Salat al-Janazah — The Funeral Prayer: Obligation, Rites, and the Rights of the Deceased

The Rights of the Deceased

The Muslim community owes five obligations to a deceased Muslim:

1. Ghusl (ritual washing of the body)
2. Takfin (shrouding in white cloth)
3. Salat al-Janazah (the funeral prayer)
4. Haml (carrying the bier to the burial site)
5. Dafn (burial in the earth)

The Prophet (SAW) emphasized haste: “Do not delay the janazah. If the person was righteous, you are sending them on to good. If they were other than that, you are putting a burden down from your shoulders.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

The Ghusl (Washing of the Body)

Who performs it: Preferably close family members of the same gender. If no same-gender adult is available, a spouse may wash their deceased partner in the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools.

How it is done:

1. Begin with Bismillah, niyyah for ghusl
2. Remove the deceased’s clothing, cover the private parts
3. Perform wudu (including cleaning the teeth and nose)
4. Wash the body three times, with Sidr (lotus tree leaves) or soap in the first washing, water and camphor in the final washing
5. The body is washed thoroughly but with dignity — no harsh scrubbing

Who is NOT washed: Martyrs killed in battle are not washed — they are buried in their blood and garments, as is.

The kafan (shroud): Pure white cloth.

• Men: Three sheets of white cloth
• Women: Five pieces (three sheets + headcovering + bodywrap)
• The body is wrapped and tied at the head and feet
• The Prophet (SAW) was shrouded in three white Yemeni cloths (Bukhari)

The Funeral Prayer: Structure and Performance

Conditions: The same as for regular salat — tahara, qiblah, covering the ‘awra — except no adhan or iqama is called.

The imam’s position: Standing at the level of the deceased’s chest (for men) or middle (for women) in the Shafi’i school.

The four takbirs:

First Takbir

• “Allahu Akbar” — raise hands to earlobes
• Recite Surah al-Fatiha (silently in Shafi’i school; some say it is obligatory to recite al-Fatiha after the first takbir, unlike Hanafi school which does not recite it)

Second Takbir

• “Allahu Akbar”
• Salawat on the Prophet (SAW): At minimum the Ibrahimiyya (the same salawat recited in tashahhud): “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahim wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahim wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid.”

Third Takbir

• “Allahu Akbar”
• The Du’a for the Deceased — this is the heart of the prayer. The Prophet (SAW) taught several formulas:

Comprehensive du’a from Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah: “Allahumma ighfir lahu warhamhu wa ‘afihi wa’fu ‘anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi’ mudkhalahu, waghsilhu bil-ma’i wal-thalji wal-baradi, wa naqqihi min al-khataya kama yunaqqal-thawb al-abyadu min al-danas. Wa abdilhu daran khayran min darihi, wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi, wa zawjan khayran min zawjihi, wa adkhilhu al-jannata, wa a’idhhu min ‘adhab il-qabri wa ‘adhab in-nar.”

Translation: “O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, and give him health and pardon him. Honor his reception and widen his entry, and wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed of filth. Give him a home better than his home, and a family better than his family, and a spouse better than his spouse, and admit him to Paradise, and protect him from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the fire.”

For a woman: Change the pronouns — “Allahumma ighfir laha warhamha…”

For a child: “Allahumma ij’alhu dhukhra li-walidayhi wa salafan wa ajran.” (O Allah, make him a treasure for his parents, a predecessor, and a reward.)

Fourth Takbir

• “Allahu Akbar”
• Short du’a or silence, then:
• Taslim to the right (and left, in Shafi’i school): “Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah”

After the Prayer: Carrying and Burial

Carrying the bier: The Prophet (SAW) said there is virtue in carrying each of the four corners of the bier. Speed is recommended — a hasty but dignified pace.

At the graveside: The grave is dug deep enough to conceal the smell and to protect from animals. The body is laid on the right side, facing the qiblah. The ties of the kafan near the face are loosened so the face rests on the earth.

The talqin: In the Shafi’i tradition, a scholar or family member whispers to the deceased after burial the guidance to remember their testimony — “Ya [name], remember the covenant you made when you left the world…” This is the practice of talqin.

Du’a and istighfar: The Prophet (SAW) said: “Ask forgiveness for your brother and pray that he is made firm — for he is now being questioned.” (Abu Dawud)

The Bohra Tradition

In the Dawoodi Bohra community, the janazah prayer follows the Shafi’i school with specific additional practices from the da’wa tradition. The community gathers quickly upon news of death, and the imam (usually a designated religious representative) leads the prayer. The recitation of particular du’as from the Fatimid heritage accompanies the standard four-takbir structure. The community’s practice of gathering for the deceased, offering condolences, and supporting the bereaved family reflects the Prophet’s (SAW) teaching that the community’s presence is part of the rights owed to the deceased.

See also: Barzakh, Understanding Dua, Ghusl, Wudu, Tahara Purity, Understanding Namaz