Monday, April 20, 2015

Rulings pertaining to Salaah al-Janaazah [Salaatul-Janaazah] (Funeral Prayer):

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

The following are some of the selected rulings from the Fataawa of Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله pertaining to Salaah al-Janaazah:

1) The Salaah al-Janaazh is prescribed for everyone – men and women.


2) The women should not follow the Funeral procession to the cemetery because they are forbidden to do so.

[Note: It was narrated that Abu Hurairah and Hassaan bin Thaabit رضي الله عنهما said: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم cursed women who visit the cemetery. [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (1056) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (1574, 1575, 1576) and graded as “Hasan” (good) by Shaikh al-Albaanee]]


3) The Hadeeth: “Women have no share in the Funeral”, we know of no basis for this or any scholar who reported this.


4) We hope that the one who offered for five dead persons in one Prayer receives the reward of Qiraats equal to the number of the dead persons.

[Note: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Whoever attends the Funeral procession till he offers the Funeral Prayer for it, will get a reward equal to one Qiraat, and whoever accompanies it till burial, will get a reward equal to two Qiraats. It was asked: What are two Qiraats? He صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: Like two huge mountains. [Saheehain]

In one narration reported by Muslim it is: It was asked what the Qiraats were. He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The smaller amongst the two is equivalent to Uhud”.]


5) The regular Imaam of the Masjid should lead the Prayer and take priority over any other person mentioned in the will based on the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم statement: “A man should not lead another man in Payer while being in his (the latter’s) place of authority.” [Saheeh Muslim] The regular Imaam is the one who holds authority in his Masjid.


6) There is nothing wrong in traveling in order to attend a Funeral Prayer.


7) The scholars preferred to look for a Masjid wherein there is a large congregation to perform Funeral Prayer over the deceased. The greater the number, the closer that is to goodness and the more supplication that will be made.

[Note: Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما reported: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “If a Muslim dies and forty people - who do not commit Shirk (i.e. who do not associate anything with Allaah in worship) - participate in the Funeral Prayer over him, Allaah will accept their intercession for him.” [Saheeh Muslim]]


8) The original ruling is to line up during the Funeral Prayer just as in the obligatory Prayer; completing the first row, then the second, and so on. As for what Maalik ibn Hubairah رضي الله عنه did, the Hadith that mentions this has weakness in its Isnaad (chain of narrators), and it opposes the authentic Ahaadeeth that indicate the necessity of completing the rows, one after another, while offering the Prayer.

[Note: When Maalik bin Hubairah رضي الله عنه offered a Funeral Prayer and found a small number of participants, he would divide them into three rows and would say that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “If three rows of men offer Funeral Prayer over anyone, his entry into Jannah will become certain.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (3166), Sunan al-Tirmidhee (1028) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (1490) and graded as “Dha`eef” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]]


9) It is from the Sunnah for the Imaam to stand at the head of the deceased male and opposite the waist of the female. In the event where there are a number of dead persons, men should be placed in front, followed by boys, then women, and then girls. One Funeral Prayer is to be performed for all of the deceased. The objective of doing so is burying the deceased promptly. The Sunnah is to arrange the heads of the boys beside the heads of the men, and similarly the waists of women and girls opposite the heads of men.


10) It is permissible to stand to the right and the left of the Imaam if there is a need to do so. However, what corresponds to the Sunnah is to stand behind the Imaam. If the place is narrow, there is no harm in standing to the right or left of the Imaam.


11) The manner of performing Funeral Prayer is that the Imaam begins by pronouncing Takbeerat-ul-Ihraam (saying: “Allaahu Akbar [Allaah is the Greatest]”) and seeking refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaitaan. He then recites the Basmalah (saying, "Bismillaah Al-Rahmaan, Al-Raheem [In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful]”) and Surah al-Faatihah (the opening chapter of the Glorious Qur’aan). It is desirable that he recites a short Surah after Al-Faatihah, such as Al-Ikhlaas or Al-`Asr, or some Ayaats. It was authentically related from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the Hadeeth of Ibn `Abbas رضي الله عنهما which indicates this. Then, the Imaam should pronounce the second Takbeer (saying: “Allaahu Akbar”) and invoke Allaah’s peace upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ** in the same manner a person invokes Allaah’s peace upon him in the final Tashahhud. The Imaam pronounces the third Takbeer and supplicates to Allaah for the deceased with the well-known supplications (of the Prophet), being attentive to mentioning the correct gender and plural pronouns for multiple Funerals. Finally, the Imaam pronounces the fourth Takbeer followed by a moment of silence and then does Tasleem (salutation of peace ending the Prayer) once to his right only. As for the opening invocation, there is no harm in either saying it or not. Yet it is better to omit it in accordance with the statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: “Hasten the Funeral proceedings...” [Saheehain]

**saying:
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
[Saheehain]


12) Reciting Surah al-Faatihah in the Funeral Prayer is obligatory.


13) What the Scholars mention is that it is obligatory to invoke Allaah’s Peace and Blessings on the Prophet and its time is after the second time of Takbeer and the praying person should not leave it.


