Abu Bakr and Umar's presence at the Prophet's, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, burial

20-2-2006 | IslamWeb

Question:

Did the two Shaykhs of Ahl'ul Sunnah participate in the burial rituals of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, if you claim they did, then why do we read that both Sharh Mawaqif and Al-Farooq Shibli Nu'mani confirm their absence? If they did not participate then what type of friends are these?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

 

We have not found in any of the references of Ahlus-Sunnah, whether the books of narrations or the books of biography and history where it is stated that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were not present at the funeral of the Prophet . Rather, what we found in these books is that Abu Bakr was the person who ended the dispute about where the Prophet should be buried. At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah reported that when the Prophet died, the Companions differed with regard to the place he should be buried. So, Abu Bakr said, "I heard something from the Prophet which I never forgot, [he said]: "Allaah takes the souls of the Prophets where He likes for them to be buried." So, bury him in the spot where his bed is." This is evidence that he was present at his burial. In principle both of them where present at his burial.

It is the person who denies this who is required to provide evidence to what he claims. Their love for the Prophet and their companionship with him is well-known and crystal clear, so the hatred of some people for these great and honorable men and the false misconceptions they try to raise are not considered.

For more benefits about the excellence of these two honorable and great Shaykhs (Abu Bakr and 'Umar ) please refer to Fatwa 87882.

Allaah Knows best.