Azami 3695

Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Funerals (1320), and Muslim in the Book of Funerals (951), both from the hadith of Ibn Jurayj, who said, Ata informed me that he heard Jabir bin Abdullah, and he mentioned the hadith. The wording given is Bukhari's, while Muslim's wording is abridged.The statement of Abu Zubayr, from Jabir... Muslim connected it through another route, from Ayub, from Abu Zubayr.Bukhari also narrated it (1317) through another route, from Qatada, from Ata, from Jabir, who said, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed the funeral prayer over Negus, and I was in the second or third row.On this subject there are two hadiths with defects.The first is what Malik bin Hubayra narrated. He said, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "No Muslim dies and three rows of Muslims pray the funeral prayer over him, but it becomes obligatory for him." Malik would divide the funeral attendees into three rows whenever they were few in number.It was narrated by Abu Dawud (3166), Tirmidhi (1028), and Ibn Majah (1490), all through routes from Muhammad bin Ishaq, from Yazid bin Abu Habib, from Marthad Yazani, from Malik bin Hubayra, who mentioned it. Their wordings are close, except that Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah did not mention Malik bin Hubayra's division into three rows.Hakim narrated it (1/362, 363) and said, "Sahih according to the criterion of Muslim." Tirmidhi said, Hasan, and Ibn Hajar endorsed this in Fath al-Bari (3/145).I say, Muhammad bin Ishaq is a mudallis, and here he used the ambiguous form of transmission, so the hadith does not rise to the level of hasan unless he explicitly states that he heard it directly. Even if his hearing it were established through another route, his solitary narration could not be accepted, because this concerns a legal ruling and has no other established basis.The basic principle in prayer is that the first row should be completed before the next, if the prayer is in a masjid. But if the prayer takes place outside the masjid, there is no harm in dividing the rows, following what Malik bin Hubayra did. What is meant by "three" is an odd number of rows.The second is what Tabarani narrated, as found in Majma (3/432), from Abu Umama, who said, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed the funeral prayer over a body, with seven men present with him, and he made three a row, two a row, and two a row. Ibn Lahia is in its chain, and there is well-known discussion about him.Shaykh bin Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the ruling on multiplying the rows even when they are not complete. He answered, "The basic principle is that they should form rows in the funeral prayer just as they form rows in the obligatory prayer, completing the first row before the next. As for the practice of Malik bin Hubayra , its chain contains weakness, and it contradicts the sahih hadiths that indicate the obligation of completing the first row before the next in prayer." Majmu Fatawa (13/139).The Shaykh's statement applies to the case where the prayer takes place in a masjid.