How to Attend a Muslim Funeral? Full Islamic Funeral Guide

• Clothing– Before attending a funeral, one has to be mindful of his dress and clothes. He should not be wearing anything flashy that draws attention towards him.
• Speaking good of the dead– We should always be watchful of what comes out of our mouths while speaking. Our words should never hurt ur fellow brothers. And when someone has passed away, we should never mention his bad deeds or slander his character. We should speak of his good deeds or stay quiet.
• Do not take pictures– In the present times, taking pictures has become easier than ever due to our mobile phones. But, we should not be taking any picture of the dead body or the deceased’s family for any cause. We should pay utmost respect to them.
• Consoling the mourner – The family that a person leaves behind is in grave pain. They need a shoulder to lean on to cry out. We should help them in such trying times and console them with hopeful words.
• Praying for the deceased– We should pray for the deceased for his forgiveness and peace as they need our prayers the most.

4- Salat ul Janaaza

Salat ul Janazah is the funeral prayer that is recited by the members of the community for the ease and forgiveness of the deceased. It is Fardh Kifayah and should be recited for the Muslims who have passed away.

Method of the Prayer

This Salah is not performed like regular prayer, instead, it has certain criteria that have to be followed correctly by the believers.

1. First Takbeer- The Imam should say the first takbeer, touching his earlobes with his hands and recite Sa’na and Surah Fatiha following by a short surah.
2. Second Takbeer- The Imam could be touching his earlobes or not as both the methods are permissible. Then he should recite Durood e Ibrahimi.
3. Third Takbeer- After the third takbeer, a supplication is recited for the forgiveness of the deceased.
4. Fourth Takbeer- After the fourth takbeer one can pray silently for himself and the Muslim Ummah.
5. Tasleem/Salam- Salam should be made to the right side or both sides like a regular prayer as both are permissible.

Exceptions- There are certain exceptions in the religion that a child who hasn’t reached the stage of puberty or who dies inside the womb will be buried without Dalat ul Janazah.

3- Importance of Attending Funeral in Islam

The most important right of a Muslim on his fellow Muslim brother is to attend his funeral and Salat ul Janazah. When we attend a funeral with a sincere and clean heart and helping the family to cope up with the loss, we will get countless rewards from Allah SWT. Such an event is also a reminder for us that this world is a temporary place and we will return to our Creator, Allah SWT.

2- Kafan Cloth in Islam

The kafan cloth is a garment that is used as a shroud to cover the body of the deceased. It is an important step to be taken when a Muslim dies. The family and the relatives should make sure that the shroud they are using for the deceased is;

Neat and clean. The shroud should be clean and free of any Najaas or uncleanness. According to Abu Qatadah, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

“If one of you is a guardian to his deceased brother, he should give him the best shroud he can.”

White in colour. It should be white and no spot or tinge of colour should be on the cloth. According to Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Tirmizhi, the Prophet, peace be upon him said:

“Wear white clothes, for these are your best clothes, and enshroud your dead in the

Scented. The kafan cloth should be scented with a non-alcoholic perfume. As Ahmad and Al-Hakim quoted that Prophet Muhammad PBUH said,

“If you perfume a dead body, do it three times.”

There should be three wraps for a man as the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was wrapped after he was called to his Creator. As reported by Hazrat Aisha RA;

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was wrapped in three pieces of new white sheets of cloth from Yemen, without a shirt or a turban.

Women should be wrapped in five layers. The cloth should be large enough to cover the whole body.

1- Delaying Burial in Islam

The most important right of a deceased person is to bury the body as soon as possible. The delay is not advisable until there is a valid reason like waiting for the blood relatives to gather for the funeral prayer. Nonetheless, the body should be given Ghusl immediately and wrapped in the Kafan cloth and the family should hasten the burial. As the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, Himself stated,

‘Hasten the Burial’

AL BUKHARI