The traditional prayer of an Islamic funeral, the Janazah, is a moving and heartfelt way to remember and bless the deceased. Attending a funeral can be emotionally difficult, and this prayer allows you to find solidarity in the Muslim community. We’re here to show you all the steps of how to pray the Janazah in this comprehensive guide.

5

Recite the Surah al-Fatihah.

  1. The congregation then recites the first chapter of the Qu’ran. The imam will do this aloud, while you can recite this chapter in your head. Some imams may choose to recite an additional passage from the Qu’ran afterward—this isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s fairly common. Surah al-Fatihah goes as follows:[6]
    • “Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem Maaliki Yawmid-Deen Iyyaaka na'budu wa lyyaaka nasta'een Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem Siraatal-lazeena an'amta 'alaihim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alaihim wa lad-daaalleen”
    • Meaning: “In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise belongs to God, Lord of the Universe, the Beneficent, the Merciful and Master of the Day of Judgment. Lord, You alone We do worship and from You alone we do seek assistance. Lord, guide us to the right path, the path of those to whom You have granted blessings, those who are neither subject to Your anger nor have gone astray.”
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7

Recite the durood-e-Ibrahim.

  1. After the second takbir, it’s customary to pray for Muhammad (PBUH). Say this prayer out loud, along with the rest of the audience. The imam will lead you in prayer. These salutations to Muhammad and His family are the same as those you would offer during your daily prayers. Recite the following words:[8]
    • “Allahumma Salle ‘Alaa Muhammadinw Wa’Alaa Aali Muhammadin Kamaa Sallaeta ‘Alaa Ibraaheema Wa’Alaa Aaali Ibraaheema Innaka Hameedum Majeed. Allahumma Baarik ‘Alaa Muhammadinw Wa’Alaa Aali Muhammadin Kamaa Baarakta ‘Alaa Ibraaheema Wa’Alaa Aaali Ibraaheema Innaka Hameedum Majeed”
    • Meaning: “O Allah, send peace on Prophet Muhammad and to the family of Prophet Muhammad as you sent peace on Prophet Ibrahim and the family of Prophet Ibrahim. Indeed, you are praiseworthy and glorious. O Allah, bless the Prophet Muhammad and the family of Prophet Muhammad as you blessed Prophet Ibrahim and the family of Prophet Ibrahim. Indeed, you are praiseworthy and glorious.”
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9

Perform a dua for the dead.

  1. The dua is your opportunity to personally pray for the deceased. After the third takbir, you can take some time to pray to Allah in your head in whatever language feels most comfortable to you. This prayer can a personal one where you express your heartfelt wishes for the deceased to find peace. However, if you want to use a traditional dua, this one is particularly well-known:[10]
    • “Allaahum-maghfir lihayyinaa, wa mayyitinaa, wa shaahidinaa, wa ghaa’ibinaa, wa sagheerinaa wa kabeerinaa, wa thakarinaa wa ‘unthaanaa. Allaahumma man ‘ahyaytahu minnaa fa’ahyihi ‘alal-‘Islaami, wa man tawaffaytahu minnaa fatawaffahu ‘alal-‘eemaani, Allaahumma laa tahrimnaa ‘ajrahu wa laa tudhillanaa ba’dahu​.”
    • Meaning: “O Allah! Forgive our living and our dead, those who are with us and those who are absent, our young and our old, our men and our women. O Allah, whoever you give life from among us, give him life in Islam, and whomever you take away from us, take him away in Faith. O Allah, do not forbid us their reward and do not send us astray after them.”
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About This Article

Nihal Shetty
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nihal Shetty. Nihal Shetty is a Writer and Editing Fellow at wikiHow who splits his time between Michigan and Mexico City. Before his role at wikiHow, he was an instructor of Russian literature at the University of California, Berkeley. Nihal received a BA in Comparative Literature from Columbia University and an MA in Russian at Berkeley. This article has been viewed 124,809 times.
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Co-authors: 3
Updated: October 1, 2022
Views: 124,809
Categories: Prayer
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