Fiqh As-Sunnah
Death

Main Requirements of the Funeral Prayer:
Certain requirements must be met for a valid funeral prayer, and failure to meet any of these may invalidate the prayer. These requirements are given below:

 1. Intention
The real intention is what is in the heart, and its verbal utterance is not legally required. Allah says in the Qur'an: "And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true in (faith)." Qur'an 98.5 And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Verily, all deeds (of a person) will be judged in the light of the intentions behind them, and every person will attain what he intends."

 2. Standing Prayer
The majority of scholars regard it as an essential condition for a valid funeral prayer to stand while praying if one is physically able to do so. A funeral prayer offered while sitting or riding, without any valid excuse, is not valid.

 It is reported in Al-Mughni "It is not permissible for one to offer a funeral prayer while riding, as in this case an essential condition - standing while praying - would be missing." This is the opinion of Abu Hanifah, Ash-Shafi'i, and Abu Thaur. There is no difference on this point. It is preferable to put one's hands together, placing the right on the left, as is done in the prescribed regular prayer. Some disagree, but in our view it is better and preferable.

 3. Loud Recitation of Four Takbirs
This is based on a report transmitted by both Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Jabir who said: "Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, offered funeral prayers for Najashi (Negus) and said four takbirs. (That is, he said Allahu akbar four times)

 Tirmidhi said: Most of the learned Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and others followed and acted in accordance with the above example of the Prophet. They hold that four takbirs should be said in a funeral prayer. Among these scholars are Sufyan, Malik, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq.

Raising of One's Hands During the Takbirs:
It is sunnah to raise one's hands while uttering the first takbir. There is nothing related from the Prophet, peace be upon him, to show that he raised his hands in funeral prayer except for the first takbir. Ash-Shawkani mentions various opinions about takbirs and the arguments for them and says: "In short nothing except the first takhir is reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him. The acts and sayings of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah bless them) by themselves do not constitute a conclusive argument. Therefore one should raise one's hands only on saying the first lakhir. For the rest of the (three) takbirs no such instruction is available, except when one changes from one posture to another as in the regular prayer. There is no such change of posture required in the funeral prayer, so there is no need for raising hands in other than the first "takbir".

Reciting "Al-Fatihah" and Salutations to the Prophet :
(Abu Hanifah and Malik regard these as two essential requisites of funeral prayer) Ash-Shafi'i has in his Musnad narrated from Abu Umamah ibn Sahl that one of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) told him that when offering a (funeral) prayer it is sunnah for the imam to say aloud Allahu Akbar (first opening takbir), then to recite al-Fatihah silently in his heart, and then send salutations to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and then pray for forgiveness of the deceased. Nothing else is to be recited in between takbirs. Finally, he should end his prayer with salutations in his heart. (According to the majority of scholars, reciting al-fatihah, sending blessings upon the Prophet, supplicating for the deceased, and salutations are sunnah. In the case of the imam, however, it is sunnah to utter the takbir and salutations aloud in order to communicate with those praying with him) The author of Al-Fath says: "The chain of narrators of this hadith is sound."

 Bukhari reported from Talha ibn Abdullah that he said: "I offered a funeral prayer that was led by Ibn Abbas. He recited Al-Fatihah and said: 'This is a sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him."' Tirmidhi also reported this and remarked that this has been the practice of some of the learned among the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them). Others prefer to recite Al-Fatihah after the first takbir. This is the opinion of Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. Some others hold that Al-Fatihah is not to be recited in a funeral prayer. The funeral prayer should consist of praise for Allah (thana), blessings (salawat) upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, and a prayer (du'a) for forgiveness of the deceased. This is the opinion of Al-Thawri and other scholars of Kufah. Those who hold the recitation of al-Fatihah in a funeral prayer obligatory argue that the Prophet, peace be upon him, called it a prayer (salat) when he said: "Offer prayer (sallu) for your deceased friend." And as no prayer can be complete without al-Fatihah, for the Prophet, peace be upon him, also told us "no prayer is valid unless al-Fatihall is recited in it."

Invoking Blessings Upon Allah's Prophet:
Prayer for peace and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, may be said in any form. If someone were to say: "O Allah, bless Muhammad," it should suffice. It is better, however, to use the prayers transmitted through tradition, like the following:

 (Allahumma Salli 'ala-Muhammad wa'ala ali Muhammad kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim wa barik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad kama barakta' ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim innaka hamidun Majid)." "O Allah! Grant peace to Muhammad and his family as you did to Ibrahim and his family. O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his family as you blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly You are Most Glorious and Most Praiseworthy.'

 This should be said after the second takbir, as is obvious, though there is nothing specifically reported in this regard as to its precise place in the funeral prayer.

