How to pray janazah, the funeral prayer
The janazah prayer is four takbirs, prayed standing. Follow it one takbir at a time, with the dua for an adult, a boy or a girl.
The deceased is placed in front, facing the qibla side. The imam stands level with the chest of the deceased, man or woman. Form rows behind him, ideally three or more. There is no ruku, no sajdah and no sitting: the whole prayer is standing.
Intend in your heart to pray the janazah prayer for Allah, as a dua for this deceased person, following the imam. Wudu and facing the qibla are required, as for any prayer.
Say Allahu akbar with the imam, raising your hands to the ears, then fold them. This is the only takbir with raised hands in the Hanafi school. Then say the thana quietly:
اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu akbar
Allah is the Greatest.
سُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالٰى جَدُّكَ وَجَلَّ ثَنَاؤُكَ وَلَا إِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ
Subḥānakallāhumma wa biḥamdika wa tabārakasmuka wa taʿālā jadduka wa jalla thanāʾuka wa lā ilāha ghayruk
Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, great is Your praise, and there is no god but You.
The thana, with "wa jalla thanauk" added for the janazah, as in the Hanafi manuals (Nur al-Idah).
Raise your hands and say Allahu akbar, then seek refuge and recite Al-Fatiha quietly. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools raise the hands at every takbir.
أَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰنِ الرَّجِيْمِ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Aʿūdhu billāhi minash-shayṭānir-rajīm. Bismillāhir-raḥmānir-raḥīm
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Quran 16:98; the basmalah begins every surah.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿١﴾ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٢﴾ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿٣﴾ مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿٤﴾ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴿٥﴾ ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿٦﴾ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ﴿٧﴾
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem Maaliki Yawmid-Deen Iyyaaka na'budu wa Iyyaaka nasta'een Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem Siraatal-lazeena an'amta 'alaihim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alaihim wa lad-daaalleen
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds - The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. It is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
Quran 1:1-7 (Surah Al-Fatiha), translation by Sahih International.
Say Allahu akbar without raising your hands (Hanafi), and recite the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, as in the prayer:
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰى اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلٰى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى اٰلِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ، اَللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰى اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلٰى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى اٰلِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka ḥamīdum majīd. Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka ḥamīdum majīd
O Allah, send prayers on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3370, from Kab ibn Ujrah.
Say Allahu akbar and make dua for the deceased. This is the heart of the prayer. Say this dua for an adult man or woman:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ
Allāhummaghfir li-ḥayyinā wa mayyitinā wa shāhidinā wa ghāʾibinā wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā wa dhakarinā wa unthānā. Allāhumma man aḥyaytahū minnā fa-aḥyihī ʿalal-islām, wa man tawaffaytahū minnā fa-tawaffahū ʿalal-īmān
O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our men and our women. O Allah, whoever of us You keep alive, keep him alive in Islam, and whoever of us You take, take him in faith.
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1024, graded hasan sahih by Tirmidhi; also Sunan Abi Dawud 3201. This is the dua in the Hanafi manuals.
For a child who died before puberty, say instead the dua for a boy or a girl:
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لَنَا فَرَطًا، وَاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا أَجْرًا وَذُخْرًا، وَاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا شَافِعًا وَمُشَفَّعًا
Allāhummajʿalhu lanā faraṭā, wajʿalhu lanā ajran wa dhukhrā, wajʿalhu lanā shāfiʿan wa mushaffaʿā
O Allah, make him go ahead of us to prepare our way, make him a reward and a treasure for us, and make him one who intercedes for us and whose intercession is accepted.
For a boy. The wording of the Hanafi manuals (al-Hidayah, Nur al-Idah). Al-Bukhari reports a similar dua from al-Hasan al-Basri, without a full chain, in the chapter on Al-Fatiha over the janazah.
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهَا لَنَا فَرَطًا، وَاجْعَلْهَا لَنَا أَجْرًا وَذُخْرًا، وَاجْعَلْهَا لَنَا شَافِعَةً وَمُشَفَّعَةً
Allāhummajʿalhā lanā faraṭā, wajʿalhā lanā ajran wa dhukhrā, wajʿalhā lanā shāfiʿatan wa mushaffaʿah
O Allah, make her go ahead of us to prepare our way, make her a reward and a treasure for us, and make her one who intercedes for us and whose intercession is accepted.
For a girl. The same dua in the feminine, from the Hanafi manuals.
You may add this dua the Prophet ﷺ made at a janazah, or any sincere dua in your own words:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلاً خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ أَوْ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ
Allāhummaghfir lahū warḥamhu wa ʿāfihī waʿfu ʿanh, wa akrim nuzulah, wa wassiʿ mudkhalah, waghsilhu bil-māʾi wath-thalji wal-barad, wa naqqihī minal-khaṭāyā kamā naqqaytath-thawbal-abyaḍa minad-danas, wa abdilhu dāran khayran min dārih, wa ahlan khayran min ahlih, wa zawjan khayran min zawjih, wa adkhilhul-jannah, wa aʿidhhu min ʿadhābil-qabri aw min ʿadhābin-nār
O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, keep him safe and pardon him. Honour his arrival and widen his entrance. Wash him with water, snow and hail, and cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Give him a home better than his home, a family better than his family and a spouse better than his spouse. Admit him to Paradise and protect him from the punishment of the grave, or he said, of the Fire.
