Demise & Burial Rites
Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid passed away on a Friday of the year 50 AH or 51 AH, at approximately the age of 70. According to some narrations, his age was above 70 at the time of his demise. He lived in Aqiq which was in the surrounding area of Medina. In the Arab lands, Aqiq was the name of a number of valleys, among which the most important was the valley of Medina called Aqiq, which extended from the south-west of Medina to the north-east and in which all other valleys of Medina are found.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) was preparing for the Friday prayer when he heard the news of the demise of Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid. He therefore did not proceed to the Friday prayer and immediately set towards Aqiq. Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) washed the body and had it taken on the shoulders of the people to Medina. Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) then led the funeral prayer and he was buried in Medina.
(Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 478, Saeed bin Zaid, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Siyar as-Sahabah, Vol. 2, p. 138, Saeed bin Zaid, Dar-ul-Ishaat) (Farhang Sirat, p. 204, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003)
According to another account, Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) was preparing for the Friday prayer when he heard news of the demise of Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid, but he did not go for the Friday prayer. He instead made his way to him and washed his body, applied perfume and led his funeral prayer. Hazrat Aisha bint Sa‘d (ra) relates that Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) was the one who washed the body of Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid and applied perfume. He then returned home and washed himself. Then, as he came out of his home, he said, “I did not wash myself due to washing the body of Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid, rather I did so because of the heat.” Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) led the funeral prayer of Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Zaid. Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) and Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) both went down into the grave, i.e. in the burial place, to place the body.
(Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 2, p. 478, Saeed bin Zaid, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Siyar as-Sahabah, Vol. 2, p. 138, Saeed bin Zaid, Darul Ishaat)