Is it permissible to bury the dead at night?
Question

                If a person dies before midnight, or after midnight, is it permissible to bury him at night? Or is it not permissible to bury him until after the sun has risen?
Praise be to Allah. 
          It is permissible to bury the dead at night, because 
          Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that “A man died 
          whom the Prophet 
          
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to visit (during his 
          illness). He died at night and they buried him at night, and when morning 
          came, they informed him (the Prophet 
          
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). He said, ‘What kept you 
          from telling me?’ They said, ‘It was night, and it was dark, and we 
          did not like to disturb you.’ He went to his grave and prayed for him.” 
          (Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). He did not rebuke them for burying 
          him at night; rather he rebuked his companions for not telling him about 
          that until the morning. When they gave him their excuses, he accepted 
          them.  
 
          Abu Dawood narrated that Jaabir said: “Some people saw 
          a fire in the graveyard, so they went to it, and saw the Messenger of 
          Allaah 
          
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the graveyard, saying, 
          ‘Hand me your companion.’ He was the one who used to raise his voice 
          in dhikr.” This happened at night, as indicated by the words of Jaabir, 
          “Some people saw a fire in the graveyard…”  
 
          The Prophet 
          
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was buried at night. Imaam 
          Ahmad narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: 
          “We did not know that the Messenger of Allaah 
          
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had been buried until we 
          heard the sound of the shovels at the end of the night.” Abu Bakr, ‘Uthmaan, 
          ‘Aa’ishah and Ibn Mas’ood were all buried at night. 
 
          The reports which indicate that it is makrooh to bury 
          the dead at night are to be interpreted as referring to cases where 
          burying a person at night may lead to the prayers for him not being 
          offered properly, as was stated in the saheeh hadeeth, or his shrouding 
          not being done properly, and it is easier for those who want to attend 
          the funeral to do so during the day, and it is easier to bury him properly 
          and to follow the Sunnah when placing the deceased in the lahd during 
          the day.  This is in cases where it is not essential to hasten 
          to bury him. Otherwise we should hasten to bury him even if that is 
          at night. 
 
          And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless 
          our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.