The Funeral Prayer
Salatul Janazah
Before the Prayer
The deceased is taken from the place of washing and shrouding to an appropriate place to perform the Funeral Prayer.
Here are the guidelines for this:
1. If the deceased is an adult, the Janazah should be carried on the shoulders by four men. It is Makruh to transport the corpse in a vehicle over short distances unnecessarily.
2. If the deceased is an infant or small child, it should be carried in the arms individually by different people.
3. All those who lift or carry the Janazah should recite:
BISMILLĀHIR RAHMĀNIR RAHIM
In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful.
4. Those accompanying the Janazah should not sit before it is lowered to the ground. The sick and weak are excused.
5. It is Sunnah to carry the Janazah hastily, but not in a manner that the body is jolted or shaken about. The Messenger of Allah has said, “hasten while carrying the Janazah”.
6. It is Mustahab (recommended) to follow the Janazah, and not to go ahead of it (the Shafi opinion is the opposite of this).
7. It is Makruh for those accompanying the Janazah to recite any Du`a or ayah of the Qur’an aloud. They may, however, read softly.
LĀ ILĀHA ILLAL-LĀHU MUHAMMADUR RASŪLUL-LĀH
There is no God but Allah, Muhammad (saw) is Allah’s Messenger.
NOTE: One should abstain from speaking of worldly affairs or laughing and joking.
The Importance of Janazah Prayer
It is the right of a Muslim that when they pass away, other Muslims should pray Janazah prayer for them. Janazah prayer is an individual Sunnah however it is considered a communal obligation. If no one from the whole Muslim Community offers the Janazah Prayers, then the whole community will be considered sinful in the sight of Allah. However, if some Muslims offer the Janazah prayer then the whole community will be saved from the anger of Allah, even though the reward will only be given to the participants in the prayer.
In many Ahadith, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) emphasised and encouraged the Muslims to attend funeral ceremonies. So every Muslim male should try his best to fulfil his duty towards the deceased.
Some Notes on Janazah Prayers
1. Janazah prayer should be offered in congregation, as this is more rewarding. It can be prayed in more than one congregation but by different people.
2. Janazah prayer according to Hanafi and Maliki should be offered in an open place but in case of rain or bad weather or any other reason it can be prayed in a mosque or a hall, etc.
3. It is Makruh to perform the Janazah Salaah while the sun rises, when it passes the meridian (ie. just before Dhuhr prayer) and when it sets. Besides these three times, which last for a very short period, this Salaah can be performed at any time during the day or night.
4. The Janazah is placed perpendicular in front of the Imam in the direction of the Qiblah. The Imam should stand level with the head and shoulders of the deceased if a male, and should stand level with the abdomen if a female.
Janazah prayer is very different from other prayers in the sense that there are no Ruku (Bowing) or Sujud (prostration) or Tashahhud in it. There is no fixed time for offering this prayer but Makruh times must be avoided. It has to be offered standing up.
Other conditions like Wudu’ ritual purification, facing Qiblah, dress etc. have to be observed as in the usual prayers.
MĀ BA`DAHŪ WA ’AS`ID HŪ BI LIQĀ’IKA WAJ`AL MIMMĀ
KHARAJA ILAYHI KHAYRAM MIMMĀ KHARAJA `AN HU
O Allah! Ease upon him his matters and make light work for him whatever
comes hereafter and honour him with your meeting and make that which he has
gone to, better than that which he came out from.
MĀ BA`DAHŪ WA ’AS`ID HŪ BI LIQĀ’IKA WAJ`AL MIMMĀ
KHARAJA ILAYHI KHAYRAM MIMMĀ KHARAJA `AN HU
O Allah! Ease upon him his matters and make light work for him whatever
comes hereafter and honour him with your meeting and make that which he has
gone to, better than that which he came out from.
How to Perform the Janazah (funeral) Prayer
How to Perform Janazah Prayer
a) Like other prayers, facing the Qiblah is a necessary condition. The Imam should advise the people to straighten the rows. There should be an odd number of rows as it is more rewarding.
b) Intention: Making intention is necessary in Janazah as it is necessary in other prayers.
c) Janazah Prayer contains four Takbirat. First Takbirah is Takbir Tahrimah. The Imam says Allahu Akbar and raises his hands up to shoulder level with fingers stretching to the earlobes and the congregation does the same. Then the Imam folds his hands, right hand over left as one does in the usual prayer.
d) Du`a of Starting: After the Imam has initiated the Prayer, the person can read one of those Du’a which are recommended in the first Rak’ah of the usual prayer before recitation of the Fatihah. For example:
SUBHĀNAKA ALLĀHUMMA WA BIHAMDIKA WA TABĀRAKA ASMUKA WA TA`ĀLĀ JADDUKA WA JALLA THANĀ’UKA WA LĀ ILĀĀHA GHAYRUKA
Glory be to You, O Lord, and all Praises are due Unto You, and blessed is Your Name and high is Your Majesty and Your Praises are elevated and none is worthy of worship but You.
This is then followed by the recitation of the Fatihah. Thereafter, the Imam will say the second Takbir. (The practice of the recital of Surah Al Fatihah in this particular Salaah is not accommodated in the Hanafi School of jurisprudence. The authenticity of both its recital and omission are without question).
SECOND TAKBIR
Then the Imam should say the second Takbir and the congregation should follow. According to the Hanafi School of jurisprudence one should not raise the hands. However, this is a Sunnah according to the other Schools of jurisprudence.
