---
title: "Funeral Prayer (Salat al-Janazah): A Comprehensive Guide"
description: "The funeral prayer is farḍ kifāyah (a communal obligation); if some Muslims perform it, the sin falls from the rest."
url: "https://iqraairtqi.com/en/blogs/funeral-prayer-salat-al-janazah-guide"
date: "2026-08-18T07:01:18+00:00"
---
# Funeral Prayer (Salat al-Janazah): A Comprehensive Guide
- ⚰️ **The funeral prayer is farḍ kifāyah** (a communal obligation); if some Muslims perform it, the sin falls from the rest.
- 4️⃣ **Four takbīrs**, performed entirely standing, with no bowing or prostration, ending with a single taslīm.
- 📖 After the first: al-Fātiḥah. After the second: the Ibrāhīmic ṣalawāt. After the third: supplication for the deceased. After the fourth: a brief supplication, then the taslīm.
- 🧎♀️ It is prayed in congregation; multiple rows are recommended.
The Rulings of the Funeral Prayer (Ṣalāt al-Janāzah): A Simple Guide
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At **Iqraa Irtaqii Academy**, students living in the West often ask how to pray the funeral prayer, since they may be faced with it unprepared. This is a practical summary with a reference to the source.
### Its ruling
The funeral prayer is **farḍ kifāyah** by scholarly consensus: if some Muslims perform it the obligation is lifted from the rest; if all neglect it, all are sinful.
### How it is performed
IslamWeb’s fatwa on its method states:
> “After the first takbīr, one recites al-Fātiḥah; after the second takbīr, he recites the Ibrāhīmic ṣalāh (Allāhumma ṣalli ‘alā Muḥammad wa ‘alā āli Muḥammad…); after the third takbīr, he supplicates for the deceased; then he says the fourth takbīr, and he may or may not supplicate after it; then he concludes with one taslīm to the right side.”
### Practical steps
1. The intention, then the **first takbīr** raising the hands, then seeking refuge and reciting al-Fātiḥah silently.
2. **Second takbīr**: the Ibrāhīmic ṣalāh as in the tashahhud.
3. **Third takbīr**: supplication for the deceased; a well-known one: “O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him…”
4. **Fourth takbīr**: pause briefly and supplicate, then give one taslīm to the right.
If the deceased is female or a child, the pronouns in the supplication are adjusted accordingly; for a child, one also supplicates for the parents with reward and patience.
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### Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: May the funeral prayer be performed individually?**A: Yes, it is valid, but performing it in congregation is better and more complete.
**Q: What if I join the imam after some takbīrs?**A: You join and make takbīr, and make up the missed takbīrs after the imam’s taslīm before the body is lifted, according to the majority of jurists.
**Q: Is the funeral prayer required of women?**A: It is valid from them and they receive its reward; they are not obliged to attend, and many scholars consider it disliked for them to follow the funeral to the grave.