Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Please explain Qirat.

A’Hadiths

Guidance from The Prophet (saws)

Hadrat Abu Hurairah (r.a.) reported: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Whoever follows the funeral procession and offers the funeral prayer for it, will get a reward equal to one Qirat, and whoever attends it till burial, will get a reward equal to two Qirat.'' It was asked, "What are two Qirat?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Equal to two huge mountains.''

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

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Answer:

What is qirat in hadith

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

A ‘qirat’ is a merely a source or manifestation of a measurement; and in the above quoted authentic hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saws) equated the measurement of the rewards that Allah Subhanah would bestow upon one who follows a funeral procession and offers prayers for it as one ‘qirat’; and the reward of one who follows the funeral, offers prayers for it, and attends the actual burial as two ‘qirats’. When the companions enquired to the exact measure of the ‘qirat’, the Messenger of Allah (saws) equated the ‘qirat’ to be the measure of gold as huge as a mountain.

In other words, if one follows a funeral procession and offers the funeral prayer over the deceased….Allah will reward this believer as much as He would reward one who would spend a huge mountain of gold in Allah’s Cause….and if the believer stayed until his deceased brother was actually buried, Allah Subhanah would double the reward.

To attend the burial of one’s believing brethren until they are buried in their graves is an extremely meritorious act in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan