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occasional

How to pray Janazah

The funeral prayer — a communal obligation (fard kifayah). Four takbirs, no ruku, no sujud. Prayed standing.

When: After the deceased has been washed and shrouded. Prayed before burial.

Steps

  1. First takbir & Al-Fatihah

    Face the qibla with the deceased in front. First takbir. Recite Surah Al-Fatihah silently.

  2. Second takbir & salawat

    Second takbir. Recite the Ibrahimiyya salawat (as in the tashahhud).

  3. Third takbir & du'a for the deceased

    Third takbir. Recite: 'Allāhummagh-fir lahu warḥamhu, waʿāfihi waʿfu ʿanhu...' — a du'a specifically for the deceased. If the person was a child, add a du'a for their parents.

  4. Fourth takbir & salam

    Fourth takbir. Pause briefly. Then a single salam to the right (some also salam to the left).

Notes

  • The reward for attending a Janazah is one qirat, and following it to the burial is another qirat — each qirat is like the mountain of Uhud (Sahih al-Bukhari 1325).
  • This is a fard kifayah — if some Muslims perform it, the obligation is lifted from the rest.