Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said, “We went out with God’s messenger to the funeral of a man of the Ansar, but when we reached the grave the niche in the side had not yet been made, so the Prophet sat down facing the qibla and we sat down along with him.”
Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Ibn Majah adding “quietly”. (Literally, as though the birds were over our heads. An explanation of the phrase is that when a bird alights on a camel’s head and begins to pick the ticks off it, the camel stands perfectly still so as not to frighten it away.)
I was present when the daughter of God’s messenger was being buried. He was sitting beside the grave and I saw his eyes shedding tears. He then asked, “Is there any of you who did not have sexual intercourse last night?” Abu Talha replied that he had not, so he told him to go down into her grave, and he did so.
Al-Qasim b. Muhammad told of his going to visit ‘A’isha and saying, “Mother, show me the grave of the Prophet and his two companions.” She showed him three graves which were neither high nor low, but were spread over with soft red pebbles in an open space.
