What remains of the description of the prayer in general?
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The questioner : What remains of the description of the prayer in general?
The Shaykh : As for the description of the funeral prayer for the deceased, in the case of a man, he is placed in front of the one praying, and the imam stands at his head if he is male, whether he is young or old; he stands at his head and says the first takbir, then recites al-Fatihah. If he recites a short surah with it, there is no harm, and some scholars have even held that it is a recommended practice (sunnah). Then he says the second takbir and prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious." Then he says the third takbir and supplicates with what has been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), includingMishkat al-Masabih 1675, 1676 and other things reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he says the fourth takbir. Some scholars said: and after that, he says: [Al-Baqarah 2:201] If he says a fifth takbir, there is no harm, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); indeed, it is recommended that he do this sometimes, meaning that he says five takbirs, because it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him). And what is established from him, a person should do it in the manner in which it was reported, doing this once and that once, even though the majority is that the takbir is four. Then he says the taslim once to his right. As for if it is a female, he stands at her middle, not at her head.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The description of the prayer for her is like the description of the prayer for a man. If several funeral bodies are gathered, it is recommended that they be arranged in order: those closest to the imam are adult men, then male children, then adult women, then young girls, in this order. Accordingly, the male is brought forward, even if he is a child, over the woman, meaning he is placed closest to the imam. As for their heads, the head of the male is placed at the middle of the woman so that the imam stands in the prescribed place.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Is it permissible to pray over them with a collective prayer, meaning one prayer over a group of deceased people?
The Shaykh : Yes, also, as long as we are in this discussion.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that is that many of the common people think that it is better for the people who bring the funeral to stand with the imam. In fact, some of them think that it is necessary for one or more people to stand with the imam in the funeral prayer, and this is a mistake.
The questioner : Do you mean from the family of the deceased?
The Shaykh : From the family of the deceased or from others, if there are no close relatives present.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is an unknown man, for example, some of the common people in Najd think that someone must be with the imam, and this is a mistake. The sunnah is for the imam to be alone. If those who brought the funeral do not have a place in the first row, they form rows between the imam and the first row. The important thing is that the imam is alone, standing ahead of the congregation. There is no condition or prescription, as some of the common people think, for the praying people who brought the funeral to be with the imam; this has no basis.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the description of the funeral prayer for the deceased, in the case of a man, he is placed in front of the one praying, and the imam stands at his head if he is male, whether he is young or old; he stands at his head and says the first takbir, then recites al-Fatihah. If he recites a short surah with it, there is no harm, and some scholars have even held that it is a recommended practice (sunnah). Then he says the second takbir and prays upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious." Then he says the third takbir and supplicates with what has been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), including
O God, forgive those of us who are living and those of us who are dead, those of us who are present and those of us who are absent, our young and our old, our male and our female. O God, to whomsoever of us Thou givest life keep him faithful to Islam whilst Thou givest him life, and whomsoever of us Thou takest in death take him as a believer
اللهم اغفر لحينا وميتنا، وشاهدنا وغائبنا، وصغيرنا وكبيرنا، وذكرنا وأنثانا، إنك تعلم منقلبنا ومثوانا، اللهم من أحييته منا فأحيه على الإسلام، ومن توفيته فتوفه على الإيمانO Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, grant him well-being, and pardon him. Honor his lodging and widen his entrance. Wash him with water, snow, and hail, and purify him from sins as the white garment is purified from dirt. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not test us after him, and forgive us and him.
اللهم اغفر له وارحمه وعافه واعف عنه وأكرم نزله وأوسع مدخله واغسله بالماء والثلج والبرد، ونقه من الذنوب كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس، اللهم لا تحرمنا أجره ولا تفتنا بعده، واغفر لنا ولهOur Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
ربنا ءاتنا في الدنيا حسنةً وفي الأخرة حسنةً وقنا عذاب النارThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The description of the prayer for her is like the description of the prayer for a man. If several funeral bodies are gathered, it is recommended that they be arranged in order: those closest to the imam are adult men, then male children, then adult women, then young girls, in this order. Accordingly, the male is brought forward, even if he is a child, over the woman, meaning he is placed closest to the imam. As for their heads, the head of the male is placed at the middle of the woman so that the imam stands in the prescribed place.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Is it permissible to pray over them with a collective prayer, meaning one prayer over a group of deceased people?
The Shaykh : Yes, also, as long as we are in this discussion.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that is that many of the common people think that it is better for the people who bring the funeral to stand with the imam. In fact, some of them think that it is necessary for one or more people to stand with the imam in the funeral prayer, and this is a mistake.
The questioner : Do you mean from the family of the deceased?
The Shaykh : From the family of the deceased or from others, if there are no close relatives present.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is an unknown man, for example, some of the common people in Najd think that someone must be with the imam, and this is a mistake. The sunnah is for the imam to be alone. If those who brought the funeral do not have a place in the first row, they form rows between the imam and the first row. The important thing is that the imam is alone, standing ahead of the congregation. There is no condition or prescription, as some of the common people think, for the praying people who brought the funeral to be with the imam; this has no basis.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.