Are you visiting al-Hasan [during his sickness] when you feel what you feel? He said to him: You are not my Lord, to direct my heart as you will. ‘Ali ؓ said: That does not prevent us from giving you advice. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ʿThere is no Muslim who visits his sick brother, but Allah will send to him seventy thousand angels who will send blessings upon him from whatever hour of the day it is until evening comes, and from whatever hour of the night it is until morning comes. ʿAmr said to him: What do you say about walking in front of or behind the bier at a funeral? ʿAli ؓ said. The superiority of walking behind it over walking in front of it is like the superiority of offering a prescribed prayer in congregation over offering the prayer alone. ʿAmr said: But I saw Abu Bakr und ‘Umar walking in front of the bier, Ali ؓ said; They did not like to embarrass the people.  

لَهُ عَلِيٌّ أَتَعُودُ الْحَسَنَ وَفِي نَفْسِكَ مَا فِيهَا؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمْرٌو إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِرَبِّي فَتَصْرِفَ قَلْبِي حَيْثُ شِئْتَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ أَمَا إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَا يَمْنَعُنَا أَنْ نُؤَدِّيَ إِلَيْكَ النَّصِيحَةَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ عَادَ أَخَاهُ إِلا ابْتَعَثَ اللهُ لَهُ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ مَلَكٍ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَيِّ سَاعَاتِ النَّهَارِ كَانَ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ وَمِنْ أَيِّ سَاعَاتِ اللَّيْلِ كَانَ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ قَالَ لَهُ عَمْرٌو كَيْفَ تَقُولُ فِي الْمَشْيِ مَعَ الْجِنَازَةِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا أَوْ خَلْفَهَا؟ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ إِنَّ فَضْلَ الْمَشْيِ خَلْفَهَا عَلَى بَيْنِ يَدَيْهَا كَفَضْلِ صَلَاةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ عَلَى الْوَحْدَةِ قَالَ عَمْرٌو فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ يَمْشِيَانِ أَمَامَ الْجِنَازَةِ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ إِنَّهُمَا كَرِهَا أَنْ يُحْرِجَا النَّاسَ