Sahih Muslim 963, from Awf ibn Malik. For a woman, say lahā and -hā in place of lahū and -hu.
Say Allahu akbar, then without any dua give salam to the right and to the left, quietly, with the imam. The prayer is complete. Leave your hands at your sides after the salam.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami at-Tirmidhi, from Ibn Masud.
Say Allahu akbar, pause with a short dua, then give salam. The Hanbali school gives one salam to the right; the Shafi'i school gives two.
اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلاَ تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ
Allāhumma lā taḥrimnā ajrahū wa lā tuḍillanā baʿdah
O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him.
Sunan Abi Dawud 3201, from Abu Hurayrah. Graded sahih by al-Albani.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami at-Tirmidhi, from Ibn Masud.
- Ruling
- Fard kifayah: if some pray it, the rest are free
- Takbirs
- Four
- Positions
- Standing only: no ruku, no sajdah
- Hands
- Raised at the first takbir only (Hanafi)
The method shown first is the Hanafi one. Where the other madhhabs differ, the guide below explains how. Use the arrow keys to move between steps.
Guide
The janazah prayer, what to say and when
The janazah prayer is four takbirs, all standing. In the Hanafi school you say the thana after the first, the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ after the second, a dua for the deceased after the third, and the salam after the fourth. The Prophet ﷺ prayed over the Negus, the king of Abyssinia, with four takbirs.1
The janazah prayer at a glance
| Takbir | Hanafi | Shafi'i and Hanbali |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Thana | Al-Fatiha |
| 2nd | Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ | Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ |
| 3rd | Dua for the deceased | Dua for the deceased |
| 4th | Salam both sides | Short dua, then salam |
The janazah prayer is fard kifayah: if some Muslims pray it, the obligation is lifted from the rest. Al-Fatiha is not recited as a recitation; the thana is said instead. The hands are raised only at the first takbir. It is not prayed over an absent body (salat al-ghaib), and it is disliked inside the masjid in the main Hanafi view, unless there is a need.2
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Al-Fatiha after the first takbir is a pillar. The hands are raised at every takbir. The prayer over an absent person (salat al-ghaib) is allowed, following the prayer over the Negus. Praying in the masjid is fine.
- Maliki
- No Al-Fatiha; dua after every takbir. The hands are raised at the first takbir in the well-known view. One salam. Absent janazah is not prayed.
- Hanbali
- Al-Fatiha after the first takbir is a pillar. The hands are raised at every takbir. One salam to the right. The absent janazah is allowed.
If you join late
If the imam has already said some takbirs, wait for his next takbir and say it with him. After his salam, say the takbirs you missed, one after the other, before the body is lifted, then give salam. In the Hanafi school you do not need to recite the duas for the missed takbirs if the body is about to be carried away.
Who prays and who leads
- Every Muslim is prayed over, including a child, and a baby who was born alive.
- The ruler or his deputy has the first right to lead, then the imam of the area, then the closest male relative.
- Women may join the prayer. The Hanafi school does not ask them to follow the body to the graveyard.
- It is recommended to form at least three rows. A hadith of Malik ibn Hubayrah in Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi says three rows of Muslims praying over someone is a cause of forgiveness; Tirmidhi graded it hasan, and others graded it weak.
For duas to make for the deceased afterwards, see dua for the deceased.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1245 and 1333; Sahih Muslim 951.
- Al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah, Fasl fi al-Salat ala al-Mayyit; Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know
What do you say in the janazah prayer?
In the Hanafi school: the thana after the first takbir, the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ after the second, a dua for the deceased after the third, and the salam after the fourth.
How many takbirs are in the janazah prayer?
Four, in all four madhhabs.
Is janazah prayer fard?
It is fard kifayah, a communal obligation. If some Muslims pray it, the rest are not sinful, but they miss a great reward: the Prophet ﷺ said whoever attends until the prayer has a qirat of reward, and until the burial two qirats, each like a great mountain (Sahih al-Bukhari 1325).
Do you recite Al-Fatiha in janazah?
Not as a recitation in the Hanafi school, which says the thana instead. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools recite Al-Fatiha after the first takbir.
What is the dua for a child in janazah?
Allahummajalhu lana faratan, wajalhu lana ajran wa dhukhran, wajalhu lana shafian wa mushaffaa for a boy, and the same in the feminine for a girl.
Can women pray janazah?
Yes. Women may join the janazah prayer, and it counts for them as for men.