villages around Medina so that they may attend his funeral. He said: "How excellent is that which you have seen (17)." And the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to those who were buried at night: "Why did you not inform me? (18)." It has been authenticated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) announced the death of al-Najashi to the people on the day he died, and he went out with them to the prayer ground, formed them into rows, and performed four takbirs. This is agreed upon (19). In another wording: "Your brother al-Najashi has died, so stand and pray over him" (20). It was narrated from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "Let no one die among you but that you inform me of it" (21), or as he said. And this is because in the large number of those praying over him (22) there is a reward for them and a benefit for the deceased, for every person praying receives a qirat of reward. It came from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "There is no Muslim who dies, and three rows of Muslims pray over him, but that it becomes obligatory [for forgiveness]" (23). We have already mentioned this. Imam Ahmad (24) narrated with his chain of narration from Abu al-Mulayh that he prayed over a funeral, then turned and said: "Straighten your rows, and may your intercession be good. For verily, ‘Abd Allah ibn Salit narrated to me, from one of the Mothers of the Believers—namely Maymunah, and he was her brother through breastfeeding—that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'There is no Muslim who is prayed over by a group (ummah) of people, but that they are made intercessors for him.'" I asked Abu al-Mulayh about the "group" (ummah)? He said: "Forty."