صفة الصلاة على الميت
Marthad ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Yadhani reported: When Mālik ibn Hubayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) offered a funeral prayer and found a small number of participants, he would divide them into three rows and would say that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If three rows offer funeral prayer over a person, then his entry into Paradise becomes certain."
عن مرثد بن عبد الله اليزني، قال: كان مالك بن هبيرة -رضي الله عنه- إذا صلى على الجنازة فَتَقَالَّ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا جَزَّأَهُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَجْزَاءٍ، ثم قال: قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم-: «من صلى عليه ثلاثة صفوف فقد أَوْجَبَ».
شرح الحديث :
This noble Companion, when he wanted to perform the funeral prayer over a deceased Muslim and saw that the number of people in the congregation was small, he would make them form three rows, and he said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that when a Muslim dies and three rows (of people) offer the funeral prayer over him and make supplication to Allah for him, then he surely enters Paradise. The main purpose of the funeral prayer is to supplicate Allah in favor of the deceased. In a relevant authentic narration, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a son of his died in Qadīd (or Sa‘fān), so he asked Kurayb: "O Kurayb, check how many people have gathered for him (to offer the funeral prayer)." Kurayb said: "I went out and saw a group of people who gathered for him. I told him, so he asked: 'Would you say that they are forty?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Take him out (take the deceased out for prayer). I have heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "If a Muslim man died and forty people who do not associate anything with Allah offered funeral prayer over him, then Allah will surely accept their intercession on his behalf."