AFTER THE SECOND TAKBIR
After the second, Takbir the person praying Janazah should recite Ibrahimiyah in their heart. This is what is recited in Tashahud during prayer.
ALLĀHUMMA SALLI `ALĀ MUHAMMADIN-WA `ALĀ ’ĀLI MUHAMMADIN KAMĀ SALLAYTA `ALĀ IBRĀHIMA WA `ALĀ ĀLI IBRĀHIM INNAKA HAMIDUM-MAJID
ALLĀHUMMA BĀRIK `ALĀ MUHAMMADIN-WA `ALĀ ’ĀLI MUHAMMADIN KAMĀ BĀRAKTA `ALĀ IBRĀHIMA WA `ALĀ ĀLI IBRĀHIM INNAKA HAMIDUM-MAJID
‘O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad, just as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and upon the followers of Ibrahim. Verily, You are full of praise and majesty. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are full of praise and majesty.’
THIRD TAKBIR
Then the Imam should say the third Takbir and the congregation should follow. One should then supplicate for the deceased.
DU’A OF JANAZAH
(for an adult male or female)
a) Abu Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) prayed Janazah of a Muslim and he said in his Du`a (the following words):
ALLĀHUM-MAGHFIR LI HAYYINĀ WA MAYYITINĀ, WA SHĀHIDINĀ WA GHĀ’IBINĀ, WA SAGHIRINĀ WA KABIRINĀ, WA DHAKARINĀ WA UNTHĀNĀ, ALLĀHUMMA MAN AHYAYTAHŪ MINNA FA AHYIHI `ALAL ISLĀM, WA MAN TAWAF-FAYTAHŪ MINNA FATAWAF-FAHŪ `ALAL IMĀN
O Allah, forgive our people who are still alive and who have passed away, forgive those who are present here and those who are absent, forgive our young and our elderly, forgive our males and females.
O Allah, the one whom you wish to keep alive from among us make him live according to Islam, and anyone whom you wish to die from among us, let him die in the state of Iman (Belief).
(Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
b) `Awf bin Malik (ra) said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) prayed a Janazah and I heard him saying the following Du`a and I memorised it:
ALLĀHHUM-MAGHFIRLAHŪ WARHAMHŪ WA`FŪ `ANHU WA`ĀFIHĀ WA AKRIM NUZULAHŪ
WA WASSI` MUDKHALAHU, WAGHSILHU BIL MĀ’I WATH-THALJI WAL BARADI, WA NAQ-QIHĀ MINAL KHATĀYĀ KAMĀ YUNAQQATH-THAWBUL- ABYADU MINAD DANASI WA ABDILHU DĀRAN KHAYRAM MIN DĀRIHI, WA AHLAN KHAYRAM MIN AHLIHI. WA ZAWJAN KHAYRAM MIN ZAWJIHI, WA ADKHILHUL-JANNATA, WA QIHI FITNATAL QABRI WA `ADHĀBAN NĀR
O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him, grant him security, provide him an enjoyable place and spacious lodgings, wash him (of his sins) with water, snow and ice. Purify him from his sins as a white garment is cleansed form dirt, replace his present abode with a better one, replace his present partner with a better one, make him enter paradise and save him from the trials of the grave and the punishment of hell.”
DU’A FOR MINORS
Boys:
ALLĀHUM-MAJ`ALHU LANĀ FARAṬAW WAJ`ALHU LANĀ AJRAW WA DHUKHRAW WAJ`ALHU LANĀ SHĀFI`AW WA MUSHAFFA`Ā
O’ Allah, make him a means for our salvation, and make him a reward and treasure for us in the Hereafter, and him an intercessor for us, one whose intercession is accepted by You.
Girls:
ALLĀHUM-MAJ`ALHĀ LANĀ FARAṬAW WAJ`ALHĀ LANĀ AJRAW WA DHUKHRAW WAJ`ALHĀ LANĀ SHĀFI`ATAW WA MUSHAFFA`AH
O Allah, make her a means for our salvation, and make her a reward and treasure for us in the Hereafter, and her an intercessor for us, one whose intercession is accepted by You.
There are also other Du`a which are narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and they can be found in the various books of Ahadith. Any of them can be read, but the above are generally more accepted and well known.
FOURTH TAKBIR
The Imam should say the fourth Takbir and then recite the Salaam aloud twice while turning his face first towards the right shoulder and then once again while turning his face towards the left. The congregation should follow by saying the Takbir and Salaam softly.
The Hanafi and Maaliki Schools of jurisprudence are of the view that only one Tasleem is desirable, whereas the Shaafi’ee School of jurisprudence is of the view that two Tasleem is a Sunnah.
Late Comers to the Janazah Salaah
When a late comer fears that if he engages himself in Wudhu, he will miss the Janazah Salaah, then it is permissible for him to make
Tayammum and join the Jam’ah. This rule applies to the Janazah Salaah only in the Hanafi Madhhab and Ibn Taymiyah ‘s opinion.
Whoever arrives for the Janazah Salaah after the Imam has said one or more Takbir, should wait and join the Imam when he says the next
Takbir. After the salaam he should complete the missed Takbir by merely saying Allahu Akbar once for every Takbir missed. No Du`a should be read. If the Imam has completed the fourth Takbir, then the late comer should join and complete all the missed Takbir (before the Imam says the Salaam).