Janazah: the final prayer the community offers for the believer.

Salat al-Janazah is the funeral prayer in Islam, the last prayer the Muslim community offers for one of its own. It is not a prayer of grief but a prayer of intercession: we stand in rows, we say Allahu Akbar, and we ask our Lord to forgive the deceased, to ease their reckoning, and to admit them to His Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever attends a Janazah until the prayer is offered receives one qirat of reward, and whoever stays until the burial receives two, "and the two qirat are like two mighty mountains." (Sahih al-Bukhari 47)

This guide walks through the four takbirs step-by-step, with the complete du'a recited at each one in Arabic, transliteration, and English. It also covers the rulings: who must pray, who can lead, what to do if you arrive late, and how the prayer differs for an adult versus a child.

Status: fardh kifayah

Salat al-Janazah is fardh kifayah: a communal obligation. If a sufficient group of Muslims performs it, the obligation is lifted from the rest of the community. If no one performs it, the entire community is sinful.

This is the legal status. The spiritual reality is that attending is profoundly meritorious. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever attends the Janazah of a Muslim with faith and seeking reward, and stays until the prayer is finished, will have a qirat of reward. Whoever stays until the burial will have two qirat, each like the mountain of Uhud." (Sahih al-Bukhari 47, Muslim 945)

Two mountains of reward for a prayer that takes two minutes. Few acts of worship are this efficient.

Who performs the prayer

Any Muslim adult of sound mind can pray Janazah. There is no restriction by gender, women can and did pray Janazah in the time of the Sahabah. In most communities today, men perform the prayer at the masjid or the gravesite while women may join from the back rows or pray at home.

The imam is preferably:

1. A close male relative of the deceased (the deceased's appointed wali if any).
2. The imam of the local masjid.
3. Any righteous Muslim man with the knowledge.

The deceased themselves should be a Muslim. Salat al-Janazah is not performed for a non-Muslim, though Muslims may attend a non-Muslim funeral out of respect or family duty without praying the Islamic Janazah for them.

Conditions before praying

• Wudu, the worshipper must be in a state of purity.
• Qibla, facing Makkah, as in any prayer.
• The body present, placed before the imam, washed and shrouded according to Islamic rites. (Exception: Salat al-Gha'ib, the absent Janazah, performed when the body cannot be brought, per the Prophet's ﷺ Janazah for Najashi in Sahih Muslim 951.)
• Coverage of awrah, the worshipper is properly dressed.
• Standing, the entire prayer is performed standing, unless the worshipper has a valid reason to sit.

The imam's position and the body

The body is placed on a bier (the funeral platform) in front of the imam, perpendicular to the qibla, with the head typically to the imam's right and the feet to the imam's left.

The imam's position relative to the body differs by gender, as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 1335 and the practice of the Sahabah:

Worshippers stand in straight rows behind the imam, the same way as any congregational prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Straighten your rows, for the straightness of the rows is part of the perfection of the prayer." (Sahih al-Bukhari 723, Sahih Muslim 433)

The four takbirs: duas at each

The structure is four takbirs (saying Allahu Akbar) with a specific du'a recited silently between each. After the fourth takbir, the prayer ends with salam.

Takbir 1: Surah Al-Fatihah

Form your intention: "I intend to pray Salat al-Janazah for this deceased Muslim, four takbirs, behind this imam, for the sake of Allah." Then say Allahu Akbar, raising your hands as in any prayer. Place your hands on your chest (right over left). Recite Surah Al-Fatihah silently. Some scholars also recommend reciting a short surah after Al-Fatihah; both opinions are valid.

Takbir 2: The Ibrahimi Salawat

Say Allahu Akbar (raising hands is sunnah in the Shafi'i, Hanbali, and Hanafi schools per most opinions). Then recite the salawat, the same salawat recited in tashahhud:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammadin, kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahima innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammadin, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahima innaka Hamidun Majid.

Translation: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, verily, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, send Your favor upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your favor upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, verily, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious."

Takbir 3: The du'a for the deceased

Say Allahu Akbar. Then recite the du'a for the deceased. The most comprehensive version, narrated by the Prophet ﷺ, is found in Sahih Muslim 963:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا، وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا. اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ. اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ، وَلَا تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ.

