Ibn 'Aqil chose this view because it is an increase that is not Sunnah for the Imam, so the follower should not follow him in it, just like the qunut (supplication) in the first rak'ah. Our evidence is what has been narrated from Zayd ibn Arqam that he performed five takbirs over a funeral and said: 'The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to perform them.' This was narrated by Muslim, Sa'id ibn Mansur, and others (2). In the report by Sa'id: 'He was asked about that, and he said: It is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).' Sa'id said: 'Khalid ibn 'Abd Allah narrated to us, from Yahya al-Jabiri, from 'Isa, a freedman (mawla) of Hudhayfah, that he performed five takbirs over a funeral. He was asked about it, so he said: My master and the bestower of my blessings performed prayer over a funeral and performed five takbirs over it. And Hudhayfah mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did that (3).' He also narrated with his chain of transmission that 'Ali performed prayer over Sahl ibn Hunayf and performed five takbirs over him. The companions of Mu'adh used to perform five takbirs over funerals. Al-Khallal narrated with his chain of transmission from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, who said: 'All of that has occurred: four, and five,' and he ordered the people to perform four. Ahmad said: 'Regarding the chain of the hadith of Zayd ibn Arqam: it is a good (jayyid) chain, narrated by Shu'bah from 'Amr ibn Murrah, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from Zayd ibn Arqam.' It is known that those praying with him used to follow him. Al-Athram narrated from 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that he used to perform five takbirs over the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) other than the people of Badr, and four over other people (4). And this
(2) Narrated by Muslim, in: The Chapter on Prayer at the Grave, from the Book of Funerals. Sahih Muslim 2/659. It was also narrated by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on Takbir over the Funeral, from the Book of Funerals. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/187. Al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding Takbir over the Funeral, from the Chapters on Funerals. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 4/239. Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the Number of Takbirs over the Funeral, from the Book of Funerals. Al-Mujtaba 4/59. Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding Those Who Perform Five Takbirs, from the Book of Funerals. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/482. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 3/367, 368, 370, 371, 372.
(3) Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah, in: The Chapter on Those Who Used to Perform Five Takbirs over the Funeral, from the Book of Funerals. Al-Musannaf 3/303.
(4) Narrated by al-Daraqutni, in: The Chapter on the Taslim in the Funeral Prayer Being One, and the Takbirs Being Four and Five, and the Recitation of al-Fatihah, from the Book of Funerals. Sunan al-Daraqutni 2/73. Al-Bayhaqi, in: The Chapter on Those Who Went Toward Specializing the Virtuous with the Increase of Takbirs Beyond Four, from the Book of Funerals. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 4/137. And Ibn Abi Shaybah, in: The Chapter on Those Who Used to Perform Five Takbirs over the Funeral, from the Book of Funerals. Al-Musannaf 3/303.
