The Book of Funerals
Washing, Shrouding, and

Funeral Prayer

Washing, Shrouding, and Funeral Prayer

he applies perfume to his entire body, it would be good.422 He should scent his shrouds with incense.423
If his moustache or nails are long, he should trim them. He should not comb his hair.424
A woman should have her hair braided into three braids425 and placed behind her.

سُجُوْدِهِ، وَإِنْ طَيَّبَهُ كُلَّهُ، كَانَ حَسَنًا، وَيُجَمِّرُ أَكْفَانَهُ. وَإِنْ كَانَ شَارِبُهُ أَوْ أَظْفَارُهُ طَوِيْلَةً أَخَذَ مِنْهُ، وَلاَ يُسَرِّحُ شَعْرَهُ.
وَالْمَرْأَةُ يُضْفَرُ شَعْرُهَا ثَلاَثَةَ قُرُوْنٍ، وَيُسْدَلُ مِنْ وَرَائِهَا.

[Shrouding]

[For a man] Then he should be shrouded in three 426 white427 garments,428 of which none is

ثُمَّ يُكَفَّنُ فِيْ ثَلاَثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ بِيْضٍ، لَيْسَ


422. The Prophet (SA) instructed the women who washed Zaynab (RAH) to use camphor. (Ag)


423. This applies to the body as well as the shrouds, because the Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“If you perfume a dead body, do it 3 times.” (A – from Jâbir. Nawawi:S chain)

إذَا جَمَّرْتُمْ الْمَيِّتَ فَجَمِّرُوهُ ثَلَاثًا.

The Companions used aloes wood.


424. So as not to risk causing the hair to fall out.


425. Umm ‘Aṭiyah (RAH) said that she did that to the Prophet’s daughter. (Ag)


426. (Ag)

“The Messenger of Allah (SA) was shrouded in three pieces of new white sheets of cloth (cotton) from a town in Yemen, without a long shirt or a turban.” (Ag – from ‘Â’ishah)

كُفِّنَ رسول اللَّهِ في ثَلَاثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ بِيضٍ سَحُولِيَّةٍ من كُرْسُفٍ ليس فيها قَمِيصٌ ولا عِمَامَةٌ.


427. White is preferable. The Prophet (SA) said:

a long shirt (meaning down to the middle of the leg or longer) or a turban. He should be wrapped with those sheets. If he is shrouded in a long shirt, izâr (the bottom piece that gets wrapped around the lower half) and a shroud, there is no harm. [For a Woman] The woman is shrouded with five cloths: a dress, a headcover (bigger than the normal headcover), an izâr, and two shrouds. 429

فِيْهَا قَمِيْصٌ وَلاَ عِمَامَةٌ، يُدْرَجُ فِيْهَا إِدْرَاجًا، وَإِنْ كُفِّنَ فِيْ قَمِيْصٍ وَإِزَارٍ وَلِفَافَةٍ، فَلاَ بَأْسَ. وَتُكَفَّنُ الْمَرْأَةُ فِيْ خَمْسَةِ أَثْوَابٍ: فِيْ دِرْعٍ وَمِقْنَعَةٍ وَإِزَارٍ وَلِفَافَتَيْنِ.

[Who Should Wash, Pray and Bury]

a. [For a man] The one most entitled to wash, pray for and bury him is the one whom he appointed in his will to do so (designee); then the father, and the grandfather, then the closest of kin (from the paternal side), and so on. b. [For a woman] The one most

أ‌) وَأَحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِغَسْلِهِ وَالصَّلاَةِ عَلَيْهِ وَدَفْنِهِ، وَصِيُّهُ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ، ثُمَّ الأَبُ، ثُمَّ الْجَدُّ، ثُمَّ الأَقْرَبُ فَالأَقْرَبُ، مِنَ الْعَصَبَاتِ. ب‌) وَأَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِغَسْلِ الْمَرْأَةِ: الأُمُّ، ثُمَّ الْجَدَّةُ، ثُمَّ الأَقْرَبُ فَالأَقْرَبُ مِنْ نِسَائِهَا.

“Wear white clothes, for these are your best clothes, and enshroud your dead in them.” (A, D, T – from Ibn ‘Abbâs. T:R)

الْبَسُوا من ثِيَابِكُمْ الْبَيَاضَ فَإِنَّهَا من خَيْر ثِيَابِكُمْ وَكَفِّنُوا فيها مَوْتَاكُمْ.


428. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“If one enshrouds his dead brother, let him make good his shrouds.” (M – from Jâbir)

إذا كَفَّنَ أحدكم أَخَاهُ فَلْيُحَسِّنْ كَفَنَهُ.


He also called for moderation, saying:

“Do not exaggerate regarding the shrouds, for they are taken away (worn out) soon.” (D – from ‘Ali. D:Auth)

لا تُغَالوا في الكَفن فإنه يُسْلَب سَلْبا سَرِيعًا.


429. That is what the Prophet (SA) gave them to shroud his daughter, Umm Kulthoom (RAH). (D. D: Auth)

entitled to wash her is the mother, then the grandmother, and then the closest of kin of the related women. c. However, the governor is given precedence in prayer over the father and those after him. 430

ت‌) إِلاَّ أَنَّ الأَمِيْرَ يُقَدَّمُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى الأَبِ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُ.

[Funeral Prayer ]

[Description]

The form of the prayer for the deceased is as follows: 431 He makes takbeer 432 and recites Soorat al-Fâtiḥah. 433

وَالصَّلاَةُ عَلَيْهِ: يُكَبِّرُ ثُمَّ يَقْرَأُ الْفَاتِحَةَ


430. (A) + (+M): The order is: the designee (waṣiy), the governor (wâli), the closest kin (wali).

(-H): The governor, imam, closest kin, designee.

(-S): The closest kin, the governor.


431. The funeral prayer is a communal obligation, and its reward is enormous; the Prophet (SA) said:

“Whoever follows a funeral procession and offers the prayer for the deceased will get one qeerâṭ (a measurement of gold) of reward; and whoever follows it and remains with it until the body is buried will get two qeerâṭs of reward, the least of which is equal in weight to Mount Uḥud.” (Ag – from Abu Hurayrah)

مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ ولم يَتْبَعْهَا فَلَهُ قِيرَاطٌ فَإِنْ تَبِعَهَا فَلَهُ قِيرَاطَانِ قِيلَ وما الْقِيرَاطَانِ قال أَصْغَرُهُمَا مِثْلُ أُحُدٍ.


432. If the deceased is a man, the imam stands by his chest according to (A), and by his head according to (S). Some contemporary Ḥanbalis agreed with (S) because Imam Aḥmad narrated that Anas offered the funeral prayer for a man, standing in line with his head, and then offered it for a woman, standing in line with her middle. He then said that this is how the Messenger of Allah (SA) used to stand.

Then he makes a second takbeer and sends blessings upon the Prophet (SA).

ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ وَيُصَلِّيْ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ .

Then he makes takbeer and says, “O Allah, forgive the living amongst us and the dead, the present and the absent, the young and the old, the male and female, for verily You know our return and abode, and You are the Most Capable over all things. O Allah, as regards whomever of us whose life You extend, make him live by Islam and the Sunnah; and he whom You cause to die, let him die on them. 434 --- O Allah, forgive him; and bestow mercy on him; and spare him all punishment; and pardon him; and make honorable his dwelling; and make spacious his entrance; and wash him with water, ice, and snow; and purify him from his sins as you purify the white garment from filth; and give him instead of his house a house better than it, and instead of his company one that is better than it, and a wife better than his; and admit him into paradise and protect him

ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ وَيَقُوْلُ: اللّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَميِّتِنَا، وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيْرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مُنْقَلَبَنَا وَمَثْوَانَا، وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ. اللّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا، فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا، فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَيِهِمَا. اللّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ، وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَأَوْسِعْ مَدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَجِوَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ


If the deceased is a woman, he stands by the middle of her body, with the head of the deceased always to his right.


433. Always recited to oneself, whether the prayer is during the day or at night.


434. Up to this point was reported by (D, T, N, Ma) and graded as sound by Ibn Ḥazm, Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eed, al-Albâni and others, although some, including Ibn Ḥajar, classified the reports as not sound. The second part is reported by (M). The supplications are not traceable to the time of prayer particularly, so they can be said inside and outside the prayer.

from the torment of the grave and that of the hellfire; and make spacious his grave, and make light therein.”

جِوَارِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، وَافْسَحْ لَهُ فِيْ قَبْرِهِ، وَنَوِّرْ لَهُ فِيْهِ.

Then he should make takbeer and make one tasleem to the right side. 435

ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ وَيُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيْمَةً وَاحِدَةً عَنْ يَمِيْنِهِ.

He should raise his hands with every takbeer. 436

وَيَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ مَعَ كُلِّ تَكْبِيْرَةٍ.

[Obligatory Parts]

The mandatory parts are: 437

وَالْوَاجِبُ مِنْ ذٰلِكَ.


435. This is the position of (A) + (+M). Aḥmad said that it was reported from 6 Companions. He also added that there was no traceable report to the Companions that they made 2 tasleems.


(-H, -S): Two tasleems are prescribed, as in all prayers. They also cited a report from Ibn Mas‘ood that one of the things the people abandoned after the Prophet (SA) was making tasleem in janâzah like that in the rest of the prayers. This, however, could also mean making the full statement, including wa raḥmatullâh.

Note that according to (A), the second tasleem is permissible (A/SM), so if the imam makes two tasleems, the followers should do two as well, according to Ibn Mufliḥ (in Furoo‘) and the majority. They likened this to following the imam in qunoot. Al-Mardâwi disagreed because according to all, the prayer ends after the first tasleem, so one does not need to follow the imam in making the second tasleem.


436. This is the position of (A) + (+S) in all four takbeers because it is proven that Ibn ‘Umar used to raise his hands. (B) Ad-Dâraquṭni narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (SA) did that, but the report is controversial.

(-H, -M): The hands are raised in the first takbeer only.

1) The takbeers 438 2) The recitation [of Soorat al-Fâtiḥah] 439 3) Sending blessings upon the Prophet (SA) 440 4) The least supplication for the

' التَّكْبِيْرَاتُ ١. .٢.وفَرَحِكَ عِنْدَ الظَّفَرِ بِه .٣.وقُعُودِكَ عَلى الْإِصْرَارِ عَ 1) . 2) وَالْقِرَاءَةُ. 3) وَالصَّلاَةُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ . 4) وَأَدْنَى دُعَاءٍ لِلْمَيِّتِ. 5) وَالسَّلاَمُ.


437. A sixth obligation not mentioned here is to pray it standing if it is the first janâzah prayer for the deceased. If prayed subsequently for the same individual, it may be done sitting, like any sunnah prayer, although standing is preferable.


438. “Allah’s Messenger (SA) offered the funeral prayers for the Najâshi (Negus) and made four takbeers.” (Ag – from Jâbir) Also, when Anas was reminded that he had made three takbeers, he faced the qibla and made a fourth one, and then he made another tasleem. (B – from Ḥumayd aṭ-Ṭaweel)


439. This is the position of (A) + (+S) because it is a prayer and because Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Awf said, “I offered the funeral prayer behind Ibn ‘Abbâs. He recited al-Fâtiḥah and said, ‘For them to know that it is Sunnah (the way of the Prophet [SA]).’” (B) However, Imam Mâlik narrated in al-Muwaṭṭa’ from Nâfi‘ that Ibn ‘Umar did not recite in the funeral prayer, so (-H, -M) do not recite al-Fâtiḥah.


Imam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fatâwâ al-Kubrâ, “The scholars differed concerning the recitation of Qur’an in the funeral prayer. There are three views. It was said that it was not mustaḥabb at all; this is the view of Abu Ḥaneefah and Mâlik. It was also said that it is obligatory to recite al-Fâtiḥah; this is the view of the followers of ash-Shâfi‘i and Aḥmad. And it was said that reciting it is sunnah, but saying du‘â’ without reciting is permissible, and this is the correct view.”


440. Ash-Shâfi‘i reported in his Musnad, from Abi Umâmah ibn Sahl ibn Ḥaneef, from one of the Companions, that the sunnah in the funeral prayer is that the imam makes takbeer; then recites al-Fâtiḥah to himself after the first takbeer; then sends blessings upon the Prophet (SA); prays for the deceased, with devotion, between the takbeers, without reciting [anything else] between them; then makes tasleem to himself. Hadith scholars differed on the authenticity of this report.