Reciting a verse while throwing 3 handfuls of dirt in the grave...

Question

Many scholars hold the opinion that when burying a body in the grave, upon throwing the first handful one should say, "Of this (i.e. the earth) We created you," and on the second handful one should say, "And to it shall We cause you to return," and on the third handful one should say, "And of it We shall cause you to be resurrected a second time." Is this practice established by the Sunnah?

Answer

A hadîth is narrated in Musnad Ahmad (21163), Sunan al-Bayhaqî (3/409), and Mustadrak al-Hâkim (3390) that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) buried Umm Kulthûm, he recited verse "From it We created you, and into it We shall send you back, and from it will We raise you a second time." [Sûrah TâHâ: 55]. 

The hadîth is weak at best. Moreover, it does not indicate in any way that the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited the three phrases of the verse in conjunction with a separate toss of a handful of dirt. 

Al-Albânî says in Ahkâm al-Janâ'iz (1/153):

The hadîth does not indicate the supposedly preferable division of phrases, even if it had an authentic line of transmission… The hadîth is extremely weak. Indeed, Ibn Hibbân declares it to be a fabrication.

Therefore, the practice is not established by textual evidence. 

And Allah knows best.

-islamtoday.net