سنن نسائی · Hadith 1972

It was narrated that ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab said: “When ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul died, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم was called upon to offer the funeral prayer for him. When the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم stood up (to offer the prayer), I got up quickly and said: ‘Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم! Are you going to pray for Ibn Ubayy when he said such-and-such on such-and-such an occasion?’ And I started to list all the things that he had said. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم gj smiled and said: ‘Leave me alone, ‘Umar.’ When I spoke too much he said: ‘I have been given the choice and I have chosen (to offer the prayer for him). If I knew that he could be forgiven by asking Allah’s forgiveness more than seventy times, I would have done so.’ The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم offered the funeral prayer for ijm, then left. A short while later, the two Verses from SIirah Bara’ were revealed: ‘And never pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies, nor stand at his grave. Certainly they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and died while they were rebellious.’ Later I was astonished by my audacity toward the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم on that day. And Allah and His Messenger know best.” (Sahih)

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020