Volume - V / CHAPTER - 2 / LESSON NO: 15 / PAGE 2 of 2
OF THE DEAD BODY
Q19: What are "Mufsidaat", "Arkaan", Waajibaat" and "Sunan" of funeral prayer?
A. There are two "Rukn,Arkaan" (obligatory acts) in Salaatul Janaazah i.e. to say "Allah-o-Akbar" four times and to offer it standing and three are Sunnat-e-Muakkadah i.e. to glorify Allah, invoke Allah's blessings on the Holy Prophet and make "Du'aa" for the dead. Some religious scholars consider these three acts as "Waajib".
All those things, acts which nullify prayer also nullify Salaatul Janaazah.
Q20: What are the conditions for Salaatul Janaazah?
A. There are two kinds of conditions,requisites for holding funeral prayer i.e. (1).Concerning "Musallaa"(prayer,worship) and (2). Concerning the dead body.
Requisites for "Musallaa" are exactly the same as those of other prayers and as for the dead body there are certain conditions i.e. (1). The dead must be Muslim,(2). body and shroud should be clean,(3). dead body should be present. Hence, there is no Salaatul Janaazah for an absentee dead. The funeral prayer of Najashi (Negus) the king of Abyssinia offered by the Holy Prophet without the bier being in front was one of his (Prophet's) exclusive privileges. Doing so is not lawful for others,(4). the dead body should either be on the land or in hands but be near to the Imaam, (5). bier should be placed in front of the prayer-carpet,cloth facing the Qiblah,(6) all those parts of the body which are necessary to be covered must be covered and (7) dead body should be in front of the Imaam.
Q21: Which are those people whose funeral prayer is not held?
A. Funeral prayer of the following people is not held: (1). A rebel who is killed during rebellion,(2). a bandit killed while committing banditry,(3). those who fight unjustly and killed in it, (4). he who strangled several persons,(5). armed desperadoes who pillage during night and killed in it, (6). he who murdered one or both of his parents and (7). he who was robbing somebody of his valuables and killed in it.
Salaatul Janaazah of all Muslims except for the above stated people will be held irrespective of however sinful he is, even of the one who committed suicide notwithstanding the fact that committing suicide is a great sin. Likewise, funeral prayer of the Muslim who deliberately omitted all of his prayers will also be held.
Q22: What is the method of offering Salaatul Janaazah?
A. The Imaam should stand opposite to the chest of the dead followed by Muqtadis in three rows or more but in odd number. Now the Imaam and Muqtadis should form intention (i.e. I intend to offer Salaatul Janaazah with four "Takbeeraat" for Allah, Du'aa for the dead with my face towards the Qiblah. The Imaam should intend to lead the prayer and Muqtadis to follow the Imaam) and then lift their hands upto the ears and fold them below their navel while saying "Takbeer-e-Tahreemah" i.e. Allah-o-Akbar. Recite "Sana" (in which add "Wajalla Sana-o-ka" after "wa Ta'alaa Jadduka"); say "Allah-o-Akbar" and recite Durood Shareef preferably that one which is recited in prayer i.e. Durood-e-Ibraaheemi and say "Allah-o-Akbar" and make Du'aa (supplication) for oneself, the dead and all male and female Muslims. Three "Takbeeraat" out of four are complete. Now say the fourth Takbeer letting go of the hands, without reciting any Du'aa and then say Salaam.
The Imaam should say Takbeeraat and Salaam aloud while Muqtadis in low voice. All other supplications will be made in soft voice. The hands will be raised only on the first Takbeer without doing so in the remaining ones.
Q23: Which Du'aa is made in funeral prayer?
A. The following Du'aa is made for an adult (male or female):
Allaa Hummagh-firli Haie-yinaa wa Maie-yitinaa wa Shaahidinaa wa Ghaa-ibinaa wa Sagheeranaa wa Kabeeranaa wa Zakarinaa wa Unsaanaa. Allaa Humma Man Ah-yaitahu Minna Fa-ah-ihee 'Alal Islaami wa Man Tawaf-faietahu Minnaa Fata-waffahu'Alal Eimaan.
O'Allah! Forgive our every living and every dead; our every present and every absent; our every young and every old; our every man and every woman. O'Allah! whoever among us is kept alive by You, may be blessed with the life of Islaam and to whom You cause to die, let him/her die in the state of Islamic faith.
