Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ibnmajah:1490Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And ʿAlī b. Muḥammad > ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr > Muḥammad b. Isḥāq > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > Marthad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Yazanī > Mālik b. Hubayrah al-Shāmī Wakānat Lah Ṣuḥbah

“If a funeral procession was brought and the number of people who followed it was considered to be small, they would be organized into three rows, then the funeral prayer would be offered.” He said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘No three rows of Muslims offer the funeral prayer for one who has died, but he will be guaranteed (Paradise).’”  

ابن ماجة:١٤٩٠حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ مَرْثَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْيَزَنِيِّ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ هُبَيْرَةَ الشَّامِيِّ وَكَانَتْ لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ قَالَ كَانَ إِذَا أُتِيَ بِجِنَازَةٍ

فَتَقَالَّ مَنْ تَبِعَهَا جَزَّأَهُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ صُفُوفٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا وَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَا صَفَّ صُفُوفٌ ثَلاَثَةٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ إِلاَّ أَوْجَبَ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd
abudawud:3166Muḥammad b. ʿUbayd > Ḥammād > Muḥammad b. Isḥāq > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > Marthad al-Yazanī > Mālik b. Hubayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said: If any Muslim dies and three rows of Muslims pray over him, it will assure him (of Paradise). When Malik considered those who accompanied a bier to be a few, he divided them into three rows in accordance with this tradition.  

أبو داود:٣١٦٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ مَرْثَدٍ الْيَزَنِيِّ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ هُبَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ فَيُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ ثَلاَثَةُ صُفُوفٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ إِلاَّ أَوْجَبَ قَالَ فَكَانَ مَالِكٌ إِذَا اسْتَقَلَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَازَةِ جَزَّأَهُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ صُفُوفٍ لِلْحَدِيثِ