The Virtues of Following The Funeral Procession Up Till The Burial

 عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ اتَّبَعَ جَنَازَةَ مُسْلِمٍ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا وَكَانَ مَعَهُ حَتَّى يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَيَفْرُغَ مِنْ دَفْنِهَا فَإِنَّه يَرْجِعُ مِنْ الْأَجْرِ بِقِيرَاطَيْنِ كُلُّ قِيرَاطٍ مِثْلُ أُحُدٍ وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُدْفَنَ فَإِنَّهُ يَرْجِعُ بِقِيرَاطٍ 

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said, "(A believer) who accompanies the funeral procession of a Muslim out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's reward and remains with it till the funeral prayer is offered and the burial ceremonies are over, he will return with a reward of two Qirats. Each Qirat is like the size of the (Mount) Uhud. He who offers the funeral prayer only and returns before the burial, will return with the reward of one Qirat only." 

Grade: Sahih 

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 47 

(Hadith translation obtained from https://sunnah.com/bukhari/2/40) 

Lessons: 

1.  Among the duties of a Muslim towards his deceased brother is offering funeral prayers and conducting burial rites.

2.  Those who follow the funeral procession, i.e., the funeral prayer and burial ceremonies, out of sincere faith and only hoping to gain reward from Allah will be granted with two Qirats (of ajr, or merit), whereby each Qirat is the size of mount Uhud. 

Let us all strive to fulfill our obligations to our Muslim brothers and sisters by accompanying the funeral processions until the end.