DU'AA FOR A MINOR BOY
Allaa-hummaj 'alhu Lanaa Faratan Waj'alhu Lanaa Ajran wa Zukhran Waj'alhu Lanaa Shaafi-an wa Mushaffa'aa.
O'Allah! let him forerun us to make arrangement for us and make him a reward for us and let him be our sympathiser to help us in need and make him such an intercessor for us whose intercession is sure to be accepted.
In case of a minor girl "Aj'alhaa" be recited in place of "Aj'alhu" and "Shaafi'atan wa Mushaffa'ah" in lieu of "Shaafi-an wa Mushaffa'aa". If one can not recite these supplications correctly, he may recite any other Du'aa but that should concern the world hereafter.
Q24: Can funeral prayer of some dead be offered jointly or not?
A. If there are some biers, their Salaatul Janaazah can be offered jointly i.e. to form intention for all the dead present there in a single funeral prayer. But it is better to offer Salaatul Janaazah of each of them separately starting with the one who is the most pious among them and then the next/remaining ones in descending order.
In case of joint Salaatul Janaazah it is optional to either place the biers abreast of one another or after one another i.e. the chests of all the dead persons are opposite to the Imaam.
Q25: Can funeral prayer be offered on the grave after burial or not?
A. Salaatul Janaazah of the dead who was buried without it will be offered on his grave provided that there is no likelihood of decomposition of the body and in case the dead has been buried but the earth is yet to be spread over the grave then it should be taken out of it and buried after having offered Salaatul Janaazah. There is no timelimit for offering funeral prayer on the grave. It all depends on season, soil and health of the dead person. For instance, the body is decomposed in the summer sooner than the winter, healthy body sooner than the lean and it is decomposed in wet or saline soil sooner than the dry or unsaline soil.
Q26: How is that for offering Salaatul Janaazah in mosque?
A. It is quite "Makrooh Tahreemi" to offer Salaatul Janaazah in mosque irrespective of whether the bier is placed inside or outside the mosque or all or a few worshippers are inside the mosque, for a Prophetic saying forbids offering of funeral prayer in mosque.
Q27: How to place a dead in grave?
A. The dead body should be lowered in grave from the Qiblah-side and laid on its right side facing the Qiblah. A woman should be lowered in grave by her "Mahram"(those relatives whom a woman can not be married to). If there is none then by other relatives and if there is no such one even, then by any pious man. A screen should be put about the grave from the very moment of lowering the body upto the placing of last (wooden) plank on the grave. While lowering the body into the grave, following Du'aa should be recited:
"Bismillaahi wa Billaahi wa 'Alaa Millati Rasoolillaah (Sallal Laahu 'Alaiehi wa Sallam)" (Allah, in whose name I begin and following the religion of the Messenger of Allah). The knots tying the shroud should be untied after having laid the body in the grave and then the grave should be closed with unbaked bricks. Wooden planks can also be used in case the soil is soft. If there is any chink in plank or any opening left between the planks, it should be filled with clods,earth etc. The same rules are also applicable to the box-like graves (which are common now).
Q28: What is the method of putting the earth over grave?
A. It is "Mustahab" to put the earth over grave from the head-side with both hands three times. One should recite: "Minhaa Khalaqnaa Kum" (We[Allah] have created you from it i.e.the earth) while throwing the earth first time, recite: "Wa Feehaa Nu'eedo Kum" (and We [Allah] will return you to it) the second time and recite: "Wa Minhaa Nukhri-jokum Taaratan Ukhraa"(and We[Allah] will bring you forth out of it again) the third time. The remaining earth may either be put on the grave with the hands or spade. It is Makrooh to put more earth on the grave than what was collected by digging it. The earth stuck to the hands should either be shaken off or washed.
The grave should not be made square but slope like camel's hump. It should be raised as high as or a little higher than a span.
There is no harm in sprinkling water on the grave but it is better.
Q29: How long should people stay on the grave after burial?
A. Staying on the grave after burial for some time, enough to sacrifice a camel and distribute its meat, is Mustahab because it will comfort the dead and he will feel no fear in answering the questions of Munkar and Nakeer (Questioning Angels). During the while recitation from the Holy Quran be done and Du'aa made for the forgiveness of the departed soul and his steadfastness in answering the questions of the Questioning Angels. It is Mustahab to recite Surah Baqarah's verses from one to five (from "Alif Laaam Meeem" to "Muflehoon") at the head of the grave and verses from 285 to 286 (Aamanar Rasool to the last) at its foot.
