920/1 - Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If you visit a sick or dead person, say good things, for the angels say ‘amen’ to what you say.” She said: “When Abu Salamh died, I went to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, Abu Salamah died.’ He said: ‘Say: O Allah, forgive me and him, and compensate me well for his loss.’ I said that and Allah compensated me by someone better than him; Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).” [Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dāwūd, and others] The version by Muslim says: “If you visit a sick or a dead person...” (with some degree of doubt regarding the wording) The version by Abu Dāwūd and others says: “If you visit a dead person...” (without any doubt regarding the wording)
921/2 - She also reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “If a person who is stricken by a calamity says, ‘Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi rāji‘ūn’. Allahumma u’jurni fi musībati wakhluf li khyran minha (Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we shall return. O Allah, recompense me for my loss and give me something better than it), Allah Almighty will surely recompense him for his loss and will give him what is better than it.” Um Salamah said: “So when Abu Salamah died, I said the same supplication as the Messenger of Allah had commanded me (to do). So, Allah bestowed upon me a better substitute than him: the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) There is blessing in the Prophet’s supplication. Adherence to his guidance brings good for a person now and in the future.
2) It shows the good outcome of patience and enduring a disaster. Allah Almighty compensates the patient well in this world and in the Hereafter.
3) According to the Sunnah, we should say at the time of affliction: “Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi rāji‘ūn’. Allahumma u’jurni fi musībati wakhluf li khyran minha” (Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we shall return. O Allah, recompense me for my loss and give me something better than it). We should give up other wrong phrases which people have newly introduced.
922/3 - Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When a person’s child dies, Allah Almighty asks His angels: ‘Have you taken out the life of the child of My slave?’ They reply in the affirmative. He then asks: ‘Have you taken the fruit of his heart?’ They reply in the affirmative. Thereupon, He asks: ‘What did My slave say?’ They say: ‘He has praised You and said: Indeed, we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we shall return.’ Allah says: ‘Build a house for My slave in Paradise and name it the House of Praise.’” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
923/3 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah Almighty says: ‘My reward shall be nothing less than Paradise for My faithful servant who, if I take the life of his beloved one from the inhabitants of the world, bears it patiently in expectation of My reward.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) Praising Allah at the time of affliction and saying “praise be to Allah. Indeed, we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we shall return” is a sign of a person’s patience with the fate decreed by his Lord.
2) They show the merit of patience and hope for the divine reward upon the death of a loved one.
3) Paradise is the reward for those who display patience and pursue the divine reward.
4) They confirm the attribute of speech for Allah Almighty. He speaks to the angels saying what He wills in the manner He wills, as established by proofs from the Qur’an and Sunnah. All goodness lies in adherence to the creed received through the clear revelation.
924/4 - Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “One of the daughters of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent a message to him that her son was dying and asking him to go to her house. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to her messenger: ‘Go back to her and inform her that what Allah takes belongs to Him and what He gives belongs to Him, and everything with Him has a specified term. So command her to be patient and expect the reward...” To the rest of the Hadīth. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) We are urged to stick to the Prophetic supplication while offering condolences: “What Allah takes belongs to Him and what He gives belongs to Him, and everything with Him has a specified term.” We should give up the newly introduced phrases which have become common.
2) The best thing to do in offering condolences is to adhere to what is reported from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and abandon what people have newly introduced in this regard.
3) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was merciful towards the Ummah and would instruct them to be patient and expect divine reward.