English Translation

Hadrat ‘Ali said, “We saw God’s messenger stand up so we stood up; he then sat down and we sat down,” the reference being to a funeral. Muslim transmitted it. The version of Malik and Abu Dawud says, “He stood up for a funeral, then sat down afterwards.”(There is some doubt as to whether this means that he sat down after the funeral had passed, or whether the point is that the Noble Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)’s practice had been to stand up but that he later stopped doing so. Cf. the tradition from ‘Ali on p. 353)