The Janazah prayer
A step-by-step guide to Ṣalāt al-Janāzah — the four-takbir funeral prayer offered for a deceased Muslim before burial.
What is Salat al-Janazah?
Ṣalāt al-Janāzah is a short standing prayer offered for a deceased Muslim before burial. It is a farḍ kifāyah — a communal obligation: if enough Muslims of the community perform it, the obligation is lifted from the rest; if none do, all are sinful. It consists of four takbirs, recitations between them, and a tasleem. There is no rukūʿ or sujūd.
The purpose is twofold: to intercede for the deceased through duʿāʾ, and to fulfil the right of one Muslim upon another.
Conditions
- Being in a state of wudu (ritual purity)
- Body, clothes and place are clean (tahara)
- Covering the ʿawrah with modest clothing
- Facing the Qibla, standing behind the imam
- The body of the deceased (mayyit) is present, washed and shrouded, placed in front of the imam
- Making the intention in the heart for Salat al-Janazah
Etiquette & rulings
- Salat al-Janazah is farḍ kifāyah — a communal obligation. If some Muslims perform it, the obligation is lifted from the rest.
- It is prayed standing — there is no rukūʿ, no sujūd and no sitting.
- The prayer consists of four takbīrāt with recitations between them, ended with the tasleem.
- Hands are raised at every takbir according to the Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī schools; the Ḥanafī school raises them only at the first.
- For a man, the imam stands level with the head of the deceased; for a woman, level with the middle of the body.
- Rows should be odd in number (three, five, seven) — the more people, the greater the intercession.
Step by step
Intention (Niyyah) & standing
Stand facing the Qibla behind the imam, in rows. The body of the deceased is placed in front of the imam. Make the intention in your heart: to pray four takbirs of Salat al-Janazah for this deceased Muslim, as farḍ kifāyah.
Note: The intention is silent — held in the heart, never spoken aloud.
First Takbir — recite Al-Fatiha
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu Akbar
Raise both hands to the ears (or shoulders), say the takbir and place the right hand over the left on the chest. Recite Ta'awwudh, Bismillah and Sūrah Al-Fātiḥa silently. A short surah may be added but is not required.
Second Takbir — Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd.
"O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and his family — indeed You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious."
Say the second takbir (raising hands where the madhhab does so) and recite the Ibrāhīmiyya salawat silently — the same salawat recited in the final sitting of every prayer.
Third Takbir — dua for the deceased
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ
Allāhumma-ghfir lahu wa-rḥamhu wa ʿāfihi wa-ʿfu ʿanh, wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassiʿ mudkhalah, wa-ghsilhu bi-l-mā'i wa-th-thalji wa-l-barad, wa naqqihi mina-l-khaṭāyā kamā yunaqqā-th-thawbu-l-abyaḍu mina-d-danas, wa abdilhu dāran khayran min dārih, wa ahlan khayran min ahlih, wa zawjan khayran min zawjih, wa adkhilhu-l-jannah, wa aʿidhhu min ʿadhābi-l-qabri wa ʿadhābi-n-nār.
"O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, keep him safe and pardon him. Honour his arrival and expand his resting place. Wash him with water, snow and hail. Cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed from dirt. Grant him a home better than his home, a family better than his family, a spouse better than his spouse. Admit him into Paradise and protect him from the punishment of the grave and the Fire."
Say the third takbir and make sincere duʿāʾ for the deceased. Use masculine pronouns for a man (lahu), feminine for a woman (lahā). For a child, add a dua asking Allah to make them a treasure and intercessor for their parents.
Note: If the deceased is a child, replace the dua with: Allāhumma-jʿalhu lanā faraṭan wa salafan wa ajran — O Allah, make him a forerunner, a preceder and a reward for us.
Fourth Takbir — dua for the living
اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلَا تَفْتِنَّا بَعْدَهُ، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ
Allāhumma lā taḥrimnā ajrahu wa lā taftinnā baʿdah, wa-ghfir lanā wa lah.
"O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward and do not put us to trial after him; forgive us and forgive him."
Say the fourth takbir and pause briefly, making duʿāʾ for the deceased and for the living. Some scholars recommend a short additional dua before the tasleem.
Tasleem — end the prayer
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu-llāh.
"Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you."
Turn the head to the right and say the tasleem; some scholars also give the tasleem to the left. The prayer is now complete. The body is then carried to the graveside for burial.
Additional duas
Alternative dua for the deceased
After 3rd takbirاللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا، وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ
Allāhumma-ghfir li-ḥayyinā wa mayyitinā, wa shāhidinā wa ghā'ibinā, wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā, wa dhakarinā wa unthānā. Allāhumma man aḥyaytahu minnā fa-aḥyihi ʿalā-l-Islām, wa man tawaffaytahu minnā fa-tawaffahu ʿalā-l-īmān.
"O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whoever You keep alive among us, keep him alive upon Islam; and whoever You take from us, take him upon faith."
After the prayer
The body is carried to the graveyard. Walking with the funeral procession, staying until burial and briefly making duʿāʾ afterwards each carry great reward. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever attends the janazah until the prayer is offered earns one qīrāṭ of reward, and whoever stays until burial earns two qīrāṭs — each like the mountain of Uḥud.
Guidance is based on mainstream Sunni fiqh. Consult a qualified scholar for madhhab-specific details.