know, namely the ruling on bringing the bier into the mosque. Therefore, they criticized us for bringing the bier into the mosque. Then, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) cited the Prophet's action as evidence, saying: "Whereas the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not offer prayer for Suhayl ibn Baydā,’" i.e., for his funeral. Suhayl (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who engaged in the two immigrations—to Abyssinia and Madinah—and he participated in the battles of Badr and ’Uhud. He (may Allah be pleased with him) died after the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) returned from the battle of Tabuk, 9 A.H. "except deep inside the mosque" and within it. This proves that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did offer the funeral prayer in the mosque, even if a few times, but this points to permissibility. In the Hadīth: The merit of the knowledge of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) And in it: Offering the funeral prayers inside the mosque and outside it And in it: Offering the funeral prayer by women And in it: The Sunnah should not be abandoned because some people deny it out of ignorance; rather, it should be demonstrated to the people and taught to those who are ignorant about it..