Allahumma-ghfir li hayyina wa mayyitina, wa shahidina wa gha'ibina, wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa ahyihi 'alal-Islam, wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa tawaffahu 'alal-iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu, wa la tudillana ba'dahu.

Translation: "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 in death among us, take him on faith. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him."

Then add the specific du'a for this particular deceased, narrated by 'Awf ibn Malik in Sahih Muslim 963:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ، وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ.

Allahumma-ghfir lahu warhamhu, wa 'afihi wa'fu 'anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu, wa wassi' mudkhalahu, waghsilhu bil-ma'i wath-thalji wal-bard, wa naqqihi minal-khataya kama yunaqqath-thawbul-abyadu minad-danas, wa abdilhu daran khayran min darihi, wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi, wa zawjan khayran min zawjihi, wa adkhilhul-jannah, wa a'idhhu min 'adhabil-qabri wa min 'adhabin-nar.

Translation: "O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, give him strength and pardon him, honor his resting place and make his entry spacious. Wash him with water, snow, and hail, and cleanse him of his 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 and the punishment of the Fire."

For a female deceased, change the pronouns: lahu → laha, warhamhu → warhamha, etc.

Takbir 4: Brief pause and salam

Say Allahu Akbar. Brief pause. Some scholars recommend a short du'a at this stage, such as:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.

Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban-nar., "Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." (Quran 2:201)

Then give the salam: turn your head to the right and say "As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah." Some schools (Hanafi, some others) give salam to both sides; the Shafi'i and Hanbali traditions hold that one salam to the right is sufficient for Janazah.

That completes the prayer.

For a child or absent person

For a child (someone who has not reached puberty), the third-takbir du'a changes. A child has no major sins to forgive, so instead of asking forgiveness, the du'a asks Allah to make the child a precursor and intercessor for the parents:

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لَنَا فَرَطًا وَسَلَفًا وَأَجْرًا.

Allahumma-j'alhu lana faratan wa salafan wa ajra., "O Allah, make him for us a forerunner, a preceder, and a reward." (For a girl: Allahumma-j'alha lana faratan wa salafan wa ajra.)

For the absent prayer (Salat al-Gha'ib), when the body is in another city or country and cannot be brought, the same four-takbir structure is used, facing the qibla, with the deceased not physically present. The Prophet ﷺ prayed the absent Janazah for Najashi (the Christian king of Abyssinia who had embraced Islam) when news of his death arrived in Madinah (Sahih Muslim 951).

Catching up if you arrive late

If you arrive after the imam has begun, join him at whatever takbir he is currently on. The takbirs you catch with the imam count. After the imam gives the final salam, you make up the takbirs you missed individually:

1. Say Allahu Akbar for each remaining takbir.
2. Recite the appropriate du'a at each, Fatihah if you missed the first, salawat if you missed the second, du'a for the deceased if you missed the third.
3. End with salam after completing all four total takbirs.

This is the majority opinion. A minority view holds that you simply give salam with the imam without making up, both are valid practices recorded by classical scholars.

FAQ

Is Janazah prayer obligatory?

It is fardh kifayah, a communal obligation. If a group performs it, the obligation is lifted from others. If no one performs it, the whole community is sinful.

Can women pray Janazah?

Yes, women can and did pray Janazah from the time of the Sahabah. In many communities men predominate in practice, but the validity is the same.

What if I missed some takbirs: do I make them up?

Join the imam at whichever takbir you arrive at. After the imam's salam, complete the takbirs you missed individually with the appropriate du'a at each, then salam.

Can I pray Janazah for a non-Muslim?

No. The Janazah du'a includes asking forgiveness of sins and admission to Paradise, reserved for Muslims. You may attend a non-Muslim funeral out of respect without performing the Islamic Janazah.

How is the prayer for a child different?

Same four takbirs and same Fatihah and salawat. The third-takbir du'a changes, instead of asking forgiveness, you ask Allah to make the child a forerunner and intercessor for the parents.

Can Janazah be prayed at the gravesite after burial?

Yes, if someone missed the main Janazah and arrives at the burial, they may pray it at the grave. The Prophet ﷺ prayed at the grave of a woman who used to clean the masjid (Sahih al-Bukhari 458, Sahih Muslim 956).