Prayer

The Funeral Prayer (Salat al-Janazah)

Praying over a deceased Muslim is a communal obligation: if some perform it, the rest are absolved. Its reward is great: “Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer is offered has one qirat, and whoever attends until the burial has two qirats”, each like a mountain (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim).

How to pray it

The funeral prayer is prayed standing, with no ruku‘ or sujud. The imam stands at the level of the head of a deceased man and the middle of a deceased woman.

First takbir: raise the hands, then recite al-Fatihah silently.
Second takbir: recite the salat ibrahimiyyah (as in the tashahhud).
Third takbir: make du‘a for the deceased, for example “Allahummaghfir lahu warhamhu…”.
Fourth takbir: a short pause, optionally a general du‘a, then the salam to the right (and to the left).

Du‘a for the deceased

“O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, give him well-being and pardon him, honour his resting place, widen his entrance, wash him with water, snow and hail, and cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt” (Sahih Muslim). For a woman, the feminine forms are used; for a child, one prays for the parents.

Who is prayed over

Every Muslim who dies, including a child and a stillborn after four months of pregnancy according to many scholars. The martyr who died in battle is not washed, and scholars differ on praying over him. A prayer in absentia (salat al-gha’ib) is allowed by several schools for someone who died where no one prayed over him.

Etiquette

Walk with the funeral, hasten the burial, remain quiet and reflect on death. Offer condolences to the family within three days and send them food, as the Prophet ﷺ ordered for the family of Ja‘far (Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi).

Etiquette of funerals and condolences

Walk briskly with the bier (al-Bukhari) and do not sit until it has been placed on the ground (al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Say, when hearing of a death: “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji‘un” (2:156).
Offer condolences with words that console, such as “To Allah belongs what He took and what He gave” (al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Prepare food for the bereaved family, as the Prophet ﷺ ordered for the family of Ja‘far (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi).
Avoid wailing, tearing clothes and striking the face, which he forbade (al-Bukhari, Muslim).

In brief

The funeral prayer is a collective duty with great reward.
It has four takbirs, no bowing or prostration, and one salam.
Al-Fatihah, the salat ibrahimiyyah and du‘a for the deceased follow the takbirs.
The deceased has the right to be washed, shrouded, prayed over and buried quickly.
Condolences, food for the family and avoiding wailing are part of the Sunnah.

A closing note

The Prophet ﷺ said: “No Muslim dies and forty men who associate nothing with Allah pray over him, but Allah accepts their intercession for him” (Muslim). This is why it is good to gather many people for the funeral prayer and to make sincere du‘a for the deceased.

Questions and answers

Can women attend the funeral prayer?

Yes, women may pray the funeral prayer; scholars discourage women from following the procession to the graveyard.

Can the funeral prayer be prayed after the burial?

Yes. The Prophet ﷺ prayed at the grave of the woman who used to clean the mosque after she had been buried (al-Bukhari, Muslim).

Useful tools

Duas and adhkar