The Complete Method of Funeral Ṣalāĥ (Ḥanafī): History, Fundamentals & Rulings

What to recite on seeing a funeral!

After the death of Sayyidunā Mālik Bin Anas رَضِیَ اللّٰہ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُمَا, someone saw him in a dream and asked, 'How did Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ treat you?' He رَضِیَ اللّٰہ تَعَالٰی عَنْه replied, 'I was blessed with forgiveness just because of a sentence which Sayyidunā 'Uśmān-e-Ghanī رَضِیَ اللّٰہ تَعَالٰی عَنْه used to say on seeing a funeral: سُبْحَٰنَ الْحَيِّ الَّذِيْ لَا يَمُوْت [Pure is He (from all defects/limitations) who is alive and will never die]. Hence, I also used to recite the same sentence on seeing a funeral; Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ forgave me because of reciting it.'

(Derived from: Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm, vol. 5, pp. 266)

Whose funeral Ṣalāĥ was offered first by the Beloved Prophet ﷺ?

The funeral Ṣalāĥ was first initiated in the era of Sayyidunā Ādam Ṣafiyullāĥ عَلٰی نَبِيِّنَا وَعَلَيْهِ الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَام, angels recited four 'Takbīrāt' in the blessed funeral prayer of Sayyidunā Ādam Ṣafiyullāĥ عَلٰی نَبِيِّنَا وَعَلَيْهِ الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَام. In Islam, the order for the funeral Ṣalāĥ becoming mandatory (Wājib) was revealed in Madīnaĥ Munawwaraĥ دَارُ اللّٰہ شَرَفًا وَتَعْظِيْمًا. Sayyidunā As'ad Bin Zurāraĥ رَضِیَ اللّٰہ تَعَالٰی عَنْه passed away at the end of the ninth month after Ĥijraĥ and he رَضِیَ اللّٰہ تَعَالٰی عَنْه was the first companion whose funeral Ṣalāĥ was performed by the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰہ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

(Derived from Fatāwā Razawiyyaĥ - referenced, vol. 5, pp. 375-376)

The funeral Ṣalāĥ is Farḍ-e-Kifāyaĥ

The funeral Ṣalāĥ is Farḍ-e-Kifāyaĥ, i.e., if even a single person offered it, everyone would be relieved of the obligation; if no one offered it, all those who were aware of it will be sinners. Jamā'at (congregation) is not a condition for this Ṣalāĥ; if even one person offered, the Farḍ will be fulfilled. The denial of its Farḍiyyat (obligation) is Kufr (infidelity).

(Bahār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 825; 'Ālamgīrī, vol. 1, pp. 162; Durr-e-Mukhtār, vol. 3, pp. 120)

There are two fundamentals and three Sunnaĥs in the funeral prayer

The two fundamentals are: (1) To recite 'اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ' four times (2) Qiyām (to stand). The three Sunan-e-Muakkadaĥ are: (1) Šanā (2) Ṣalāt-'Alan-Nabī (3) Supplication for the deceased.

(Bahār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 829)

Method of funeral Ṣalāĥ (Ḥanafi)

The Muqtadī should make the following intention: 'I make the intention of offering this funeral Ṣalāĥ for Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and making supplication (Du'ā) for this dead person, following this Imām.'

(Fatāwā Tātār Khāniyaĥ, vol. 2, pp. 153)

Now the Imām and the Muqtadīs should raise their hands up to their ears and fold them below the navel as usual whilst saying اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَر, and then recite Šanā. After 'وَتَعَالٰی جَدُّكَ,' read 'وَجَلَّ ثَنَاۤؤُكَ وَلَا اِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ.' Then, without raising the hands, say اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَر and recite Durūd-e-Ibrāĥīm. Without raising the hands again, say اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَر and now recite the supplication (the Imām should say the Takbīrāt loudly whilst the Muqtadīs should do the same in a low voice. Both the Imām and Muqtadīs should recite the remaining invocations in a low voice).

