Islamic Funeral :: Janazah
Janazah (Funeral) Prayer
How to perform
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) explained how to pray salat al-Janazah (funeral prayer). It is done as follows:
- While raising your hands to the level of your ear lobes, you say the first Takbir (“Allahu akbar”), then you seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan (“Au’oodhu billaahi minash Shaytaani rajeem”.) Then you say Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim and recite al-Fatihah .
- Then you raise hands again and say Takbir and send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as one does at the end of the prayer.
- Then raise hands again and say a third Takbir and make du’a for the deceased.
- Then raise hands again and say a fourth Takbir and pause for a little while,
- then you say one Taslim to the right, saying “Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah.”
The best dua for the deceased
The following dua was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
“Allahumma ighfir lihayyina wa mayyitina wa shahidina wa ghaibina wa saghirina wa kabirina wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allaahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa ahyihi ‘ala’l-Islam wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa tawaffahu ‘ala’l-iman. Allahumma ighfir lahu warhamhu wa ‘afihi wa a’fu ‘anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi’ madkhalahu waghsilhu bi’l-ma wa’l-thalj wa’l-barad, wa naqqihi min al-khataya kama yunaqqa al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas. Allahumma abdilhu daran khayran min darihi wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi. Allahumma adkhilhu al-jannah wa a’idhhu min ‘adhab il-qabri wa min ‘adhab il-nar wa afsah lahu fi qabrihi wa nawwir lahu fihi. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tadillana ba’dahu
(O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those who are present among us and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whoever You keep alive, keep him alive in Islam, and whoever You cause to die, cause him to die with faith. O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and sound and forgive him, honour the place where he settles and make his entrance wide; wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of sin as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. O Allah, give him a house better than his house and a family better than his family. O Allah, admit him to Paradise and protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of Hell-fire; make his grave spacious and fill it with light. O Allah, do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go astray after this).”
If you make du’a’ with other words, this is also acceptable, for example, you could say:
“Allahumma in kana muhsinan fa zid fi ihsanihi wa in kana museean fa tajawaz ‘an sayiatihi. Allahumma ighfir lahu wa thabbit-hu bi’l-qawl il-thabit:
(O Allah, if he was a doer of good, then increase his good deeds, and if he was a wrongdoer, then overlook his bad deeds. O Allah, forgive him and give him the strength to say the right thing).”
You may also use any other words you may like.
And Allah knows best.
How to send blessings upon the Prophet
اللهمَّ صلِّ على محمَّد وعلى آل محمَّد، كما صليتَ على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم؛ إنَّك حميدٌ مجيد. اللهمَّ بارِك على محمَّد وعلى آل محمَّد، كما باركتَ على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم؛ إنَّك حميدٌ مجيد.
“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed. Allaahumma baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3700) and Muslim (406) from the hadeeth of Ka‘b ibn ‘Ajrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
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