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Salat al-Janazah (Template:Lang-ar) is the funeral prayer. It is part of the Islamic funeral. The prayer is performed in congregation to seek pardon for the deceased and all dead Muslims. The Salat al-Janazah is a collective obligation upon Muslims (fard Kifayah)i.e., if some Muslims take the responsibility of doing it, the obligation is fulfilled, but if no-one fulfils it then all Muslims will be accountable.

Description of the funeral prayer

It is preferable that those praying divide themselves into odd rows with one person as an Imam standing alone infront and while facing the qibla (in the direction of Mecca). The body is placed in front of the Imam. If there is more than one body, then they should be put one in front of the other. The spoken part of the prayer involves quietly reciting Al-Fatiha, then praying for God to bestow peace, mercy and blessings upon the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and finally saying two supplicative prayers. Muhammad and his companions explained how the funeral prayer is to be done, as follows:

1. Having the appropriate neeyat (intention) in your heart, You say the first Takbir ("Allahu akbar" meaning " God is Great") while raising your hands, then you fold and hold your hands on your breast in the usual manner, the right hand on the left seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytaan (devil/Satan), then you say "Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem" ("In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful") and recite al-Fatihah (the first surah/first seven ayat; the oft-repeated verses, umm al-Qur'an) followed by recitation of a short surah or several ayat i.e. a chapter or verses of the Koran.

2. Then you say Takbir and send blessings upon Muhammad as one does at the end of other prayers (Oh God may your peace and mercy be uppon Muhammad and Muhammad's family they are upon Abraham and Abraham's family for Thou are Glorious, Benignant and Praised through the universe/worlds).

3.Then you say a third Takbir and make du’aa’ (supplication) for the deceased. It is narrated that Muhammaed had said: اللهم اغفر لحينا وميتنا ، وصغيرنا وكبيرنا ، وذكرنا وأنثانا ، وشاهدنا وغائبنا . اللهم من أحييته منا فأحيه على الإسلام ، ومن توفيته منا فتوفه على الإيمان ، اللهم لا تحرمنا أجره ولا تفتنا بعده، اللهم اغفر له ، وارحمه ، وعافه ، واعف عنه ، وأكرم نزله ، ووسع مدخله واغسله بالماء والثلج والبرد ، ونقه من الخـطايا، كما نقيت الثوب الأبيض من الدنس ، وأبدله دارا خيرا من داره ، وأهلا خيرا من أهله، وزوجا خيرا من زوجه ، وأدخله الجنة ، وأعذه من عذاب القبر ، ومن عذاب النار، و افسح له في قبره و نور له فيه

Transliteration: “Allaahumma ighfir lihaayina wa mayitina wa shaahidina wa ghaa’ibina wa sagheerina wa kabeerina wa zakarina wa unthaana. Allaahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa ahyihi ‘ala’l-Islam wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa tawiffahu ‘ala’l-eemaan.Allaahumma laa tahrimna ajrahu wa la taftina ba’dahu. Allaahumma ighfir lahu warhamhu wa ‘aafihi wa a’fu ‘anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi’ madkhalahu waghsilhu bi’l-maa’ wa’l-thalj wa’l-barad, wa naqqihi min al-khataaya kama yunaqqa’ al-thawb al-abyad min al-danas. Allaahumma abdilhu daaran khayra min daarihi wa ahlan khayra min ahlihi. Allaahumma adkhilhu al-jannah wa a’izhu min ‘adhaab il-qabri wa min ‘azaab il-naar wa afsah lahu fi qabrihi wa nawwir lahu fihi.

Translation: "O God, 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 God, whoever You keep alive, keep him alive in Islam, and whoever You cause to die, cause him to die with faith.O God, do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go astray after this. O God, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and sound and forgive him, honour his rest and ease his entrance; wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of sin as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. O God, give him a home better than his home and a family better than his family. O God, 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.”

If you make du’aa’ with other words, this is acceptable, for example, one could say: اللهم ان كان محسنا زد فى احسانه وان كان مسيئا فتجاوز عن سيئاته اللهم إغفر له و ثبته بالقول الثابت

Transliteration: “Allaahumma in kaana muhsinan fa zid fi ihsaanihi wa in kaana musee’an fa tajaawaz ‘an sayi’aatihi. Allaahumma ighfir lahu wa thabbit-hu bi’l-qawl il-thaabit.

Translation: "O God, if he was a doer of good, then increase his good deeds, and if he was a wrongdoer, then overlook his bad deeds. O God, forgive him and give him the steadiness to say the right thing.”

4. Then a fourth takbir is recited, followed by a short pause, then a final taslim to the right, saying "Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatu-Allah" ("Peace and blessings of God be unto you").

References

1. Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, vol 13, p. 141

External links

• Preparation of the Deceased and Janazah Prayers

http://www.mcb.org.uk/library/Burial_etiquette.pdf

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