After the supplication, say اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَر, unfold the hands and perform Salām on both sides. During the Salām, the intention should be made for the deceased person, for angels and for the participants of the Ṣalāĥ, same as in the Salām of other Ṣalāĥs; the only difference here is the addition of the intention for the deceased person as well.

(Bahār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 829, 835)

Supplication for funeral of adults (man and woman)

اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَاۤئِبِنَا وَصَغِيْرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَاُنْثَانَا اَللّٰهُمَّ مَنْ اَحْيَيْتَهٗ مِنَّا فَاَحْيِهٖ عَلَى الْاِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهٗ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهٗ عَلَى الْاِيْمَانِ

O Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)! Forgive all of our living ones and all the dead ones, and all those who are present and all those who are not present, and all our young ones and all our elderly ones, and all our men and all our women. Yā Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)! Whomever you keep alive from among us, keep him alive in Islam, and whomever of us you make die, make him die with faith.

(Al-Mustadrak lil-Ḥākim, vol. 1, pp. 684, Ḥadīš 1366)

Du'ā for a male minor

اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لَنَا فَرَطًا وَّاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا اَجْرًا وَّذُخْرًا وَّاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا شَافِعًا وَّمُشَفَّعًا

O Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)! Make him a fore-runner to become a support for us, and make him a recompense for us, and make him our intercessor, and the one whose intercession is accepted.

(Kanz-ud-Daqāiq, pp. 52)

Du'ā for a female minor

اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهَا لَنَا فَرَطًا وَّاجْعَلْهَا لَنَآ اَجْرًا وَّذُخْرًا وَّاجْعَلْهَا لَنَا شَافِعَةً وَّمُشَفَّعَةً

O Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)! Make her a fore-runner to become a support for us, and make her a recompense for us, and make her our intercessor, and the one whose intercession is accepted.

To offer funeral Ṣalāĥ whilst standing upon shoes

In case of offering the funeral Ṣalāĥ whilst wearing shoes, the shoes as well as the part of the earth beneath them must be pure, while, in case of offering the Ṣalāĥ placing the feet upon the shoes having taken them off, the purity of the sole of the shoes and the ground is not necessary. In reply to a question, A'lā Ḥaḍrat, Imām-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, Maulānā Shāĥ Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰن says, 'If the place was impure due to urine, etc., or those who offered the Ṣalāĥ wearing such shoes whose soles were not pure, their Ṣalāĥ would not be valid. It is, therefore, safer to offer the funeral Ṣalāĥ by taking the shoes off and place the feet upon them so that the Ṣalāĥ would not be affected even if the sole of the shoes or the earth is impure.'

(Fatāwā Razawiyyaĥ, vol. 9, pp. 188)

Funeral Ṣalāĥ in absentia

Presence of the corpse in front is necessary. Offering funeral Ṣalāĥ in absence of the corpse is not valid. It is Mustaḥab for the Imām to stand in front of the chest of the corpse.

(Durr-e-Mukhtār, vol. 3, pp. 123, 134)

Method of offering joint Ṣalāĥ for more than one funeral

Ṣalāĥ of several funerals may be offered jointly. It is optional to either place the corpses parallel such that chest of all remain in front of the Imām or place them in a queue such that the feet of the one corpse are towards head of the other, and so on.

(Bahār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 1, pp. 839; 'Ālamgīrī, vol. 1, pp. 165)

How many rows should there be in a funeral Ṣalāĥ?

It is better to have three Ṣafs (rows) in the funeral Ṣalāĥ as it is mentioned in a blessed Ḥadīš, 'The one whose (funeral) Ṣalāĥ was offered by three Ṣafs, he will be forgiven.' If there are only 7 people, one should become Imām, three should stand in the first Ṣaf, two in the second Ṣaf and one in the third Ṣaf. (Ghunyaĥ, pp. 588) In the funeral Ṣalāĥ, the last Ṣaf is most excellent than all other Ṣafs.

(Durr-e-Mukhtār, vol. 3, pp. 131)