Prayers Offered For A Muslim Deceased By 40 People Are Accepted

أَنَّهُ مَاتَ ابْنٌ لَهُ بِقُدَيْدٍ أَوْ بِعُسْفَانَ فَقَالَ يَا كُرَيْبُ انْظُرْ مَا اجْتَمَعَ لَهُ مِنْ النَّاسِ قَالَ فَخَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا نَاسٌ قَدْ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ تَقُولُ هُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ أَخْرِجُوهُ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ فَيَقُومُ عَلَى جَنَازَتِهِ أَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلًا لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِلَّا شَفَّعَهُمْ اللَّهُ فِيهِ 

'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported that his son died in Qudaid or 'Usfan. He said to Kuraib to see as to how many people had gathered there for his (funeral). He (Kuraib) said: 

So I went out and I informed him about the people who had gathered there. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: Do you think they are forty? He (Kuraib) said: Yes. Ibn 'Abbas then said to them: Bring him (the dead body) out for I have heard Allah's Messenger S.A.W as saying: If any Muslim dies and forty men who associate nothing with Allah stand over his prayer (they offer prayer over him), Allah will accept them as intercessors for him. [Sahih Muslim 948] 

Reference: sunnah.com 

Lessons: 

1. When a Muslim dies, it is other Muslims' responsibility to manage the funeral of the janazah (body) including gathering and conducting prayers for him.

2. If 40 Muslims do not associate anything with Allah (i.e. deify other than Allah) offer prayer for the deceased, Allah will accept it.

Let's eschew idolatry and make it a habit to join funeral prayers for our Muslim deceased. May Allah accept our du’a for them.