For families

Janazah & cemetery prayers

What to recite on hearing of a death, how the funeral prayer is performed, how the janazah is carried, and the du’as at the time of burial and at the graveside.

On hearing of death

It is Sunnah, on hearing of the death of a fellow Muslim, to recite the following brief prayer: 

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

Translation:
Indeed to Allāh do we belong and to Him we shall return.
(Sūrah alBaqarah Verse 156, Sahīh Muslim 918)

Visiting the Cemetery

Abū Hurayrah t narrates that the Prophet ﷺ has mentioned:

زُورُوا الْقُبُورَ فَإِنَّهَا تُذَكِّرُكُمُ الآخِرَةَ

Translation:
“Visit the graves for they will remind you of the hereafter.”
(Ibn Mājah 1596, Nasaī 2034)

The Prophet Muhammad s taught the following words as salutation to the people of the graves and a prayer for their forgiveness:

السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَلَاحِقُونَ أَسْأَلُ اللهَ لَنَا وَلَكُمُ الْعَافِيَةَ

Translation:
Peace be upon you oh dwellers of the graves, among the believers, and Muslims, and we shall be joining (you) Allāh willing. I seek well-being from Allāh for you and us.
(Sahīh Muslim 975)

Method of Janāzah Salāh (Hanafī)

   

1. Like other prayers, facing the Qiblah is a necessary condition. The Imām should advise the people to straighten the rows.

2. Niyyah (Intention): Making intention is necessary for the Janāzah Salāh just as it is necessary in other prayers. Before beginning the prayer, the intention should be made in the heart that one is performing the Janāzah Salāh for Allāh behind the Imām.

3. First Takbīr (Takbīr Tahrīmah): The hands are raised up to shoulder level with the fingers stretching to the earlobes and the Imām says “Allāhu Akbar” loudly and the congregation softly. The hands are then folded under the navel, right hand over left like all daily Salāh.

4. Sūrah alFātiha or Thanā: After the Imām has initiated the Salāh, the person should recite either Sūrah alFātiha or Thanā softly:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ، إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ، اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ، صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ

Translation:

Praise be to Allāh, the Lord of the universe. The most Gracious, the most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and [from] You alone we ask for help. Guide us [to] the straight path. The path of those on whom you have bestowed your grace, not of those who earned [your] wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.
(Sūrah alFātiha)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَ بِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

Translation:

Glory be to You Oh Allāh, praise be to You, blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is none to be served besides You.

5. Second Takbīr: The Imām will say the second Takbīr and the congregation should follow. One should not raise the hands.

After the second Takbīr the person performing the Janāzah Salāh should recite Durūd softly. It is preferable to read the Durūd Ibrahīm, which is recited in Tashahhud.

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

Translation:
Oh Allāh! Shower Your mercy upon Muhammad ﷺ and the followers of Muhammad ﷺ as You showered Your mercy upon Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) and the followers of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him). Indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. Oh Allāh! Shower Your blessings upon Muhammad ﷺ, and the followers of Muhammad ﷺ as You showered Your blessings upon Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) and the followers of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him). Indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.

6. Third Takbīr: The Imām will say the third Takbīr and the congregation should follow. One should not raise the hands. The congregation should then recite the appropriate Du’ā.

Janāzah Du’ā for an Adult Male or Female

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا، وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِسْلامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ، اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ، وَلَا تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ

Translation:
Oh Allāh! 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 us who are young and those of us who are adults; our males and our females. Oh Allāh! Whomsoever You keep alive, let him live as a follower of Islam and whomsoever You cause to die, let him die a Believer. Oh Allāh! Do not deprive us of his reward and do not allow us to go astray after him.

Janāzah Du’ā for a Boy

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

Janāzah Du’ā for a Girl

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

Translation:
Oh Allāh! 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.

  • There are also other Du’ās which are narrated from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and they can be found in the various books of Ahadith.
  • Any of these Du’ās can be read.

How the Janāzah Should Be Carried

   
  • If the deceased is an adult, it should be put on a stretcher or coffin and carried on the shoulders by four men. It is disliked transporting the deceased by hearse over short distances unnecessarily.
  • If the deceased is an infant or small child, it should be carried in the arms individually by different persons.
  • All those who lift or carry the deceased should recite:

بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Translation:
In the name of Allāh, the most Beneficent, and the most Merciful.

  • Those accompanying the funeral procession should not sit before it is lowered to the ground. The sick and weak are excused.
  • It is from the Sunnah to carry the deceased hastily, but not in a manner that the body is jolted or shaken about.
  • It is desirable to follow the funeral procession, and not to go ahead of it.
  • It is disliked for those accompanying the funeral procession to loudly recite any Du’ā or verse of the Noble Qur’ān.
  • One should abstain from speaking of worldly affairs or laughing and joking.

At the Time of Burial

   
  • At the time of burial, when lowering the body into the grave, this Du’ā should be recited:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَبِاللَّهِ وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ

Translation:
In the name of Allāh, with the help of Allāh, and on the religion of the Messenger s.
(Jāmi’ alTirmidhī, 1046)

  • One should scatter three handfuls of earth from the side of the deceased’s head.
  • Abū Hurayrah t reported:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) صَلَّى عَلَى جِنَازَةٍ ثُمَّ أَتَى قَبْرَ الْمَيِّتِ فَحَثَى عَلَيْهِ مِنْ قِبَلِ رَأْسِهِ ثَلاَثًا

Translation:
“The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ offered the funeral prayer, then he came to the grave of the deceased and scattered three handfuls of earth from the side of the (deceased’s) head.”
(Ibn Mājah 1565)

  • Although not Sunnah, some scholars have deemed it Mustahab (preferable) to read the following verse when scattering the three handfuls of earth into the grave:

First handful:

مِنۡهَا خَلَقۡنٰكُمۡ

From it (the earth) We created you,

Second handful:

وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ

and into it We will return you,

Third handful:

وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى

and from it We will extract you another time.

(Sūrah Tāhā, Verse 55)

  • One should make Du’ā to Allāh S that He grants the deceased steadfastness in answering the questions of the grave.
  • Regarding this, Uthmān ibn ‘Affān t is reported to have said:

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) إِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْ دَفْنِ الْمَيِّتِ وَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ: “اسْتَغْفِرُوا لِأَخِيكُمْ وَسَلُوا لَهُ بِالتَّثْبِيتِ ، فَإِنَّهُ الْآنَ يُسْأَلُ

Translation:
“When the Prophet ﷺ had finished burying a deceased person, he would stand over him and say: “Pray for forgiveness for your brother, and ask that he be made steadfast, for he is being questioned now.”
(Abu Dawud 3221)

  • One should mention the good acts and deeds of the deceased and abstain from the ill ones.
  • ‘Āishah y narrates that the Messenger of Allāh s said:

لاَ تَسُبُّوا الأَمْوَاتَ ، فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ أَفْضَوْا إِلَى مَا قَدَّمُوا

Translation:
“Do not abuse (speak ill of) the dead, because they have attained that which they had forwarded, (i.e., their deeds, good or bad).”
(Sahīh alBukhārī 6516)

  • As a general rule, one should endeavour to enact the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and abstain from all other actions. By doing so, not only will one be rewarded for the Sunnah itself but the benefits for both the deceased and the visitor will be attained.

Prayers (Du’ās) at the Graveside

   
  • It is from the Sunnah to supplicate to Allāh ﷻ when attending a funeral.
  • It is also from the Sunnah for one to stand and raise one’s hands when supplicating to Allāh ﷻ.
  • ‘Āishah y narrated:

خرجَ رسولُ اللَّهِ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) ذاتَ ليلةٍ، فأرسلتُ بَريرةَ في أثرِهِ لتنظر َ أينَ ذَهَبَ قالت: فسلَكَ نحوَ بقيعِ الغرقدِ ، فوقَفَ في أدنى البقيعِ، ثمَّ رفعَ يديهِ ، ثمَّ انصرفَ. فرجَعَت إليَّ بريرةُ فأخبَرَتْني، فلمَّا أصبحتُ سألتُهُ فقلتُ : يا رسولَ اللَّهِ أينَ خَرجتَ اللَّيلةَ؟ قالَ: بُعِثتُ إلى أَهْلِ البقيعِ لأصلِّيَ عليهِم

Translation:
The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ went out one night, so I sent Bārīrah to follow him and see where he went. She said, “He went towards Baqī alGharqad (the cemetery in alMadīnah alMunawwarah), and he stood at the bottom of alBaqī and raised his hands, then he went away.” Bārīrah came back to me and told me, and when morning came, I asked him about it. I said, “O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ! Where did you go out to last night?” He said, “I was sent (by Allāh) to the people of alBaqī to pray for them.”
(Musnad Ahmad 24666)

  • As for the prayers that should be made, aside from the supplications for forgiveness and steadfastness for the deceased at the time of the questioning of the grave, any relevant prayer can be made. It is important to note that when praying for the deceased, it is from the Sunnah to pray for all those who have passed on; not only for one’s own family member/friend etc.
  • One can make any or all of the supplications listed below:
    • Comfort for the deceased in the grave;
    • Patience for the family members left behind;
    • The mercy of Allāh ﷻ in the grave and the hereafter;
    • That the book of deeds is given in the right hand on the Day of Judgement;
    • That the reckoning is made easy;
    • That the deceased in granted entry into Paradise without difficulty;
    • That the deceased is safeguarded from the Hellfire.
  • Finally, it is not proven from any authentic narration of the Prophet of Allāh ﷺ that he recited any particular chapter of the Noble Qur’ān by the graves.
  • However, some scholars are of the opinion that the reward of the recitation of the Qur’ān can be gifted to the deceased and as such, if someone wishes to recite a portion of the Qur’ān for the deceased, it will be permissible though not Sunnah.
  • To recite fixed verses/chapters every time that one visits the cemetery is considered by many scholars to be impermissible.