3 Things That Follow a Dead Person to the Grave (Hadith)
Think of the last funeral you attended. A crowd walks behind the body to the graveyard, then, one by one, everyone goes home. The Prophet ﷺ described this moment in a short hadith: three things follow a dead person to the grave, two of them return, and only one stays. Here is the hadith, what it means, and how we can prepare the one companion that stays.
At a glance
- Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6514 and Sahih Muslim 2960
- Narrated by: Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Grade: Sahih (Bukhari and Muslim)
- Topic: What stays with us after death
- Practise it: Do one good deed today that you would want with you in the grave
The hadith: three follow the dead, one stays
يَتْبَعُ الْمَيِّتَ ثَلاَثَةٌ، فَيَرْجِعُ اثْنَانِ وَيَبْقَى مَعَهُ وَاحِدٌ، يَتْبَعُهُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعَمَلُهُ، فَيَرْجِعُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ، وَيَبْقَى عَمَلُهُ
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him: his relative, his property, and his deeds follow him; relatives and his property go back while his deeds remain with him.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6514 · Narrated by Anas ibn Malik
Imam Muslim records the same hadith from Anas in almost the same words (Sahih Muslim 2960), and it is also in Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2379 and Sunan an-Nasa’i 1937, both graded Sahih (Darussalam).
What the hadith means
Family. Our relatives carry us, pray over us and bury us. Then they return to their homes. Their love does not end, but they cannot come into the grave with us.
Wealth. The hadith says a person’s wealth follows him too, and then it goes back. Everything we owned stays behind and passes to others. Another hadith in Sahih Muslim explains which part of our wealth is truly ours:
يَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ مَالِي مَالِي إِنَّمَا لَهُ مِنْ مَالِهِ ثَلاَثٌ مَا أَكَلَ فَأَفْنَى أَوْ لَبِسَ فَأَبْلَى أَوْ أَعْطَى فَاقْتَنَى وَمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ ذَاهِبٌ وَتَارِكُهُ لِلنَّاسِ
A servant says, My wealth, my wealth, but out of his wealth three things are only his: whatever he eats and makes use of or by means of which he dresses himself and it wears out or he gives as charity, and this is what he stored for himself (as a reward for the Hereafter), and what is beyond this (it is of no use to you) because you are to depart and leave it for other people.
Sahih Muslim 2959a · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation from Sunnah.com
So the money we give away in sadaqah is not lost. It is the part of our wealth that turns into a deed, and deeds are the one thing that stays.
Deeds. Our prayers, fasting, charity, kindness and everything else we did, good or bad, remain with us. Based on this hadith, the only companion left in the grave is what we did.
Reflection: the hadith does not tell us to turn away from family or wealth. They are blessings, and even providing for our family can be written as sadaqah when we do it for Allah. The question is which of the three we are building up while we still can, because only one of them can walk all the way with us.
The last wish of the dying
The last two verses of Surah al-Munafiqun talk about the certainty of death and what a person wishes for when it comes:
وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
And spend [in the way of Allāh] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, “My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be of the righteous.” But never will Allāh delay a soul when its time has come. And Allāh is Aware of what you do.
Surah al-Munafiqun 63:10–11 · Translation: Saheeh International (Quran.com)
Notice what the person asks for: more time to give charity. Whilst we are still a part of this temporary world, let’s strive to give charity sincerely. May Allah accept it and place us amongst the righteous people.
The Prophet ﷺ also described who is truly wise. A man from the Ansar asked him which of the believers is the wisest, and he answered:
أَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْمَوْتِ ذِكْرًا وَأَحْسَنُهُمْ لِمَا بَعْدَهُ اسْتِعْدَادًا أُولَئِكَ الأَكْيَاسُ
“The one who remembers death the most and is best in preparing for it. Those are the wisest.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 4259 · Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar · Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
How to prepare the one companion that stays
The hadith does not give a list of steps. These are suggestions for building up the deeds that stay with us:
- Give something today, even if it is small. Make it a mission to give what you can afford even if it may be little, as that might be the deed that saves you.
- Start one deed that keeps going after you. Ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous child who makes dua are the three deeds that continue after death (Sahih Muslim 1631).
- Teach what you learn. Life is a journey and along the way we learn. Teach it to the people that you meet, and InsyaAllah the knowledge that is put to good use shall be rewarded to you as well.
- Raise your children with love. Treat your children well and bring them up with love. InsyaAllah you will always be close to their hearts and memory, and their dua for your forgiveness will reach you after you are gone.
- Remember death on purpose. When you attend a funeral, watch the moment everyone walks home, and ask yourself which deed you would want to stay with you.
Key lessons
- Family, wealth and deeds follow a dead person, and only deeds stay with them.
- The part of our wealth that we give away is the part we actually keep.
- The dying wish for more time to give charity, so we should give while we can.
- The wisest believers remember death often and prepare for it.
Questions people ask
What are the three things that follow a dead person?
His family, his wealth and his deeds. The family and the wealth go back after the burial, and only his deeds remain with him (Sahih al-Bukhari 6514, Sahih Muslim 2960).
Is this the same as the three deeds that continue after death?
No, they are two different hadiths. This one is about what stays with us in the grave. The other (Sahih Muslim 1631) lists three deeds whose reward keeps reaching us after death: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous child who makes dua. You can read about it in Three Deeds That Continue After Death.
Can our wealth still benefit us after we die?
What we gave in charity during our life is stored for us (Sahih Muslim 2959a). Sadaqah given by others on behalf of a person who has died can also benefit them, as in the story of Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah and his mother (Sahih al-Bukhari 2756). For detailed rulings on wills and inheritance, ask a qualified scholar near you.
This world is finite, and the road to Jannah is still a long way to travel and loaded with many tribulations. It is never too late to start, and one small deed may be the one that saves us. I pray that your children will always ask Allah to forgive you, and that your deeds will be good company for you in the grave.
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