[Machine] We used to inform the Prophet ﷺ whenever one of us passed away, and he would attend the deceased and seek forgiveness for him. He would stay with him until he was buried, and sometimes this process would take a long time for the Prophet ﷺ . When we feared that this might be burdensome for him, some of the people said to others, "If we don't inform the Prophet ﷺ about someone's death until he is already buried, then he wouldn't have to go through any difficulty or delay." So we started doing that and would inform him about the deceased after they were buried, and he would come and offer prayers for them. Sometimes he would come immediately, and sometimes he would delay until the deceased was buried. We were doing this at that time, and then we said, "If the Prophet ﷺ himself attended our funeral and prayed for us at our homes, it would be even better." So we did that, and this practice continues till today.
قَدْ كُنَّا مُقَدَّمَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِذَا حُضِرَ مِنَّا الْمَيِّتُ آذَنَّا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَحَضَرَهُ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا قُبِضَ انْصَرَفَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ حَتَّى يُدْفَنَ وَرُبَّمَا طَالَ حَبْسُ ذَلِكَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَلَمَّا خَشِينَا مَشَقَّةَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ لِبَعْضٍ لَوْ كُنَّا لَا نُؤْذِنُ النَّبِيَّ بِأَحَدٍ حَتَّى يُقْبَضَ فَإِذَا قُبِضَ آذَنَّاهُ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ مَشَقَّةٌ وَلَا حَبْسٌ فَفَعَلْنَا ذَلِكَ وَكُنَّا نُؤْذِنُهُ بِالْمَيِّتِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ فَيَأْتِيهِ فَيُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ فَرُبَّمَا انْصَرَفَ وَرُبَّمَا مَكَثَ حَتَّى يُدْفَنَ الْمَيِّتُ فَكُنَّا عَلَى ذَلِكَ حِينًا ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لَوْ لَمْ يَشْخَصِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَحَمَلْنَا جَنَازَتَنَا إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ بَيْتِهِ لَكَانَ ذَلِكَ أَوْفَقَ بِهِ فَفَعَلْنَا فَكَانَ ذَلِكَ الْأَمْرُ إِلَى الْيَوْمِ