Supplication for the Deceased:
This is a basic element of funeral prayer according to the consensus of juristic opinion. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When you offer a funeral prayer for a deceased person, pray sincerely for him to Allah." This is reported by Abu Daw'ud, Al-Baihaqi and Ibn Hibban, who said it is a sound hadith.

 For this purpose any supplication, even a brief one, may be used. It is recommended, however, to use one of the following supplications reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him:

 1. Abu Hurairah said: The Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed in one of the funeral prayers: Allahumma anta Rubbuha wa ant khalaqtaha wa anta razaqtaha wa ant hadaytaha lil lslam wa anta qabadata ruha-ha wa anta alamu bisirriha wa 'alaniyatiha. Ji'nashuf'ala-hafaghfir laha zanbaha "Oh Allah ! You are her Sustainer, You are her Creator, You provided her with sustenance, guided her to Islam, caused her to die, and You best know her secret and public life. We plead to You on her behalf to forgive her sins."

 2. Wa'ilah ibn al-Asqa reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, led us in a funeral prayer for a man from among the Muslims. I heard him saying: Allahumma inna fulana ibna fulan fi dhimatika wa habla jawaraka, fa-qihu min fitnatal qabri wa adhabin nar wa anta ahlal wafa' wal haq, allahumma faghfirlahu war-rahmhufa innaka antal ghafurur Raheem. 'O Allah! So-and-so, son of so-and-so, is under Your protection and mercy, so protect him from the trial of the grave and the torture of Hell Fire. You are the guardianofthetruthful and thefaithful. OAllah! Forgivehimandbemerciful to him, as You are the Most Merciful, Most Forgiving'." Narrated by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud.

 3. ' Awf ibn Malik reported: "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, while offering a funeral prayer, say: Allahumma-ghfir lahu war-rhamhu wa'fu anhu wa 'afahu wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi' mudkhalahu waghsilhu bi-ma' ind wa thalj wa barad wa naqi minal khataya kama yunaqi athaubudanas minad danas wa abdilhu daran khairan min darihi wa ahlan khairan min ahlihi wa zaujan khairan min zaujihi wa qih fitnatal qabr wa adhaban nar. 'O Allah! Forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him, heal him, be generous to him, cause his entrance to be wide and comfortable, wash him with the most pure and clean water, and purify him from sins as a white garment is washed clean of dirt. Give him in exchange a home better than his home (on earth) and a family better than his family, and a wife better than his wife, and protect him from the trial of the grave and the torture of Hell Fire'." This is narrated by Muslim.

 4. It is reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered a funeral prayer and said: Allahummaghfir lihayatina wa mayatina wa saghirina wa kahirina wa dhakirina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyatahu minna fa-ahyahu 'alal Islam wa man tawafthu minna fa-tawafthu 'ala iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tudalana ba'dahu. "O Allah! Forgive our living, our dead, our young, our old, our males and our females, those of us who are present, and those who are absent. O Allah! Whomsoever among us You keep to live, make him to live in Islam, and whomsoever You cause to die, let him die in faith. O Allah! Do not deprive us of our reward for (supplicating for) him, and cause us not to go astray after him." This is narrated by Ahmad and the other Sunan books. (Authentic canonical collections of hadith)

 If the deceased is a child, then it is desirable to pray: Allahumma 'ij'alhu lana salafan wa dhukhran. "O Allah! Make him our forerunner and make him (a means of) reward for us and a treasure." Bukhari and Al-Baihaqi report it from Al-Hasan. Nawawi said: "If the deceased is a child, a boy or a girl, one should say what is reported in the hadith, namely, "O Allah! Forgive our living, our dead, . . . ," and add the words: Allahumma 'ij'alhu faratan li-abwaihi wa salafan wa dhukhran wa izatan wa i'tibaran wa shafi'an wa thaqil bihi mawazlnahumma wa afrlghas sabra 'ala qulubihima wa la taftinhumma ba'dahu wa la tuharim-humma ajrahu. "O Allah, make him (or her) for hisparents a forerunner, a treasure and an admonition, an honor, an intercessor, and cause him (or her) to make their scales of good deeds heavier (on the Day of Judgement). O Allah! Grant them patience, and O Allah! Do not put them to trial after him (or her) nor deprive them of his (or her) reward."

Timing of Supplications:
Ash-Shawkani said: There are no fixed times for these prayers. One may use any of these after all the takbirs, or after the first or second or third takbir, or divide it between each two takbirs, or say any of these prayers in between each two takbirs in the light of the practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him. It is also said that supplications should be done in the words given in the above reported hadith for both male or female dead persons.

Supplications after the fourth takbir:
It is preferred to supplicate for the deceased after the fourth takbir, even though the supplicant rnay have done so after the third takbir.