Janazah (Funeral Prayer)

There is a consensus among all the great Muslim jurists that a funeral prayer for a deceased person is a collective obligation or “fard kifayah”. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) commanded the Muslims to offer it, and they have been doing so ever since they received this commandment.

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Whoever follows a funeral procession and offers the prayer for the deceased, will get one kerat 68 of reward. And whoever follows it and remains with it until the body is buried, will get two kerats of reward, the least of which is equal in weight to ‘Mount Uhud’ or he said ‘one of them is like Uhud.’. Try and attend the prayer of a deceased even if you do not know him/her. Remember that the entire Janazah Prayer is said standing only. Like any other prayer, this prayer is also offered facing Qibla.

1. Form at least three rows. The body of the deceased should be kept in front of the Imam.
2. The Imam stands approximately by the centre of the body if the deceased is a male, and by the shoulder if the deceased is a female.
3. If the prayer to be offered is for more than one person, then the bodies should be placed one in front of the other male body closest to the Imam and female body further away.
   The following procedure is used to offer the Janazah prayer

   The Imam	The Congregation
   Takbeer#1:Raise hands and says Allah u-Akbar loudly Recite Surat al-Fatiha silently.	Say:Allah u-Akbar quietly Recite Surat al-Fatiha quietly
   Takbeer#2: Says Allah u-Akbar loudly Sends peace and prayer upon the Prophet	Say Allah u-Akbar quietly Sends peace and prayers upon the Prophet quietly
   Takbeer#3: Says Allah u-Akbar loudly Makes duaa (supplication) to God for the deceased quietly	Say Allah u-Akbar quietly Make Duaa for the deceased quietly
   Takbeer#4: Says Allah u-Akbar loudly Makes duaa for all the Muslims quietly Then says Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah loudly (twice), turning the head First to the right and then to the left.	Say Allah u-Akbar quietly Makes duaa for all the Muslims quietly Then says Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah quietly (twice), turning the head First to the right and then to the left.

   This concludes the Janazah Prayer.

   1. For Funeral Prayer, Thanaa’ can be recited as the following:
      Subhaanaka allaahumma wa bihamdika wa tabaaraka ismuka wa ta’aala jadduka wa jalla thannaa-uka wa laal ilaaha ghayruka
      Translation: Glory be to you Oh Allah, and praise be to You, and blessed is your name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is none to be served besides.
   2. Invoking Peace and Blessings on the Prophet can be given as below:
      Allaahumma salli alaa muhammadin wa alaa muhammadin kama sallayta alaa ibraaheema wa alaa aali ibraaheema innaka hameedun majeed. Allahumma baarik alaa muhammadin wa alaa aali muhammadin kamaa baarakta alaa ibraheema wa alaa aali ibraheema innaka hameedun majeeedun.
      Translation: Oh Allah! Bestow Your mercy upon Muhammad (upon him be peace) and the followers of Muhammad (upon him be peace), as You showered Your mercy upon Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam) and the followers of Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam). Behold You are Praise worthy, Glorious. Oh Allah! Shower Your blessing upon Muhammad (upon him be peace), as you showered Your blessings upon Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam) and the followers of Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam). Behold You are Praise worthy, Glorious.
   3. This is the Dua that is recited after the third Takabeer:
      Allaahumma ighfir lihayyinaa, wa mayyitinaa, wa shaahidinaa, wa ghaa-ibinaa, wa sagheerinaa, wa kabeerinaa, wa dhakarinaa wa unthaanaa. Allaahumma man ahyaytahoo minnaa fa ahyihee alal islaam wa man tawaffaytahoo minnaa fatawaffahoo alal iemaan.
      Translation: Oh Allah ! Forgive those of us that are alive and those of us that are dead; those of us that are present, and those of us who are absent: those of that are young, and those of us that are adults; our males and females. Oh Allah! Whomsoever of us You keep alive, let him live as a follower of Islam, and whomsoever You cause to die, let him die as a Believer.

   If the deceased is a male child, the invocation is:
   Allaahumma ij’alhu lanaa faratan, wa j’alhu lanaa ajran wa dhukharn wa j’alhu lanaa shaafi’an wa mushaffa’an. 

   If the deceased is a female child, the invocation is :
   Allaahumma ij’alhu lanaa faratan, wa j’alhaa lanaa ajraan wa dhukhran wa j’alhaa lanaa shaafi’atan wa mushaffa’atan. 

   Translation: Oh Allah, make him/her (this child) a source for our salvation; and make him/her a source of reward and treasure for us; and make him/her an intercessor for us, and one whose intercession is accepted.