Azami 3774

Abu Dawud (3164) narrated it from Muhammad bin Hatim bin Bazee, who said, Abu Naeem narrated to us, from Muhammad bin Muslim, from Amr bin Dinar, Jabir bin Abdullah told me, and he mentioned it. Hakim also reported it (1/368) and said, "Sahih according to the standard of Muslim." I say, it is as he said, for the chain contains Muhammad bin Muslim, who is Ibn Sawsan Taifi, also said to be Ibn Suways. Muslim narrated from him as a corroborating narration, and Bukhari cited him without a direct chain. However, there is disagreement about him. Imam Ahmad declared him daif, while others regarded him as acceptable. Ibn Main, Abu Dawud, Ajli, and others considered him trustworthy, and Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the trustworthy narrators, though he said, "He makes mistakes." The summary regarding him is, "Truthful, but he makes mistakes," and no mistake of his has become apparent to us in this hadith. Rather, it has supporting evidence that strengthens it, including what has already been mentioned, and including what Ibn Abbas narrated, that the Prophet ﷺ entered a grave at night, and a lamp was lit for him. He took it from the direction of the qibla and said, "May Allah have mercy on you, you were indeed given to prayer and much recitation of the Quran," and he said the takbir over him four times.Tirmidhi (1057) and Ibn Majah (1520) both narrated it, through the route of Yahya bin Yaman, from Minhal bin Khalifah, from Hajjaj bin Artah, from Ataa, from Ibn Abbas, who mentioned the hadith. The wording given is that of Tirmidhi, while Ibn Majah abridged it. This chain is daif because of Minhal bin Khalifah, who is "daif," and Hajjaj bin Artah is a "mudallis" who narrated here using "an" (indicating a possible gap in the chain). Bayhaqi (4/55) also declared it daif. As for Tirmidhi, he said, "A hasan hadith," and said, "Most scholars have permitted burial at night."I say, the practice of the companions supports this. Abu Bakr was buried at night, and Ali bin Abu Talib buried Fatimah at night. Among those buried at night were Uthman, Ayesha, and Ibn Masud. Uqba bin Amir, Ibn Musayab, Ataa, Thawri, Shafii, and Ishaq permitted it, while Hasan and Ahmad, in one of the two reports from him, disliked it. The precedents permitting burial at night are more numerous.Hafiz bin Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said in Tahzib Sunan (4/308–309), after quoting these and other precedents, "The precedents permitting burial at night are more numerous," and he said, "It has been said that the hadith of prohibition is to be understood as indicating dislike and admonition rather than outright prohibition. What should be said on this matter, and Allah knows best, is that whenever burial at night does not cause any of the rights of the deceased to be lost, nor the prayer over him, there is no harm in it, and the hadiths permitting it point to this. But if it causes his rights, the prayer over him, and the full observance due to him to be lost, then it is prohibited, and the warnings point to this. And success comes from Allah."