Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr and Umar as well as the khalifas up until this time and Abdullah ibn Umar, would walk in front of the bier.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ كَانُوا يَمْشُونَ أَمَامَ الْجَنَازَةِ وَالْخُلَفَاءُ هَلُمَّ جَرًّا وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ  

Yahya related to me from Muhammad ibn alMunkadir that Rabia ibn Abdullah ibn alHadir told him that he had seen Umar ibn al-Khattab leading people in front of the bier at the funeral of Zaynab bint Jahsh.  

أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ رَأَى عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ يَقْدُمُ النَّاسَ أَمَامَ الْجَنَازَةِ فِي جَنَازَةِ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ  

Yahya related to me from Malik that Hisham ibn Urwa said, "I only ever saw my father in front of a funeral procession." He added, "Then he would come to al-Baqi and sit down until the procession passed him."  

قَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَبِي قَطُّ فِي جَنَازَةٍ إِلاَّ أَمَامَهَا قَالَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي الْبَقِيعَ فَيَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يَمُرُّوا عَلَيْهِ  

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab said, "Walking behind the bier is in contradiction to the sunna."  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ الْمَشْىُ خَلْفَ الْجَنَازَةِ مِنْ خَطَإِ السُّنَّةِ