Funeral Prayer – Its Rulings and Etiquettes

Offering (funeral) Salaat upon the dead is Fardh Kifayah (a communal obligation or collective duty); if some people perform it, the remaining are not held responsible. The proof that the funeral prayer is Fardh Kifayah is the statement of Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) regarding the one who died and had a debt. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “You observe the funeral prayer for your companion.” [Saheeh Muslim (1619)]

Another proof is his (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saying on the day of the death of Najashi (king of Abyssinia), “A brother of yours has died; so stand up and offer prayer for him.” [Reported by Muslim (952)]

Note:

Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) reported that when the body of a dead person burdened with debt was brought to Allah’s Messenger, he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would inquire whether he had left enough property to clear off his debt. If the property left was sufficient, he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would observe the funeral prayer for him otherwise he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would say (to the Sahabah): “You observe prayer for your companion.”

But when Allaah opened the gateways of victory for him, he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I am nearer to the believers than themselves, so if anyone dies leaving a debt, its payment is my responsibility, and if anyone leaves a property, it goes to his heirs.” [Muslim no. 1619]

Conditions of the Funeral Prayer:

• Intention,
• Takleef (i.e., the one who is offering the Salaat is of an accountable age),
• Facing the Qibla,
• Covering the private parts,
• Avoiding impurity; because it is a Salaat,
• Presence of the dead in front of the one who is offering the prayer, if the body is in the same city,
• The one offering Salaat is a Muslim,
• The dead upon whom the Salaat is offered is a Muslim,
• Purification of both (the dead and the one offering the prayer), even if by dirt if there is an excuse.

Pillars of the Funeral Prayer:

• Standing, for the one who is capable of standing, because it is an obligation for which standing is required just like in other obligatory Salaat,
• The four Takbeers because the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said Takbeer four times for Najashi,
• Reciting Surat Al-Fatihah because of the generality of the Hadeeth, “There is no Salaat for him who does not recite Ummul-Qur’an (Surat Al-Fatihah).” [Reported by Muslim (394)]
• Salaat upon the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
• Du’aa (invoking) for the deceased because of his (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saying, “When you pray over the dead, make a sincere supplication for him.” [Reported by Abu Dawoud (3199) and it is Hasan. See Irwa al-Ghaleel (3/179)]
• Saying Tasleem, due to the generality of the Hadeeth, “The key to prayer is purification; its beginning is Takbeer, and its end is Tasleem.” [Sunan Abu Dawoud (61)]
• Tarteeb (sequence) of the pillars (the arrangement of the pillars must be maintained), no pillar should be offered out of place.

Sunnah of the Funeral Prayer

Among its Sunnah acts are:

• Raising the hands with Takbeer
• Seeking refuge in Allaah before the recitation
• Du’aa for oneself and the Muslims
• The quiet recitation.

The Time of the Funeral Prayer, its Virtues and Procedure

1. Time: The time of the funeral prayer begins after the washing of the deceased, his shrouding, and preparation – this is in case the deceased is present (in the same city). If he (the deceased) is not present, the time begins when the news of his death reaches you.

2. Virtues: The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever follows the funeral procession and offers the funeral prayer for it, he will get a reward equal to one Qirat. Whosoever attends it up till the burial, he will get a reward equal to two Qirat.” It was asked, “What are two Qirat?” He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied, “Equal to two huge mountains.” [Agreed upon. Reported by Al-Bukhaari (1325) and Muslim (945)]

3. How to offer the Salaat: The Imam (who is leading the prayer) and individuals stand in line at the head of the man, whereas they stand in line at the middle of the woman because this is proven from the action of the Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the narration of Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu). [Reported by Abu Dawoud (3194), At-Tirmidhi (1034), and Ibn Maajah (1494). Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh At-Tirmidhi (826)].

Then say Takbeer for Ihraam, then Ta’awwudh (i.e., to seek refuge in Allaah from the outcast Shaytaan). Then say Basmalah and recite Surat Al-Fatihah silently even if the prayer is offered at night. Then say Takbeer (for the second time) and send Salaat upon the Prophet as one recites in the Tashahhud. Then say Takbeer (for the third time) and supplicate for the dead with the reported Du’aas (supplications) of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) such as,

اللهُـمِّ اغْفِـرْ لِحَيِّـنا وَمَيِّتِـنا، وَشـاهِدِنا وَغائِبِـنا

وَصَغيـرِنا وَكَبيـرِنا ، وَذَكَـرِنا وَأُنْثـانا

اللهُـمِّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْـتَهُ مِنّا فَأَحْيِـهِ عَلى الإِسْلام

وَمَنْ تَوَفَّـيْتَهُ مِنّا فَتَوَفَّـهُ عَلى الإِيـمان

“O Allaah! Forgive our living and our dead,

those who are with us and those who are absent,

our young and our old, our menfolk and our womenfolk.

O Allaah, whomever you give life from among us, give him life in Islam,

and whomever you take away from us take him away in Faith.” [Reported by Abu Dawoud (3201) and At-Tirmidhi (1024)]

 اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ

 وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ

وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ

 وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ وَأَهْلاً خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ

وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ أَوْ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ‏

 “O Allaah! Forgive him, have mercy upon him, give him well-being and pardon him.

Receive him with honor and make his grave spacious.

Wash him with water, snow, and hail.

Cleanse him from faults as You would cleanse a white garment from impurity.

Requite him with an abode more excellent than his abode,

with a family better than his family,

and with a mate better than his mate,

admit him into Paradise,

and protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of the Fire.” [Reported by Muslim (963)]

If the dead is a child, then the following is said,

 اللَّهُمَّ اجعله سَلَفاً لوالديه، و فرطاً ، وأجراً

“O Allaah! Make him reach Paradise ahead of his parents, and make him a stored treasure for them, and a preceding reward.” [Reported by ‘Abdur-Razzaq in his Musannaf (6589)]

Then say the Takbeer (for the fourth time) and pause for a while after it. If at this time, one makes some short Du’aa, then that is good. I.e., one can say,

 اللَّهُمَّ لا تحرمنا أجره ، ولا تضلنا بعده

“O Allaah, do not deprive us of the reward,

 and do not cause us to go astray after him.” [Reported by Maalik in Al-Muwatta (1/228) no. 117 and ‘Abdur-Razzaq in his Musannaf (3/488) no. 6425]

Then say Salaam once to the right. There is no harm even if two Salaams are said.

If someone misses some part of the Salaat, he may join with the Imam, and he must make Qadhaa’ (i.e., make up the missed Rak’ah) of what he missed after Tasleem.

Whosoever missed to offer the funeral Salaat before the burial, may pray at the grave because of the action of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the story of the woman who used to clean the Masjid. [Agreed upon. Reported by Al-Bukhaari (458) and Muslim (956)]

 For those outside the country, they may offer the Salaat upon receiving the news of their death even if it were one month later or more.

As for the funeral prayer for a miscarried fetus; funeral prayer is offered if four months or more have passed. If the fetus is smaller than four months, no Salaat is offered for it.

Source:

Kitab Al-Fiqh Al-Muyassar fee Da’w Al-Kitab was-Sunnah, prepared by a group of scholars.