Abu Huraira said that a member of the family of God’s messenger died and that the women gathered and wept for him. ‘Umar then arose and forbade and repulsed them, but God’s messenger said, “Let them alone, ‘Umar, for the eye is tearful, the heart is afflicted, and the matter has happened recently.”
Abu Musa said he heard God’s messenger say, “If anyone dies and the mourner gets up and says, ‘Alas for the mountain! Alas for the chief!’ and such like, God will put two angels in charge of him who will beat him on the breast and ask him whether he was like that.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib hasan tradition.
Ibn ‘Abbas said that when God’s messenger’s daughter Zainab died and the women wept, ‘Umar began to strike them with his whip, but God's messenger pushed him back saying, “Gently, ‘Umar.” He then said, “Beware of the devil’s clamour,” and added, “Whatever comes from the eye and from the heart is from God who is great and glorious and pertains to compassion, but what comes from the hand and from the tongue is of the devil.”
An-Nu‘man b. Bashir said that when ‘Abdallah b. Rawaha fainted his sister ‘Amra began to weep and shout, “Alas for the mountain! (The word which basically means a mountain is also used for a chief. In the next tradition from Abu Musa two expressions are used, one being the same as here and the other using a normal word for a chief. I have therefore kept the flavour of the original by retaining the word mountain) Alas for such and such! Alas for such and such !” eulogising him. When he came round he said, “I was asked about everything you said whether I am like that.” A version has the addition that when he died she did not weep for him.
