The funeral prayer in Islam consists of four Takbirs (Saying Allāhu Akbar). After each takbir, specific duas are recited. In this article, we will discuss all the dua of funeral prayer.
First Takbir: Say Allāhu Akbar and recite Sana
سُبْحَانَكَ اللهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ
Subhānakallāhumma wa biḥamdika, wa tabārakasmuka, wa ta’ālā jadduka, wa lā ‘ilāha ghairuk.
(Glory is to You O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your Name and Exalted is Your Majesty. There is none worthy of worship but You)
Seconf takbir: Say Allāhu Akbar and Send Salat Upon The Prophet
You can briefly say, “Sallallāhu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam” (May Allah send His blessings and peace upon him). However, the following words are recommended if you are able to recite them:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma salli ‘alā Muhammadin wa ‘alā āli Muhammad, kamā sallaita ‘alā Ibrāhīm wa ‘alā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Hamīdum Majīd; Allāhumma bārik ‘alā Muhammadin wa ‘alā āli Muhammad, kamā bārakta ‘alā Ibrāhīm wa ‘alā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Hamīdum Majīd.
(O Allah, send Your grace, honour and mercy upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your grace, honour and mercy upon Ibrahim. You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious).
Third Takbir: Say Allāhu Akbar and make dua for the deceased
Recite this dua of funeral prayer if the deceased is an adult:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ
Allāhammaghfir li hayyinā wa mayyittinā, wa shāhidinā wa ghā ibinā, wa saghīrinā wa kabīrinā, wa dhakarinā wa unthanā. Allāhumma man ahyaitahū minnā, fa ahyihī ‘alal islām, wa man tawaffaitahū minnā, fatawaffahū ‘alal īman.
(O Allah! Forgive our living and our deceased, our present and our absent, our young and our old, our male and our female. O Allah, to whomsoever of us Thou givest life grant him life as a believer, and whomsoever of us Thou takest in death take him in death as a follower of Islam. O Allah, do not withhold from us the reward (of faith) and do not lead us astray after his death.)
(Tirmidhi 1024, Abu Dawud 3201)
You can find here another dua for the deceased.
Recite this dua of funeral prayer if the deceased is a minor child:
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لَنَا فَرَطًا، وَاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا أَجْرًا
Allāhummaj’alhu lanā faratā, waj’alhu lanā ajrā.
(O Allah, make him a forerunner for us and make him a reward for us.)
(Musannaf Abdur Razzaq 6588)
Fourth and Final Takbir
Say, “Allāhu Akbar“, then say, “Assalāmu ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmatullāh” to the right and then say it to the left. This is the end of the Funeral Prayer.
See: Musannaf Abdur Razzaq 6434, 6588; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba 11493, 11496; Jami Tirmidhi 1022, 1024