("أَنتم شُهَدَاءُ الله في الأَرضِ، بَعْضُكُم على بَعْضٍ". قاله لما مات رجلٌ فأَثنوا عليه خَيرًا. فقال: وجبَتْ، ثمَّ مات آخرُ فأَثنوْا عليه شرًّا فقال: وجَبَتْ").
See similar narrations below:
Collected by Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá"A funeral passed by the Prophet and they praised (the deceased). The Prophet said: 'It is granted.' Then another funeral passed by and they criticized (the deceased). The Prophet said: 'It is granted.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you said in both cases, 'It is granted?' The Prophet said: 'The angels are the witnesses of Allah in heaven, and you are the witnesses of Allah on Earth."'
مَرُّوا بِجَنَازَةٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مَرُّوا بِجَنَازَةٍ أُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَجَبَتْ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَوْلُكَ الأُولَى وَالأُخْرَى وَجَبَتْ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ شُهَدَاءُ اللَّهِ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَأَنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءُ اللَّهِ فِي الأَرْضِ
People with a bier passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They (the companions) spoke highly of him. He said: Paradise is certain for him. Then some people with another (bier) passed by him. They spoke very badly of him. He said: Hell is certain for him. He then said: Some of you are witness to others.
مَرُّوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِجَنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مَرُّوا بِأُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ شُهَدَاءُ
“A funeral passed by the Prophet ﷺ and they praised (the deceased) and spoke well of him and mentioned his good characteristics. He said: ‘(Paradise is) guaranteed for him.’ Then another funeral passed by and they spoke badly of him and mentioned his bad characteristics, and he the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘(Hell is) guaranteed for him. You are the witnesses of Allah on earth.’”
مُرَّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِجِنَازَةٍ فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فِي مَنَاقِبِ الْخَيْرِ فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مَرُّوا عَلَيْهِ بِأُخْرَى فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فِي مَنَاقِبِ الشَّرِّ فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ إِنَّكُمْ شُهَدَاءُ اللَّهِ فِي الأَرْضِ
[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , passed by a funeral, so they praised it. The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said, "It is now obligatory." Then he passed by another funeral, and they spoke ill of it. The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said, "It is now obligatory." Then he said, "You are the witnesses of Allah on Earth."
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ مَرَّتْ عَلَيْهِ جَنَازَةٌ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ عَلَيْهِ بِجِنَازَةٍ أُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءُ اللهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ
People with a bier passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They (the companions) spoke highly of him. He said: Paradise is certain for him. Then some people with another (bier) passed by him. They spoke very badly of him. He said: Hell is certain for him. He then said: Some of you are witness to others. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 3233)
مَرُّوا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِجِنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مَرُّوا عَلَيْهِ بِجِنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا وَجَبَتْ؟ وَجَبَتْ؟ قَالَ بَعْضُكُمْ شُهَدَاءُ عَلَى بَعْضٍ
[Machine] The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed by a funeral, and they spoke very highly of the deceased, praising their good qualities. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is obligatory, for you are witnesses of Allah on earth." Then he passed by another funeral, and they spoke ill of the deceased.
مُرَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِجِنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا مِنْ مَنَاقِبِ الْخَيْرِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَبَتْ إِنَّكُمْ شُهَدَاءُ اللهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ بِجِنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا
“A funeral passed by the Prophet ﷺ and they praised (the deceased) and spoke well of him and mentioned his good characteristics. He said: ‘(Paradise is) guaranteed for him.’ Then another funeral passed by and they spoke badly of him and mentioned his bad characteristics, and he the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘(Hell is) guaranteed for him. You are the witnesses of Allah on earth.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1492)
مَرُّوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِجِنَازَةٍ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فِي مَنَاقِبِ الْخَيْرِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مَرُّوا عَلَيْهِ بِجِنَازَةٍ أُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فِي مَنَاقِبِ الشَّرِّ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَبَتْ إِنَّكُمْ شُهَدَاءُ اللهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ
ذِكْرُ إِيجَابِ الْجَنَّةِ لِمَنْ أَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ بِالْخَيْرِ إِذْ هُمْ شُهُودُ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ
[Machine] I heard Anas ibn Malik say that a man died and they passed by his funeral in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ and they spoke ill of him. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is obligatory." Then they passed by another funeral and spoke well of him. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is obligatory." Omar asked him about that and he said, "You are the witnesses of Allah on Earth."
سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ مَاتَ رَجُلٌ فَمَرُّوا بِجَنَازَتِهِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وَجَبَتْ» وَمَرُّوا بِأُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وَجَبَتْ» فَسَأَلَهُ عُمَرُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ «أَنْتُمْ شُهُودُ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ»
"A funeral passed by the Prophet and they praised (the deceased). The Prophet said: 'It is granted.' Then another funeral passed by and they criticized (the deceased). The Prophet said: 'It is granted.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you said in both cases, 'It is granted?' The Prophet said: 'The angels are the witnesses of Allah in heaven, and you are the witnesses of Allah on Earth."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1933)
مَرُّوا بِجِنَازَةٍ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وَجَبَتْ» ثُمَّ مَرُّوا بِجِنَازَةٍ أُخْرَى فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وَجَبَتْ» فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَوْلُكَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَجَبَتْ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «الْمَلَائِكَةُ شُهَدَاءُ اللهِ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَأَنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءُ اللهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ»