Death in the Bohra Understanding
In the Bohra tradition, death (wafat) is not the end of a person’s journey but a transition — a return to the divine source. The Quran says:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيهِ رَاجِعُون Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn “Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.” (2:156)
The funeral rites are therefore not merely practical but deeply theological: they accompany the soul through its transition with love, prayer, and the recitation of divine names. Every action — from the moment of death to the lowering of the body — is an act of ibadah (worship).
1. As Death Approaches (Ihtidaar)
When a person is close to death, family and community members gather by their side. The following dua is recited:
If the person’s time has come: اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ حَضَرَ أَجَلُهُ فَسَهِّل عَلَيهِ أَمرَهُ وَأَخرِجهُ إِلَى رِضَاءٍ مِنكَ وَالرِّضوَانِ وَلَقِّهِ الْبُشرَى وَاغفِر لَهُ وَارحَمهُ بِرَحمَتِكَ يَا أَرحَمَ الرَّاحِمِين
“O Allah, if his appointed time has come, make his affair easy and take him to Your pleasure and acceptance. Give him glad tidings, forgive him, and have mercy on him by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.”
If there may still be time for recovery: اللَّهُمَّ هَذَا عَبدُكَ إِن كَانَ بَقِيَ أَجَلُهُ وَرِزقُهُ وَأَثَرُهُ فَعَجِّل شِفَاءَهُ وَعَافِيَتَهُ
“O Allah, this is Your servant — if his time, provision, and life remain, hasten his cure and recovery.”
The Kalemah
The dying person is helped to recite the Kalemah Tayyeba — or it is recited with them:
أَشهَدُ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَأَشهَدُ أَنَّ مَولَانَا عَلِيًّا وَصِيُّهُ وَوَزِيرُهُ
This is the Bohra form of the Kalemah, which includes the explicit testimony of Imam Ali’s (AS) wilayat alongside the prophethood of Muhammad (SAW).
2. After the Death
When death occurs:
- The eyes are gently closed
- The jaw is gently held shut (with a cloth if needed)
- Surah Yasin is recited (or Surah Mulk)
- The family is notified and community members begin to gather
The body is oriented with the feet toward the qiblah (Mecca).
Ghusl (Ritual Washing)
The body is given ritual ghusl (full washing) by family members of the same gender, in accordance with Islamic law. The ghusl follows the specific order:
- Niyyat (intention)
- Washing with soap and water
- Three complete ritual washes
- Wudu (ablution) for the deceased
In Bohra tradition, the ghusl is conducted with reverence and care; it is an act of mercy for the deceased.
Kafan (Shrouding)
The body is wrapped in white cloth (kafan). Specific requirements:
- For men: 3 pieces of cloth (izar/lower cloth, lifafa/outer wrap, and qamees/shirt)
- For women: 5 pieces (adding khimar/head cover and khirqa/waist wrap)
Camphor (kafoor) is applied at the seven sajdah (prostration) points: forehead, nose, palms, knees, and toes.
3. The Call to Namaaze Janaazah
One person calls aloud:
الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى الجَنَازَةِ مَعَاشِرَ الْمُؤمِنِينَ رَحِمَكُمُ اللَّه
Aṣ-ṣalātu ʿalal janāzati maʿāshiral muʾminīna raḥimakumullāh
“The funeral prayer is ready. O community of believers, may Allah have mercy on you.”
This call draws the congregation together for the prayer.
4. Namaaze Janaazah (Funeral Prayer)
The Namaaze Janaazah is a fardh kifayah (communal obligation) — if some members of the community perform it, the obligation is discharged for all.
Key features:
- 5 takbiraat (5 takbirs of Allahu Akbar) instead of the usual 4 or more raka’ats
- No ruku or sajdah — the prayer is performed standing throughout
- The body lies before the congregation, feet toward the imam
- The imam faces the qiblah
Niyyat (Intention):
Pesh imam: أُصَلِّي صَلَاةَ الجَنَازَةِ خَمسَ تَكبِيرَاتٍ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَدَاءً مُستَقبِلَ الكَعبَةِ الحَرَامِ اللَّهُ أَكبَر
For those following the imam: أُصَلِّي صَلَاةَ الجَنَازَةِ خَمسَ تَكبِيرَاتٍ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَدَاءً مُستَقبِلَ الكَعبَةِ الحَرَامِ مُؤتَمًّا بِالإِمَامِ اللَّهُ أَكبَر
The Prayer Structure:
The pesh imam recites aloud, and the congregation follows. After the niyyat (which serves as the first takbir), between each of the remaining four takbirs, the imam recites specific passages:
1st interval — The Kalemah and the verse of innā lillāhi (Quran 2:155-157), acknowledging the loss and the community of those who bear it with patience.
