What is the performance of the janazah?
The janazah (deceased body) is placed in front of the congregation. The imam stands in front of the middle section of the deceased person if it is a male and shoulder alignment for others. When making the intention it is not a must to state the gender or age of the deceased. The congregation also makes an intention and follows the imam.
The janazah prayer is performed with four takbeerat other than the first takbeer. For the takbeerat other than the first one, hands are not raised to the shoulders. One makes supplication for the deceased person between supplications. The imam gives salam aloud to one side only. The congregation also say the salam, but silently.
It is mandub to begin the janazah supplication by praising Allah and sending salawat upon the Prophet (p.b.u.h). Supplication may be made as follows:
Alhamdulillahilladhi amata wa ahya. Alhamdulillahilladhi yuhyi’l-mawta wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali muhammadin kama sallayta wa barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahima fi’l-‘alamin. Innaka hamidun majeed.
The best supplication in this circumstance is the following narrated by Abu Hurayra:
Allahumma innahu ‘abduka wabnu ‘abdika wabnu amatik. Kana yash-hadu illa ilaha illa anta wahdaka la sharika laka wa anna Muhammadan ‘abduka wa rasuluk. Anta a’lamu bih.
Allahumma in kana muhsinan fazid fi ihsanihi wa in kana musian fatacawaz ‘an sayyiatih.
Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la taftinna ba’dah.
For a deceased woman, the following is said:
Allahumma innaha amatuka wa bintu ‘abdika wa bintu amatik. Kanat tash-hadu illa ilaha illa anta wahdaka la sharika laka wa anna Muhammadan ‘abduka wa rasuluk. Anta a’lamu biha.
Allahumma in kanat muhsinatan fazid fi ihsaniha wa in kanat musiatan fatajawaz ‘an sayyiatiha.
Allahumma la tahrimna ajraha wa la taftinna ba’daha.
After the janazah is prepared and shrouded, and the funeral prayer is performed, it is buried. It is best not to do the burial at night.
The grave of the dead person, depending on the lifestyle he or she pursued when alive, and how righteous of a person he or she was, may turn into a garden of Paradise or a pit from Hell.
Death is something that every person will experience, it is the inevitable will of God. It is not proper or acceptable to weep or mourn loudly in an exaggerated manner after a dead person. The relatives of the deceased are consoled and comforted, and condolences are conveyed to them.
Source: Fiqh1 (According To The Maliki School Of Islamic Law), Erkam Publications
