The Funeral Prayer (Janazah)
Salat al-Janazah (صَلَاة الجَنَازَة) is the prayer said over a deceased Muslim before burial. It is a fard kifayah — a communal obligation: if some of the Muslims pray it, the duty is lifted from the rest, but if no one does, all are sinful. It is the community’s final act of love and intercession for one of its own.
Its reward is immense:
“Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer is offered will have one qirat, and whoever attends until the burial is complete will have two qirats.” It was asked, “What are the two qirats?” He said: “Like two great mountains.”
Bukhari, Muslim
What makes it different
The funeral prayer is unlike the five daily prayers in form:
- It is prayed entirely standing — there is no ruku and no sujood.
- It consists of four takbirs, with a specific recitation or du’a after each.
- It ends with the tasleem.
The body is placed in front of the people, and the imam stands facing the qibla with the rows behind him. The imam stands at the head of a deceased man and at the middle (waist) of a deceased woman.
Step by step
Form the intention in your heart to pray over this deceased person, then:
First takbir
Say “Allahu Akbar” (raising your hands — in the Hanbali madhhab the hands are raised at each of the four takbirs). Then seek refuge and recite Al-Fatiha silently:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ... وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-'alamin … wa la d-dallin.
(Recite the whole of Al-Fatiha, as in any prayer.)
Second takbir
Say “Allahu Akbar,” then recite the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, the same one you say in the 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
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are praiseworthy and glorious. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are praiseworthy and glorious.
Third takbir
Say “Allahu Akbar,” then make du’a for the deceased — this is the heart of the prayer. A complete, authentic du’a taught by the Prophet ﷺ:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ، وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ
Allahumma-ghfir lahu wa-rhamhu, wa 'afihi wa'fu 'anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu, wa wassi' mudkhalahu, wa-ghsilhu bi-l-ma'i wa-th-thalji wa-l-barad, wa naqqihi mina-l-khataya kama yunaqqa th-thawbu l-abyadu mina d-danas, wa abdilhu daran khayran min darihi, wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi, wa adkhilhu l-jannah, wa a'idhhu min 'adhabi l-qabri wa 'adhabi n-nar.
O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and pardon him, honour his place of rest and make his entrance spacious, wash him with water, snow, and hail, and cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Give him a home better than his home, a family better than his family, 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 to the feminine (laha, warhamha, ‘afiha, and so on). When you do not know the person, the general intention of “this deceased” is enough.
If the deceased is a child (who has not reached the age of accountability), the du’a is one of seeking reward and intercession for the parents rather than forgiveness for sins:
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ فَرَطًا وَذُخْرًا لِوَالِدَيْهِ، وَشَفِيعًا مُجَابًا. اللَّهُمَّ ثَقِّلْ بِهِ مَوَازِينَهُمَا، وَأَعْظِمْ بِهِ أُجُورَهُمَا
Allahumma-j'alhu faratan wa dhukhran li-walidayh, wa shafi'an mujaba. Allahumma thaqqil bihi mawazinahuma, wa a'zim bihi ujurahuma.
O Allah, make him a forerunner and a treasure for his parents, and an answered intercessor. O Allah, make their scales heavy through him, and make their reward great through him.
Fourth takbir
Say “Allahu Akbar,” then pause briefly. It is good to add a short du’a such as:
اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ، وَلَا تَفْتِنَّا بَعْدَهُ، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ
Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu, wa la taftinna ba'dahu, wa-ghfir lana wa lah.
O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, do not test us after him, and forgive us and him.
Tasleem
Turn your head to the right and say “As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah.” One tasleem is sufficient; turning to the left for a second is also reported.
Notes
- Women may pray the funeral prayer. It is valid and rewarded for them, although following the body to the graveyard is generally left to the men.
- The prayer can sometimes be offered for someone absent ( salat al-gha’ib ), as the Prophet ﷺ prayed over the Negus when he died in Abyssinia. Scholars discuss the conditions for this; it is not done for every absent person.
- Keep the prayer dignified and unhurried, but it is naturally brief, four takbirs and no bowing or prostration, so an entire funeral prayer takes only a couple of minutes.