2nd interval — Quran 3:185 (kullū nafsin dhāʾiqatu l-mawt) — “Every soul shall taste death.”
3rd interval — Quran 62:6-8 — The verses about those who flee from death and yet meet it.
4th interval — Quran 67:1-2 (tabāraka l-ladhī biyadihi l-mulk) — Surah al-Mulk opening, on death and life as a test.
The prayer concludes with the words:
هَذِهِ عِبرَةٌ لِمَنِ اعتَبَرَ وَفِكرَةٌ لِمَن تَفَكَّر
“This is a lesson for those who take heed, and a reflection for those who reflect.”
5. Carrying the Janaazah
Those who carry the body to the graveyard recite aloud:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عَلِيٌّ وَلِيُّ اللَّهِ
“There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Ali is the Friend of Allah.”
This is chanted as the body is borne — a procession of the community accompanying one of their own on the last journey.
6. At the Graveyard
On Entering:
السَّلَامُ عَلَيكُم يَا أَهلَ الدَّارِ أَنتُمُ السَّابِقُونَ وَنَحنُ إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُم لَاحِقُون
“Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of this abode. You are those who preceded, and we — if Allah wills — will follow you.”
This greeting acknowledges the communion between the living and the dead, and the transience of earthly life.
Lowering the Body:
As the body is lowered into the grave:
بِسمِ اللَّهِ وَبِاللَّهِ وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَآلِهِ
“In the name of Allah, with Allah, and upon the religion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and his family).”
Turning the Face Toward Qiblah:
When the body is positioned with the right cheek facing the qiblah:
اللَّهُمَّ لَقِّنهُ حُجَّتَهُ وَسَاعِد رُوحَهُ وَلَقِّهِ مِنكَ رَوحًا وَرَيحَانًا وَمَغفِرَةً وَرِضوَانًا
“O Allah, grant him his proof (guide him through the questioning), support his soul, and grant him from Yourself a breath of peace, fragrance, forgiveness, and Your pleasure.”
Three Handfuls of Soil:
Each person present throws three handfuls of soil, reciting:
إِيمَانًا بِكَ وَتَصدِيقًا لِرَسُولِكَ وَإِيقَانًا بِبَعثِكَ هَذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا الرَّحمَنُ وَصَدَقَ الْمُرسَلُون
“In faith in You, in confirmation of Your messenger, and in certainty of resurrection — this is what the Most Merciful promised us, and the messengers spoke the truth.”
7. After the Burial
After the grave is sealed, it is customary to:
- Recite Surah al-Fatiha
- Make dua for the deceased
- Sprinkle water on the grave
- Place a marker (the Bohra tradition typically places a simple white or stone marker with the person’s name and dates)
Talqeen — in some communities, a final instruction is whispered over the grave, guiding the deceased through the questions of the angels Munkar and Nakeer. This is part of the Bohra tradition.
8. The Mourning Period (Soyam, Chehlum)
Soyam (3rd Day):
A gathering on the third day where Quran is recited and duas are made for the deceased. In Bohra tradition, the family typically hosts a faatehah gathering.
Chehlum (40th Day):
The fortieth day gathering — another communal remembrance. The number 40 carries deep spiritual significance in Islamic tradition.
Aashaq:
Some families observe aashaq — a gathering at six months or one year.
Spiritual Purpose
The Bohra rites of death are not about grief alone. They are a communal affirmation of faith:
- Every dua is a testimony: Innā lillāhi — we belong to Allah
- Every action is ibadah: from ghusl to lowering the body
- The living serve the dead: the last service of love
- The community gathers: death dissolves individual isolation and brings the jamaat together
The Dai al-Mutlaq (the living spiritual leader) is always remembered in duas for the deceased — the connection between the individual, the jamaat, and the Imam runs through even the most private moments of life and death.
For the full text of each dua, see the Duas section under the Wafat & Janaazah category.