14) If a person, who offers Funeral Prayer behind the Imaam, does not know whether the deceased is a man or a woman, then in this regards there is some flexibility. If the person says, "O Allaah, forgive him," considering the dead as male, there is nothing wrong with that; and if he says, "O Allaah, forgive her," intending the Funeral Prayer (which is feminine in Arabic), there is also no blame in that.


15) The Funeral Prayer for a child is not different from that offered for the adults. However, upon making Du`aa, one should say:

اللهم اجعله ذخرًا لوالديه وفرطًا وشفيعًا مجابًا، اللهم أعظم به أجورهما، وثقل به موازينهما وألحقه بصالح سلف المؤمنين، واجعله في كفالة إبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام وقه برحمتك عذاب الجحيم

“Allaahumma ij-`alhu dhukhran li waalidayhi wa faratan wa shafee`an mujaaban. Allaahumma a`dhim bihee ujoorahumaa wa thaqqil bihee mawaazinahumaa wa alhiqhu bi saalih salaf al-mu’mineen waj`alhu fee kafaalata Ibraaheem `alayhis-salaam, waqqihe bi rahmatika `adhaab il-jaheem

(O Allaah, make him a stored treasure for his parents, and a preceding reward and an answered intercessor. O Allaah, increase their reward through him and make their scales weigh heavily. Join him with the righteous believers who have gone on before, place him in the care of Ibraaheem عليه السلام and protect him from the torment of Hell by Your mercy).

It was authentically that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Funeral Prayer should be offered for the dead child, asking forgiveness and mercy for his parents.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (3180) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. The actual wordings of the Hadeeth is: “Prayer should be offered over a stillborn while asking forgiveness and mercy for his parents”]


16) Nothing has been authentically reported about reciting anything after the fourth Takbeer; rather a person should say Takbeer and keep silent for a while, then do the Tasleem (to the right only) after the fourth Takbeer.


17) It is better to restrict them to four Takbeer only in accordance with the usual practice nowadays, because this is what was observed by the Prophet of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Furthermore, despite the great merit of Al-Najjaashee, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم only said four Takbeers when offering Funeral Prayer for him.

[Note: Ibn `Abdul-Bar reported in al-Istidhkaar (11244) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to offer four Takbeers or (sometimes) five or six or seven or even eight during the Funeral Prayer. But when the news about the death of Najjaashee reached him; he went out to the Prayer area and made (the Companions to stand in) rows behind him and offered the Funeral Prayer with four Takbeers. Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم held on to this number till he passed away.]


18) The Sunnah is to raise the hands upon pronouncing the four Takbeers, for what is authentically reported from Ibn `Umar and Ibn `Abbas that they used to raise their hands upon pronouncing the four Takbeers. It was also related by Al-Daaraqutnee as a Hadeeth Marfoo` (a Hadith narrated from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) on the authority of Ibn `Umar with a good Sanad (chain of narrators).


19) It is from the Sunnah for anyone who misses some of the Takbeer in the Funeral Prayer to make up for them based on the general meaning of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم saying: “When the Iqaamah (call to start the Prayer) is pronounced, go to Prayer walking with tranquility and gravity, pray what you attend and complete what you have missed.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree] The way to offer the missed Takbeers is to regard the first Takbeer that one catches up as the first part of the Prayer and what is offered after that is the last part of it (i.e. the person’s first Takbeer will be from where he catches up with the Imaam and he completes his Prayer accordingly). This is according to what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Pray what you attend and complete what you have missed”. If a person joins the congregation offering the Funeral Prayer in the third Takbeer, he should say the Takbeer and recite al-Faatihah. Then, when the Imaam says the Takbeer for the fourth time, he should say Takbeer after him and invoke peace and blessings on the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. When the Imaam says Tasleem (salutation ending the Prayer), he should say Takbeer and recite a brief supplication for the deceased and say the fourth time of Takbeer and do the Tasleem.


20) When a person, who has not offered the Obligatory Prayer, enters the Masjid and the Funeral Prayer is in procession, he should join with them and offer the Funeral Prayer and then later he should offer his obligatory Prayer. This is because the Funeral Prayer cannot be repeated, but there is plenty of time to offer the obligatory Prayer.


21) If the dead body has been carried already, he should not offer the Funeral Prayer. He may follow it and offer the Funeral Prayer at the time of burial or by the grave.


22) Offering the Funeral Prayer after the burial is a Sunnah, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did that. If a person did not attend the Funeral Prayer, he should offer it after the burial. Even if a person had offered it, he may offer it again by the grave with those who missed it. There is no harm in doing this even if it is done two or three times. The most preponderant opinion among the scholars is that it may be offered within a month as a maximum time limit.


23) It is better to stop offering the Funeral Prayer a month after the burial, for there is a difference among the scholars concerning its validity and the longest period reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم during which he offered Funeral Prayer on a grave is one month. However, the original ruling is the impermissibility of offering Prayers by graves (except for the Funeral Prayer).


