What Is the Funeral Prayer?


The funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah) is the prayer offered for a deceased Muslim after the body has been washed and shrouded. It is essentially a supplication to Allah for the forgiveness and mercy of the deceased. For this reason it has no bowing (ruku') and no prostration (sujud).


1. The Ruling: Is It Obligatory?


The funeral prayer is fard kifayah (a communal obligation). It is not obligatory on every individual; if some of the community pray it, the obligation is lifted from everyone. If no one prays it, the entire community is sinful.

The evidence is the command of the Prophet ﷺ. When a man who died in debt was brought to him, he ﷺ told the Companions to pray over their companion. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2289) The scholars have also reported consensus (ijma') on its being a communal obligation.


2. The Virtues of the Funeral Prayer


  • The reward of a qirat. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that whoever attends the funeral until he prays has a reward of one qirat, and whoever remains until the burial has two qirats. He was asked what two qirats are, and he said: like two great mountains. (Sahih al-Bukhari 1325; Sahih Muslim 945)
  • The intercession of forty. Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said that if a Muslim dies and forty men who associate nothing with Allah stand for his funeral prayer, Allah accepts their intercession for him. (Sahih Muslim 948)
  • The intercession of a hundred. 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said that if a group of Muslims numbering one hundred pray over a deceased person, all interceding for him, their intercession is accepted. (Sahih Muslim 947)
  • A right of one Muslim over another. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said that a Muslim has five rights over another Muslim: returning the greeting, visiting the sick, following funeral processions, accepting an invitation, and responding to one who sneezes. (Sahih al-Bukhari 1240; Sahih Muslim 2162)


3. Conditions of the Funeral Prayer (Hanafi School)


Conditions related to the deceased:


  • The deceased is a Muslim.
  • The body has been washed, and the body and shroud are clean.
  • The body is covered (properly shrouded).
  • The body is present in front of those praying.


Conditions related to the worshipper:


  • Purity of body and clothing, and having wudu'.
  • Covering the awrah.
  • Facing the qiblah.
  • Making the intention.


4. Pillars and Sunnahs (Hanafi School)


Two pillars (arkan):


  1. Standing (qiyam). The prayer is offered standing; sitting without a valid excuse is not permissible.
  2. Four takbirs. The Prophet ﷺ announced the death of the Negus (an-Najashi), lined the Companions up, and said four takbirs. (Sahih al-Bukhari 1245; Sahih Muslim 951) In the Hanafi school each takbir stands in place of a rak'ah.


Three sunnahs:


  1. Praising Allah (thana').
  2. Sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ (durood).
  3. Making supplication for the deceased. The Prophet ﷺ said that when you pray over the dead, you should supplicate sincerely for him. (Sunan Abi Dawud 3199; Sunan Ibn Majah 1497)


5. The Complete Method According to the Hanafi School


Intention (niyyah):

The intention in the heart is required; saying it aloud is only recommended. One may say, in one's own words: "I intend to pray the funeral prayer for Allah, with four takbirs, praise for Allah, blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ and supplication for this deceased, behind this imam, facing the Ka'bah."

Where the imam stands:

In the Hanafi school the imam stands opposite the chest of the deceased, whether male or female. (Other schools follow narrations in which the Prophet ﷺ stood at the head of a man and the middle of a woman: Sunan Abi Dawud 3194, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1034. The difference is one of ijtihad.) The congregation forms rows behind the imam.

First takbir and Thana:

Raise both hands to the ears, say "Allahu Akbar", and fold the hands below the navel (Hanafi practice). Then recite the Thana':

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ وَجَلَّ ثَنَاؤُكَ وَلَا إِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ

Meaning: Glory and praise to You, O Allah. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, great is Your praise, and there is no god but You. (The wording of the Thana' is narrated in Sunan Abi Dawud 775–776 and Jami' at-Tirmidhi 242–243; its recitation in the funeral prayer is stated in Hanafi books of fiqh.)

Second takbir and Salawat (Durood Ibrahimi):

Say "Allahu Akbar" without raising the hands, then recite:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

(Sahih al-Bukhari 3370; Sahih Muslim 406)

Third takbir and the supplication for the deceased:

Say "Allahu Akbar" without raising the hands, then recite the supplication that matches the deceased. The supplications are given in the next section.

Fourth takbir and the salam:

Say "Allahu Akbar" without raising the hands. Then give the salam to the right, "As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah", and to the left in the same way, and lower the hands.


6. Supplications for the Deceased (Arabic Text)


For an adult man or woman (any adult, married or unmarried):


اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ

Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 3201; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1024; Sunan Ibn Majah 1498, from Abu Hurairah. Hadith scholars such as al-Albani have graded it sahih. This is the most widely recited supplication in the Hanafi school.


For an adult man (additional authentic supplication):


اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ


For an adult woman (the same supplication with feminine pronouns):


اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهَا وَارْحَمْهَا وَعَافِهَا وَاعْفُ عَنْهَا، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهَا، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهَا، وَاغْسِلْهَا بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهَا مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهَا دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهَا، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهَا، وَأَدْخِلْهَا الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهَا مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ

Source: Sahih Muslim 963, from 'Awf ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said he memorized it from the Prophet's prayer over a deceased person.


For a minor boy (not yet reached puberty):


اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لَنَا فَرَطًا وَاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا أَجْرًا وَذُخْرًا وَاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا شَافِعًا وَمُشَفَّعًا


For a minor girl (not yet reached puberty):


اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهَا لَنَا فَرَطًا وَاجْعَلْهَا لَنَا أَجْرًا وَذُخْرًا وَاجْعَلْهَا لَنَا شَافِعَةً وَمُشَفَّعَةً


Source note: This is the supplication stated in Hanafi books of fiqh for children. The wording "farat" (one sent ahead), "salaf" and "ajr" is also reported from al-Hasan al-Basri, who recited it with a child's funeral prayer (mentioned by al-Bukhari in the chapter on reciting Surah al-Fatihah at the funeral prayer). A separate hadith tells us that supplication is made for the parents of a child, asking forgiveness and mercy for them. (Sunan Abi Dawud 3180; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1031)

A note on unmarried youths: There is no separate supplication for an unmarried (single) boy or girl who has reached puberty. The adult supplication above is used for every adult, regardless of marital status.


7. Important Rulings (Hanafi School)


  • There is no bowing, prostration, or sitting in the funeral prayer, and no adhan or iqamah for it.
  • The hands are raised only at the first takbir in the Hanafi school. (The other schools raise them at every takbir, and the difference is a matter of ijtihad.)
  • The imam says the takbirs and the salam aloud, while the followers say them quietly. The Thana', Durood and supplication are all recited silently.
  • Surah al-Fatihah is not recited as Qur'anic recitation in the Hanafi school; if someone recites it with the intention of praise or supplication, it is permissible. (Other schools recite it after the first takbir, based on a narration from Ibn 'Abbas in Sahih al-Bukhari 1335.)
  • Someone who arrives late should wait for the imam's next takbir and join him, then complete the missed takbirs after the imam's salam, before the body is lifted.
  • A child who is born alive and shows signs of life (such as crying) is given a funeral prayer, according to the Hanafi school.


Conclusion


The funeral prayer is a communal obligation (fard kifayah) with enormous reward. Attending it earns a qirat of reward, equal to a mountain like Uhud, and the sincere supplication of the Muslims is a means of mercy for the deceased. The Hanafi method consists of four takbirs, with Thana', Durood, and the supplication for the deceased. May Allah grant us the ability to act upon this Sunnah and forgive our deceased. Ameen.