Topic Under Discussion Clarification of Events at the Prophet's death Question Question from India Thank you for clarifying the events that occurred at Prophet's (pbuh) death. Please clarify my following doubts which still remain. Was it a mistake of the Ansars that they gathered at Saqifa leaving the Prophet(pbuh)'s body unburied? Or was it in line with the teachings of the Prophet(pbuh)? Is it haraam (prohibited) in Shari`ah to engage in any other activity other than the burial? What is the maximum period that a dead body be unburied according to Shari`ah ? Can the action of Ansars be seen within the allowable limits of Shari`ah ? Regards, Naina. India Answer In my personal opinion, the referred action of the Ansaar should be considered an unintentional mistake of the Ansar. However, as I have clarified in my previously referred response, it should be kept in mind that the burial of the Prophet (pbuh) was not delayed because of the action of the Ansaar. On the contrary, the Prophet's burial had to be postponed because of the desire of the Muslims to pay their homage to the Prophet (pbuh). The Shari`ah has not prescribed any maximum or minimum time for the burial of the dead. However, it is recommended that the dead be buried as quickly as possible and that the burial should not be unnecessarily delayed. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad July 19, 2002 Answer published by Moiz Amjad