Q30: How is that for detailing an "Haafiz" to recite the Holy Quran on grave?
A. It is lawful to detail an Haafiz for the recitation of the Holy Quran on grave provided that he demands no compensation otherwise not. To recite the Holy Quran on payment or to get it recited against payment is forbidden.
In case free Haafiz is not available and one wants to get the Holy Quran recited against payment then he should engage an Haafiz as servant (at home or business concern) on payment and get the Quran recited.
Q31: Is it permitted to keep "Shajarah" or "Ehd Naamah" in grave or not?
A. It is permitted to keep "Shajarah'(the list of saintly line of one's spiritual guide) and "Ehd Naamah" (an immensely beneficial Du'aa transmitted by Saieyyidinaa Abu Bakr Siddique,may Allah be pleased with him) in grave which may better be kept in a niche to the Qiblah side in front of the face of the dead person. Absolution of the deceased is expected.
Q32: What injunction is there in regard to placing flowers on bier or grave?
A. There is no harm in placing a large inter-woven garland or wreath on bier. Similarly, it is better to place flowers on grave as they will praise and glorify Allah Almighty so long as they remain wet which will comfort the dead. Therefore, it is impermissible to remove grass etc: from the grave because its remembrance of Allah causes descent of mercy which provides comfort and succour to the dead and its removal deprives him of Allah's mercy.
Q33: What good does utterance of Azaan on grave do the dead?
A. It is related in "Ahaadees" that when the dead is placed in grave he is questioned as to who is his "Rabb"(Creator,Sovereign Lord). At that moment Satan appears there to inveigle the dead into saying, pointing towards himself, that "I am your Rabb". It has, therefore, been emphasised upon to pray for the steadfastness of the dead in answering questions of the Questioning Angels.
The Holy Prophet himself used to pray, while burying the dead, saying: 'O'Allah! save this (dead) from Satan".
It is proved by authentic "Ahaadees" that when "Mu'azzin" calls Azaan, Satan takes to his heels. The ostensible good the Azaan does the dead is that it is, by the grace of Allah Almighty, saved from the deception of Satan, the outcast. The second benefit of the Azaan on grave is that it helps the dead remember the answers to the questions of Munkar and Nakeer. Besides, Azaan is the remembrance of Allah which automatically causes the descent of Allah's mercy. The gates of the heavens are opened and torment is lifted (removed). The remembrance of Allah obviates horror and grants peace to the hearts. It is, therefore, potently hoped that the Azaan on grave rids the dead of torment and horror of the grave. The Azaan is, indeed, a highly beneficial gift to the dead from the living ones.
Q34: Which things,acts are forbidden and unlawful in graveyard?
A. To sleep, walk, urinate and defecate on any grave is "Haraam" (unlawful). It is also forbidden to walk the new pathway made through the graveyard. If one wants to visit the gave of his relative he will have to walk over graves (to reach thereto) then he should not go there but should make Du'aa for the dead from distance. It is also impermissible to visit graveyard with the shoes on. Likewise, all those things,acts which make one oblivious to the inevitability of death like eating, drinking, sleep, laughing, worldly talks etc: are also forbidden.
Q35: What is condolence and what injunction is there to this effect?
A. Advising a bereaved brother-in-faith to have patience on the death of his Muslim relative is condolence. It is established from the Prophet's Sunnah and is rewarding one. Condolence is done within three days after death. However, there is no harm if death is condoled after three days due to any problem, reason.
Condolence be done thus: "May Allah Almighty forgive the departed soul and keep him/her in eternal peace and grant you patience and reward on this misfortune.
Q36: Is it lawful or not to lament for the dead loudly?
A. It is "Haraam" (unlawful) to cry and weep loudly speaking of the dead. Similarly, to tear one's breast of garment, claw the face, unruffle the hair, put dust on the head, beat the breast, bang the hands on the thighs etc: are the acts of ignorance and thus are unlawful. Wearing of black cloths by men and to wear badges, that is a symbol of Christianity, are
also unlawful.
However, weeping without sound and noice is not
impermissible.
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