How Was the Prophet Muhammad Buried ﷺ?

After the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ death, a dispute arose regarding where he should be buried. Some of the Muhajirun suggested burying him in Mecca, his birthplace, among his family and kin. Others preferred burying him in Jerusalem, where prophets before him had been buried. However, this was not feasible as Jerusalem was then under Byzantine control, who were hostile to Muslims.

The companions quickly agreed to bury him in Medina, but they were not sure of the exact burial site. Some proposed burying him in the Prophet's Mosque, where he used to address and guide the people. It was suggested that he be buried near or under the pulpit, but this idea was rejected. Others suggested burying him in Jannat al-Baqi'. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), who had just been appointed as the first caliph of the Muslims, settled the dispute by saying: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that no Prophet dies until he sees his place in Paradise, and then he is given the choice." When the people heard this, they removed the belongings from Aisha's chamber in preparation for his burial and dug beneath his bed.

The Washing of His Pure Body

A group of his family members, including his cousin and relative Ali ibn Abi Talib, his uncle Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and his sons al-Fadl and Quthm, along with the Prophet's freedman Usama ibn Zaid and Shuqran, participated in washing his pure body. Abbas, al-Fadl, and Quthm turned his noble body while Usama and Shuqran poured water over him for washing. They were extremely careful not to expose any part of his noble body, and he was washed with his clothes on.

A Fragrant Scent emanated from the Prophet's Pure Body, as it did during his lifetime. Ali remarked, "By my father and mother, O Messenger of Allah, how sweet you are, alive and dead!" After they finished washing him, the Prophet's noble body was shrouded in three Yemeni cloths, two Sahooliyyan garments, and a Burd Hubrah.

Then, people came to see the noble body of the Prophet ﷺ. They entered through the door of the Prophet's Mosque to see him and offer prayers upon him.

The Funeral Prayer

Abu Bakr and Umar entered the chamber and joined the companions in performing the funeral prayer. As the chamber was narrow, the companions entered in groups of ten and then exited to allow others to enter. No one led the prayer. First, his family and relatives prayed over him, followed by the rest of the men.

Then, women and children were allowed to see the Prophet ﷺ one last time. Everyone who left the chamber was filled with sorrow, grief, and immense sadness for the fate of the Ummah. People continued to come to see the Prophet ﷺ throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday night.

The Burial of the Prophet Muhammad

Regarding the burial method, the companions disagreed on how to dig the grave of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. At that time, there were two legitimate methods for digging graves:

1. The method of the people of Medina is where a hole is dug in the ground, and then the grave is deepened towards the Qiblah direction, making the grave like a vertical angle. The deceased is buried in the side place, and then it is filled with bricks. The soil is then piled on top of the grave, excluding the deceased. This method is called "al-Lahd" and is the Sunnah, according to the majority of scholars.
2. The people of Mecca's method, where a hole is dug in the middle of the grave, accommodates the deceased lying on his right side. This hole is then roofed with stones, and the roof is raised above the deceased. This method is called "al-Shiqq" and is what the Hanafi school of jurisprudence holds.

Al-Lahd

They sent two companions who were knowledgeable about grave digging: Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, who followed the method of the people of Mecca, and Abu Talhah al-Ansari, who followed the method of the people of Medina. They did not find Abu Ubaidah, so they entrusted Abu Talhah with digging the Prophet's ﷺ grave. Abu Talhah dug the grave in Aisha's chamber beneath the bed on which the Prophet ﷺ used to sleep. He dug it according to the method of the people of Medina. Aisha said:

"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, they argued about whether to dig the grave in the Lahd or the Shiqq style until their voices became loud. Umar said, 'Do not raise your voices in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whether he is alive or dead, for what is said might reach him.' They agreed upon Lahd, and they dug the grave for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and buried him."

When the night fell on Wednesday, and the companions removed the dust from his noble body with heavy hearts, the Prophet's ﷺ household prepared for his burial. After the first third or quarter of the night passed, Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas, Quthm ibn al-Abbas, and Shuqran descended into the grave. It is said that Abu Layla, who was not from the Prophet's ﷺ household, joined the burial after Ali's permission. After they laid some soil over his noble body, Shuqran, the Prophet's ﷺ freedman, placed a red cloth in the grave that the Prophet ﷺ used to wear. Then, they covered it with bricks and piled soil until the grave was filled. His head faced the west, his noble face was towards the Qiblah, and his feet were towards the east.