Janāzah

It is sunnah to direct the person on his deathbed (muhtadar) toward the qiblah, such that he faces it while on his right side. It is permissible, however, to do so while he is lying on his back [with his feet directed toward the qiblah], yet his head should be [slightly] raised with something.

Then the shahādah should be recited in his presence, so that he may pronounce it. This is referred to as talqīn, and it is also performed after his burial. When the person dies, his jaws should be closed and fastened, and his eyes should be shut. The one closing his eyes should say:

“In the Name of Allāh, and on the way of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. O Allāh, make his affair smooth for him; ease for him that which is to follow; make him felicitous by his meeting You; and make that which he has gone off to better than that which he has left.”

Next, his nakedness (‘awra) should be covered. The rest of his clothes are then removed, and he is given wuḍū’ except for the rinsing of the mouth and nose. Then the entire body will be washed [a ghusl of ideally three complete washes to fulfill the sunnah] with water and, if possible, lotus-tree leaves (sidr) or the like [otherwise, warm water alone suffices]. [Before the ghusl, however,] his beard and hair are washed with mallow leaves (khitmī) or [any type of] soap. [Next, when actually performing the ghusl,] the body is washed from its right side first, followed by the left [thus comprising the first two washes]. He is then made to sit up, and his abdomen is gently wiped [to remove any of its contents]. Thereafter, pure water is poured over his body [for the third and final wash of the ghusl]. The body is then dried with a cloth. His hair should not be combed, and his nails should not be trimmed. The funeral shrouds should be perfumed with incense an odd number of times and then wrapped around the body. A mixture of fragrant substances (hanūt) is placed on his hair and beard, and camphor on his feet, knees, hands, forehead, and nose [i.e., the limbs upon which he would prostrate, so as to honor them].

The man’s funeral shrouds according to the sunnah (kafan al-sunnah) consist of a long shirt (qamīs), an inner shroud (izār), and an outer shroud (lifāfa), [all preferably taken] from [the quality or standard of] that which he would wear in his life [for the Friday or Eid prayers]. Shrouds made from white cotton are most preferred. Both the inner and outer shrouds should cover the body from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet. The long shirt should not have any sleeves, gore, or opening at the neck, and its ends should not be hemmed.

It is disliked to place a turban on the head [of the deceased].

The inner shroud is wrapped [first] from the left side, then from the right side. If it is feared that the shrouds will open up [e.g., if the burial site is far], they should be tied.

The inner and outer shrouds [alone] are sufficient [to fulfill the obligation for a man] (kafan al-kifāyah).

To fulfill the summa for a woman’s shrouds (kafan al-sunnah), the face should also be wrapped in a head covering (khimār), and her breasts should be tied with a separate clothe (khirqa).

For the minimally sufficient shroud (kafan al-kifāyah) for a woman, the head covering is enough [in addition to the two main shrouds].

Her hair is tied into two braids, which are placed on her chest above the long shirt; then the head covering above it yet underneath the outer shroud; and lastly, the extra cloth for her breasts over the outer shroud.

The bare minimum shrouds (kafan al-darūrah) [for either gender] is based on whatever is available.

The funeral prayer (Janāzah) is a communal obligation (farḍ kifāyah).

It is performed by saying [in one’s heart], “I intend to pray for the sake of Allāh, the Most High, and to supplicate for the deceased.” The follower should additionally intend to pray behind the imām.

One then says the first takbīr [to commence the prayer] and recites the opening supplication (thanā’), although it is permissible to recite the Fātiḥah. He then makes the second takbīr, after which he sends blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ. Next, he makes the third takbīr and says:

“O Allāh, forgive him and have mercy on him. Give him well-being, and pardon him. Honor his place of residence, and make his entrance expansive. Wash him with water, ice, and snow. Purify him from sins just as a white garment is purified from filth. Replace his abode with a better one, his family with a better one, and his spouse with a better one. Enter him into Paradise, and save him from the punishment of the grave and that of the Fire.”

He then says the fourth takbīr, followed by the closing [two] salāms.

One does not seek forgiveness [in the Janāzah prayer] for a deceased child or insane person [as neither bears legal responsibility]; rather, one says:

“O Allāh. make him one who is sent forth on our behalf, as well as a reward and a stored treasure for us. Make him an intercessor for us, and accept his intercession.

If the deceased is buried without a funeral prayer, then it is to be performed over his grave, unless the body has disintegrated [which is known by estimation].

The funeral prayer is performed over a miscarried fetus (siqt) if most of it came out while it was alive before dying. Otherwise, the fetus is washed, wrapped in a cloth, and buried without a funeral prayer.

The most deserving of leading the funeral prayer is the head of state, followed by his representative, the judge, the local imām, and finally the guardian (walī).

The funeral prayer is not performed over rebels or highway brigands.

It is permissible to wash and bury a non-Muslim relative without having to adhere to the sunnah way of doing so; alternatively, the body may be given to the people of his religion.

One funeral prayer may be performed over an entire group of deceased, yet a separate prayer for each individual body is more preferable.

When carrying the bier, it is recommended to [first] place the front right side then the back right side on the right shoulder, followed by the front left side then the back left side on the left shoulder.

It is recommended to move fast when carrying the body, yet not so fast as to cause it to wobble. It is more preferable to walk behind the procession than in front of it. It is disliked to raise one’s voice with dhikr or the like, as well as to sit down before the body is lowered into the grave.

The grave is dug the length of at least half a body’s length into the ground; it is dug in an L-shape (lahd) [with the niche facing the qiblah], rather than straight down (shaqq), except in soft earth.

The one lowering the body [into the ground, within the niche] says: “In the Name of Allāh, and on the way of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.”

The body is directed toward the qiblah while on its right side [according to the sunnah]; the knots of the shrouds are untied; and unbaked bricks are laid against it [i.e., against the niche, thereby sealing it off within the grave].

The grave of a woman, not that of a man, is covered before her body is placed in it.

Dirt is poured into the grave, and then rounded on its top [with an elevation of a hand’s span or a bit more, to resemble the hump of a camel].

It is prohibited to build a structure over the grave for the sake of decoration.

If there is a legitimate necessity, it is permissible to bury multiple bodies in one grave; in that case, sand and dirt are used to make a barrier between each [body].

It is not permissible to transfer the corpse after its burial [once the grave has been filled with dirt], unless the land turns out to have been confiscated.

It is recommended to visit graves and to recite Sūrah Yasīn, even if sitting next to them, due to that which has been narrated, namely: “Whoever visits graves and recites Sūrah Yasīn, then on that day Allāh will lighten [the punishment] for them, and he [the reciter] will have as many good deeds as there are deceased in that graveyard.” [Kitāb al-Sunan]

It is disliked to sit at graves for other than reciting Qur’ān [or making dhikr; to step on them; or to pluck out moist grass from the graveyard.