Funeral (Janazah)

Stay calm and be kind to the dying person. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Prompt your dying to say La ilaha illa Allah” (Muslim) — gently, by reminding, not by forcing. When the person passes, close the eyes, pray for them, and cover the body. Say what Allah loves in hardship. The Prophet ﷺ taught the Dua below, and whoever says it, Allah replaces the loss with something better (Muslim). Tears and grief are natural; wailing and tearing clothes are forbidden.

It is a communal duty (fard kifayah) on the Muslims: if enough people do it, the rest are free of blame, and if no one does, all are answerable. Hasten with it: “Hasten with the funeral” (Bukhari and Muslim).

• Washing the body (Ghusl).
• Shrouding it (Kafan).
• Praying the funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah).
• Burying it.

The body is washed by trustworthy Muslims of the same sex (a spouse may wash a spouse). The Prophet ﷺ taught the women washing his daughter (Bukhari and Muslim):

• Cover the private parts and wash them without looking or touching directly.
• Do a Wudu for the deceased, then wash the head, then the right side, then the left.
• Wash three times, or five or more if needed, ending with camphor in the last wash.
• Dry the body and treat it gently: its dignity is like that of the living.
• A martyr killed in battle is not washed or prayed over in the same way; he is buried in his clothes.

The deceased is wrapped in clean white cloth. The Prophet ﷺ was shrouded in three white cotton sheets (Bukhari and Muslim), which is the Sunnah for a man; for a woman, scholars allow additional pieces such as a headscarf and lower wrap. The shroud should be simple and modest, not costly: the Prophet ﷺ encouraged modesty in it. Wrap the right side over the left and tie the ends, untying them at the grave.

It is prayed standing, in congregation if possible, with no bowing or prostration, and with four Takbirs. The body is placed in front of the imam. The reward is great: whoever prays over the deceased earns one Qirat, and whoever also follows to the burial earns two Qirats, each like a great mountain (Bukhari and Muslim). When forty believers who associate nothing with Allah pray for the deceased, Allah accepts their intercession (Muslim). The sequence widely taught:

• Make the intention in the heart. First Takbir, then recite Surah Al-Fatihah.
• Second Takbir, then send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ (the same as in the last sitting of the prayer).
• Third Takbir, then make Dua for the deceased (see below) and for all Muslims.
• Fourth Takbir, pause briefly, then say the Salam to the right (some also to the left).
• Schools differ slightly in wording and in whether the Fatihah is read; follow your local imam.

Bury without delay, in a grave dug deep enough to protect the body, with the deceased laid on the right side facing the Qibla. Men lower the body, saying “Bismillah wa 'ala millati Rasulillah” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi). Then each may throw handfuls of soil, and the grave is filled. The Prophet ﷺ forbade plastering, building over or writing on graves (Muslim): they stay simple and level with the ground. After burial, the Prophet ﷺ used to stand and say: “Ask forgiveness for your brother, and ask for him steadfastness, for he is now being questioned” (Abu Dawud).

Comforting the bereaved is a Sunnah with great reward. The Prophet ﷺ said to a grieving daughter: “To Allah belongs what He took, and to Him belongs what He gave, and everything has an appointed time with Him. So be patient and seek reward” (Bukhari and Muslim). When his son Ibrahim died he ﷺ wept and said: “The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, and we say only what pleases our Lord” (Bukhari and Muslim). Prepare food for the family, as he ﷺ said when Ja'far died (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

• Mourning is three days, except a widow who observes four months and ten days (2:234).
• Wailing, slapping the cheeks and tearing clothes are forbidden; quiet tears and sadness are natural.
• Do not hold a lavish feast for the mourners; the neighbours feed the family, not the reverse.
• Debts of the deceased are settled from the estate as soon as possible.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Visit the graves, for they remind you of the Hereafter” (Muslim). Visit to remember death, greet the deceased, and pray for them. Do not ask the dead for help, do not pray toward the grave or make vows there, and do not wail: all of that is forbidden. Say the following greeting when visiting:

The Prophet ﷺ said: “When a person dies, his deeds end except three: ongoing charity, knowledge that benefits, and a righteous child who prays for him” (Muslim). Also benefiting the deceased, by the Quran and Sunnah:

• Dua and asking forgiveness for him, especially from his children and loved ones.
• Charity given on his behalf (Bukhari and Muslim).
• Fasting missed obligatory days and performing Hajj on his behalf, by a relative (Bukhari and Muslim).
• Paying off his debts, since the soul stays bound to them (Tirmidhi).
• The prayers of the many who pray over him.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “It is not right for a Muslim who has something to leave to spend two nights without his will written down with him” (Bukhari and Muslim). A will may cover up to one third of the estate, for non-heirs (Bukhari and Muslim, the Hadith of Sa'd). The estate is then divided in this order: funeral costs, debts, the will (up to a third), and then the inheritance shares fixed by Allah in Surah An-Nisa (4:11-12). Do not delay: ask a knowledgeable person or a trusted local authority to divide the shares correctly.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Remember often the destroyer of pleasures — death” (Tirmidhi, Nasa'i). Remembering death softens the heart, curbs sin, and turns us to good deeds. Repent, pay what you owe, forgive others, write your will, and keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah. He ﷺ also said: “Whoever's last words are La ilaha illa Allah will enter Paradise” (Abu Dawud). Ask Allah for a good ending.