Funeral Prayer (Salat-al Janazah or Namaz-e-Janaza) is an Islamic funeral ritual that is performed to seek forgiveness and blessings for the deceased person. More and more people should join this prayer as it is beneficial for the deceased person.
Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “whenever a Muslim man dies, and forty men stand for his Janaza-prayer, all of them not joining anything with ALLAH SWT in worship, ALLAH SWT grants them intercession for him.” (Muslim)
Funeral Prayer (Salat-al Janazah) is a fard Kifaayah(fard) prayer and is the responsibility of the Muslims as commanded by ALLAH SWT, and if no one follows or fulfills it then all Muslims are accountable. Every Muslim must strive to attend and offer the funeral prayer/ Salat-al Janazah in more and more numbers and pray for the ease of the deceased one.
Abu Hurairah RA said: I heard the Messenger of ALLAH SWT say: “The rights of a Muslim towards other Muslims are five: to respond to the salam, visit the sick, follow the funeral processions, accept an invitation, and reply to those who sneeze.”(Al-Bukhari 1240, Muslim 2162)
Attending funeral prayers holds enormous rewards as well. It was narrated that Abu Hurairah RA said that Prophet Muhammad SAW said: whoever attends a Funeral Prayer / Salat-al Janazah until he offers the funeral prayer will have one Qiraat(of reward) and whoever attends until the burial is done will have two Qiraats. “it was asked, what are the 2 Qiraats?” He said:” rewards equal to the two mountains ”.(Bukhari, 1261 and Muslim 945)
How to pray Salat-al Janazah
- There will be no azaan/adhaan nor iqamah in the Salat-al Janazah
- While praying Namaz-e-Janaza, people should divide themselves into odd rows (1, 3, 5, 7, or more) with one person as an imam standing alone in front facing the deceased
- Salat-al Janazah is performed with one standing only and has neither bows(Rukuus) nor prostration(Sujud).
- If the deceased is a male, the Imam would stand facing the head of the dead body, however, if the deceased is a female the Imam would stand facing the middle part of the dead body.
Steps to be followed for the Funeral Prayer/Salatul Janazah
- Set the appropriate Neeyat(intention) in your heart. “I make the Niyyat for the prayer of this Janazah for Allah, Suaa for this deceased, behind this imam.”
- Say first Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) and raise both hands to your earlobes and then place your right hand over your left hand as we usually do in Salat.
- Recite Sana: “Subhana kalla humma, wabi hamdika, wa tabaara kasmuka, wa ta aalaa jadduka, wa jalla sanauka, wala ilaha gairuka”
- Then say the second Takbir (Allahu Akbar) (raising of the hands is optional here) and recite Durude-Ibrahim.
- Then say the third Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) (raising of the hands is optional here as well) and make dua for the deceased asking forgiveness and mercy for the person from ALLAH the Almighty.
Duaa for an adult man or woman:
“Allahummagh-firli hayyina, wa mayyitina, wa shahidina, wagha-ibina, wa sagheerina, wa kabeerina, wa thakarina, wa-oon-saana. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa-ahyihi alal-islam, wa man tawaffaytahu minna fatawaffahu alal-eeman, allahumma la tahrimna ajrah, wala tudillana ba’dah”
Duaa for a boy:
Alla-hummaj’alhu lana farataw waj alhu lana ajaraw wa jukharaw waj alhu lana Shafi’aw wa mushaf fa’ah
Duaa for a girl:
Alla-hummaj’alha lana farataw waj alha lana ajaraw wa jukharaw waj alha lana Shafi’aw wa mushaf fa’ah
- Then say the fourth Takbir and pause for a while. You can raise your hands to the earlobes or leave it as it is.
- Then end the prayer by saying one tasleem (assalamu-alaikum-wa rahmatullahi-wa-baraka tuhu)to the right, doing it on both sides is also permissible like in regular prayers.
If the deceased is a child/baby (who has not reached the age of puberty), there will be no prayer for forgiveness as the young ones have no sins. however, the prayer should be said for forgiveness, blessings, and mercy of the child’s parents.
All Muslim men must attend the Funeral prayer (Salat-al Janazah) as it reminds us of our final destination which is the grave. Prophet Muhammad SAW said, ” frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures, meaning death.”(Tirmidhi Nisai ‘i’ and Ibn Majah).
Points to remember
- Women should not follow the Funeral Prayer according to some scholars because it is not permissible for women to visit the graveyard. Umm Salamah(may ALLAH be pleased with her) said: “we were forbidden to follow the funeral procession but it was not made absolute on us.”(Muslim)
In another hadeeth, Prophet Muhammad SAW said:” ALLAH SWT cursed women who frequent graves.”(Ahmed, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah)
However, women used to offer the Salat-al Janazah with Muhammad SAW in his lifetime, in their homes or mosques as well.
ALLAH knows best.
- The person offering the Funeral prayer needs to follow the Imam in the number of Taslims to finish the prayer.
- More and more people should be invited to the funeral prayer and there should be a minimum of three rows.
- If a person misses the funeral prayer then it is advised for him to pray over the deceased’s grave.
- If someone is far away and is informed of the death of a friend or family, then he can pray over the deceased person with the intention as though the deceased is in front of him.