24) There is no harm to offer (Funeral) Prayer at the grave. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did so when he offered Prayer over a dead person a month after his burial. This action indicates that there is no harm to offer Funeral Prayer at the grave after the passage of one month. If more than one month has passed, it is better not to do this except if the period is not long, like if it is one or two days, because acts of worship are Tawqeefiyyah (specified by Allaah or His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم). (13/317)


25) The meaning of: “The Prayer” the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered, after more than a month had elapsed, for the deceased Companions buried in Baqi` (the graveyard of Madinah, near the Prophet's Masjid) at the end of his life, is that he supplicated for them (i.e. he only supplicated for them and did not repeat the Funeral Prayer after more than a month had elapsed).


26) If one has already offered the Funeral Prayer for the deceased person, then there is no need to repeat it; rather one should visit the cemetery and make Du`aa (supplication) for him. When you arrive at the cemetery, you should greet the inhabitants of the graves, make Du`aa for them.


27) It is forbidden to offer Funeral Prayers at the forbidden time except when the forbidden time is long such as the time after `Asr and Fajr. Since the forbidden time in these two cases is long, there is no harm in offering Salaah during such times on the condition that there is a reason for offering it. As for the short times which were mentioned in the Hadeeth of `Uqbah رضي الله عنه in Saheeh Muslim, where he said: “There are three hours at which the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade us to pray or bury our dead: when the sun begins to rise until it is fully risen, when the sun is at its zenith at midday until it has passed the meridian, and when the sun inclines to setting until it sets.” Thus, it is impermissible either to offer Salah over the deceased or to bury him at these times according to this authentic Hadith.


28) There is nothing wrong with offering the Funeral Prayer at the place where the body is washed, by the person who cannot offer it with people in the Masjid, provided that the place is pure.


29) In regards to Salaat-ul-Ghaa’ib (Funeral Prayer in absentia), the most famous view is that this Salaah was only specific to Najjaashee. Some scholars permitted offering such Salaah if the deceased has a high rank in Islaam or if he is a scholar who played an active role in calling to Islam and spreading knowledge. Yet, we have no knowledge that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered such Salaah for other than Najjaashee. There is no authentic Hadeeth that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered such Salaah for other than Najjaashee. Though many of the Companions died in Makkah and other places, it was not proven that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered such Salaah for them. In conclusion, the viewpoint of those who stated that it is peculiar only to Najjaashee is powerful. Yet, if this is done for those who have a high rank in Islaam like Najjaashee, i.e., the scholars and rulers who have a high rank in Islaam, we opine that there is no harm in doing so, In shaa-Allaah (if Allaah wills).


30) The method of offering Salaat-ul-Ghaaib is just like the way one offers the ordinary Funeral Prayer.


31) If it is known that the deceased was a hypocrite, then people should not offer the Funeral Prayer over him, for Allaah تعالى says: {And never (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) who dies}. This is if their hypocrisy was well known, but if this was just an accusation, you should offer the Prayer over the deceased as the basic rule is the obligation of offering Funeral Prayer over a deceased person. Accordingly, a Muslim should not leave off an obligation because of some doubt.


32) Funeral Prayer for those practicing Bid`ah: If scholars do not offer the Funeral Prayers out of discouraging people from practicing Bid`ah, then this is fine as long as their Bid`ah does not render them Kaafirs (disbelievers). However, if they commit Bid`ah that render them Kaafirs, such as Al-Khawaarij, Al-Mu`tazilah, Al-Jahmiyyah, and Al-Raafidhah, then no one should offer the Funeral Prayer for them.

Al-Khawaarij: separatist group that believes committing a major sin amounts to disbelief.
Al-Mu`tazilah: a deviant sect claiming that those who commit major sins are in a state between belief and disbelief.
Al-Jahmiyyah: a deviant sect denying the Attributes of Allaah.


33) In regards to the person who committed suicide: some Muslims should offer Funeral Prayer on him like they do for other sinners, as he is regarded as a Muslim according to Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jamaa`ah.


34) It is impermissible to offer Funeral Prayer for the martyrs who die in battle and they should not be washed, because “the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not offer Funeral Prayer for the martyrs of Uhud, nor did he have them washed before burial.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (3135) and Sunan al-Tirmidhee (1036) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]


35) In regards to not offering the Funeral Prayer on the debtors:  This ruling is abrogated and the wisdom behind this was to urge people not to take many debts and to take the initiative to repay the debts quickly. After that, it was abrogated and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered Funeral Prayer on those who are indebted and those who are not.


36) If the fetus was aborted in the fifth month or later, it should be washed, the Funeral Prayer should be offered for him and he should be buried in the Muslim cemetery.


37) It is better to offer the Funeral Prayer in a Musalla. However, it is permissible to offer it in a Masjid, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered the Funeral Prayer in the Masjid for the two sons of Baidhaa’. This was related by Muslim in his Saheeh on the authority of `Aaishah رضي الله عنها.


[الإختيارات الفقهية  ص. 165-169]

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