| Type: | Islam |
| Official Name: | Arabic: صلاة الجنازة |
| Nickname: | Funeral prayer |
| Observedby: | Muslims |
| Longtype: | Islamic |
| Significance: | A Muslim prayer offered to God in a funeral occasion for forgiveness of the deceased. |
| Frequency: | Occasionally |
| Observances: | Sunnah prayers |
| Relatedto: | Salah, Nafl prayer, Five Pillars of Islam |
(Arabic: صلاة الجنازة) is the name of the special prayer that accompanies an Islamic funeral. It is performed in congregation to seek pardon for the deceased and all dead Muslims,[1] and is a collective obligation upon all able-bodied Muslims; if some Muslims take the responsibility of conducting the prayer, then the obligation is fulfilled, but all Muslims will be accountable if this obligation is not fulfilled by anyone.[2]
Consensus on performing the funeral prayer when the body is not present varies among Islamic schools of thought. It is generally not permitted by the Hanafi and Maliki schools, is permitted in the Hanbali school, and is recommended in the Shafi'i school.
It is preferable that those praying divide themselves into odd rows with one person as an imam standing alone in front and while facing the qiblah. The body is placed in front of the Imam. If there is more than one body, then these should be put in front of the other. The spoken part of the prayer involves quietly reciting sura Al-Fatiha, then praying for God to bestow peace, mercy and blessings on Muhammad, and finally saying two du'as. There is no ruku in Janazah prayer.[3]
Muhammad and his companions explained how the salat should be:[4]
4. Then a fourth Takbir (again, raising the hands is optional) is recited, followed by a short pause, then a final taslim to the right, saying "Assalaamu ‘Alaykum Warahmatullah" ("Peace and mercy of God be unto you"). Shafi'is and Malikis say 1 salam is obligatory and 2 is optional while Hanafis says you have to give 2 salams and Hanbalis says you have to give 1 salam.
According to an authentic hadith, Muhammad did not say the burial prayers of a person who committed suicide;[5]