10-20-2004, 08:55 AM
<b>Funeral: The Funeral Prayer</b>
<b>Salaatil Janaaza</b>
Salaatil Janaaza is a prayer (Du’a) for the deceased before the Most Merciful Allah. It is a faraz-e-kifaya. If only one person, male or female, major or minor, offers this prayer alone then the obligation of all is discharged. Congregation is not a condition for Salaatil Janaaza. It is a Salaat, therefore all the requisites for Ghusul and Wudu that apply for other salaat also apply for Salaatil Janaaza. One additional condition must be met before it becomes essential to pray Salaatil Janaaza: one should have certain knowledge of the death. There is no restriction of any specific time or place for offering Salaatil Janaaza.
There are two kinds of conditions that must be met to make a Salaatil Janaaza valid. The first kind concerns the people who are offering the prayer, the second concerns the deceased. The first kind includes cleanliness, covering of private parts, facing the Ka’ba and the intent and the cleanliness of the place where prayer is taking place.
The second kind has six conditions: 1. The deceased must be a Muslim (Salaatil Janaaza for a nonbeliever and an apostate is not proper). Salaatil Janaaza for a Muslim even if he was a transgressor or innovator or committed suicide is in order. A child whose father or mother is a Muslim is considered a Muslim; 2. The body of the deceased should be clean; 3. The private parts of the deceased be covered; 4. The body should be in front of those who are offering the Salaatil Janaaza; 5. The body or the box containing it should be on the ground. If people are holding it or it is placed on a carriage or animal, the prayer is not proper; 6. The dead body should be present before those who are offering the prayer (Ghaibana Salaatil Janaaza is an exception).
There are two obligatory (faraz) items in a Salaatil Janaaza: 1. To call Takbir (Allah-o-Akber) four times (each Takbir being equivalent of one Rak’at). 2. To offer Salaatil Janaaza in standing position. There are no Ruk’u of Sujud in Salaatil Janaaza.
There are three Sunna items in Salaatil Janaaza: 1. To praise Allah; 2. To send Darood for Muhammed (SAWS) and 3. To say Du’a for the deceased.
Congregation is not a condition for Salaatil Janaaza. It is, however, most desirable to pray Salaatil Janaaza in congregation, since this is a Du’a for the deceased and a gathering of Muslims praying to Allah for anything possesses wonderful efficacy as to the descent of Divine Mercy and acceptance of the Du’a as compared to individual Du’a.
MASNOON AND APPRECIABLE METHOD OF OFFERING SALAATIL JANAAZA
Whereas there are more than one acceptable ways of performing Salaatil Janaaza, what follows is the method most often reported and practiced by the Prophet SAWS and the rightly guided companions.
1. Place the properly covered dead body on the ground, in front of the congregation. Imam should stand near its chest.
2. Following niyat should be made by all (no loud verbalization).
"I intend to offer Salaatil Janaaza with four takbirat, all praise is for Allah, and blessing be upon the Prophet and the prayer is for the dead, behind this imam, facing Ka’ba".
3. Then say Allah hu Akbar raise hands to the ear lobe and fold them below the navel as in all other salaat, and recite the sana (thana) as in the regular prayers with slight modification as follows:
Subhana kalla humma wa bi-humdika wa ta-ba-ra kasmuka wa ta’ala jadduka wa jalla sana-u-ka wa la ilaha gairuk.
4. Then say Allah hu Akbar (no need to raise hands to the ears) and recite the darood as follows:
Allah humma sallay aala Muhammediwn wa aala a-lay Muhammedin ka-ma sallaita aala Ibrahima wa aala a-lay Ibrahima in-naka Hameed um Majeed. Allah humma barik aala
Muhammediwn wa aala a-lay Muhammedin ka-ma barakta aala Ibrahima wa aala a-lay
Ibrahima in-naka Hameed um Majeed.
5. Then say Allah hu Akbar (no need to raise hands to the ears) and recite the following du’a (if the dead person is an adult male or female):
Allahum-magh-fir le-haiyyena wa maiyyetena wa shahidina wa ghaibina wa saghirina wa kabirina wa zakarina wa onsana. Allahumma man ahyeetahu minna fa ahehi alal Islam, wa man tawaffaitahu minna fatawaffahu alal iman.
6. Then say Allah hu Akbar (no need to raise hands to the ears) then say us-salaamu alaikum wa rahmatul-lah and turn right and say us-salaamu alaikum wa rahmatul-lah and turn left.
7. If the body is of a minor male then the following du’a should be recited.
Allahummajlahu lana faratan waj allahu lana ajrawn wa zukhrawn wajallahu lana shaafiawn wa mushaffa
8. If the body is of a minor female the the following du’a should be recited.
Allahummajlaha lana faratan waj allaha lana ajrawn wa zukhrawn wajallaha lana shaafiatawn wa mushaffah.
This concludes the salaatil Janaaza.
