And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever offers the funeral prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to the Companions: Offer the funeral prayer over your companion. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Offer the funeral prayer for Najashi. He called it a prayer, though there is neither bowing nor prostration in it, nor can one speak in it, and there are takbirs and salam in it. And Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) would not offer the funeral prayer unless he was in a state of ablution, and he would not offer it at the time of sunrise or sunset, and he would raise his hands in the funeral prayer. And Imam Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I found many Companions and Followers, and they considered the one most deserving to lead the funeral prayer to be the one most deserving to lead the obligatory prayer. And if on the day of Eid or at a funeral there is no ablution, one should seek water and not perform tayammum, and if one arrives at the funeral while people are praying, he should say Allahu Akbar and join in. And Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Whether it is night or day, whether in travel or at home, say four takbirs in the funeral prayer. And Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The first takbir is to begin the funeral prayer. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said (in Surah At-Tawbah): "Never pray over any of them who dies." And in it there are rows and an imam.

Narrated Ash-Shaibani: Ash-Shu`bi said, "Somebody who passed along with your Prophet (p.b.u.h) by a grave that was separate from the other graves informed me (saying), "The Prophet led us (in the prayer) and we aligned behind him." We said, "O Abu `Amr! Who told you this narration?" He replied, "Ibn `Abbas."