Riyāḍ uṣ-Ṣāliḥīn · Chapter 157 of 372
Supplications in Funeral Prayers
The Book of Visiting the Sick – Chapter 157 : Ahadith 935 – 940
Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH)
🎧 Listen to all hadiths in Arabic Ch 157 H 935 – 940
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To pronounce four Takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) in the funeral prayer. After the first Takbir, after saying A`udhu billahi minash-Shaitanir-rajim, recite Surat Al-Fatihah. After the second Takbir, send Salam [Allahumma Salli `ala Muhammadin wa `ala ali Muhammadin kama sallaita `ala Ibrahima wa `ala ali Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik `ala Muhammadin wa `ala ali Muhammadin, kama barakta `ala Ibrahima, wa `ala ali Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid. Then after the third Takbir, invoke supplication for the deceased and for the Muslims as we will mention later on, in sha’ Allah. After the fourth Takbir, supplicate Allah. (Some of the supplications of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which are to be recited after the third Takbir are mentioned in the following Ahadith:)
935 Abu `Abdur-Rahman `Auf bin Malik (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered a funeral prayer and I memorized his supplication. He ﷺ prayed: “Allahummaghfir lahu, warhamhu, wa `afihi, wa`fu `anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu, wa wassi` mudkhalahu, waghsilhu bil-ma’i wath-thalji wal-baradi, wa naqqihi minal-khataya, kama naqqaytath-thawbal-abyada minad-danasi, wa abdilhu daran khairan min darihi, wa ahlan khairan min ahlihi, wa zawjan khairan min zawjihi, wa adkhilhul-Jannata, wa a`idh-hu min `adhabil-qabri, wa min `adhabin-nar [if the dead person is a woman, one should change the ending of certain words in this supplication from hu to ha] (O Allah! Forgive him, bestow mercy upon him, pardon him, accord him a noble provision and make his grave spacious, wash him with water, snow and hail, purify him from sins as You have purified the white garment from soiling, give him a better abode in place of his present one, and a better family in exchange of his present one, and a better spouse in place of his present wife; admit him to Jannah and protect from the trial in the grave and punishment in the Hell).” (After hearing this supplication of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu’ Abdur-Rahman ‘Auf bin Malik (radiyallahu anhu) said: I wished I had been that dead man.[Muslim].
936 Abu Hurairah, Abu Qatadah, and Abu Ibrahim Al-Ash-hali (radiyallahu anhum) reported: The Prophet ﷺ offered a funeral prayer and said: “Allahummaghfir lihaiyina wa maiyitina, wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa dhakarina wa unthana, wa shahidina wa gha’ibina. Allahumma man ahyaiytahu minna, fa’ahyihi `alal-Islam, wa man tawaffaiytahu minna, fatawaffahu `alal-Iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu, wa la taftinna ba`dahu (O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, our present and our absent, our young and our old, our male and our female. O Allah, whosoever of us You keep alive, keep him alive (faithful) to IslÀm, and whosoever of us You cause to die, let him die having Iman. O Allah, do not deprive us of our reward (for being patient) and do not subject us to trials after his death.”[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
937 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: “When you pray over the dead, make a sincere supplication for him.”[Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah].
938 Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Prophet ﷺ supplicated in course of funeral prayer: “Allahumma Anta Rabbuha, wa Anta khalaqtaha, wa Anta hadaytaha lil-Islam, wa Anta qabadta ruhaha, wa Anta a`lamu bisirriha wa `alaniyyatiha, ji’naka shufa`a’a lahu [if the dead person is a man, or laha if the dead person is a woman], faghfir lahu [or laha, if it is a woman] (O Allah, You are its Rubb; You created it; You guided it to Islam; You have taken its life back and You know best its insight and outer condition. We have come as intercessors, so forgive him).”[Abu Dawud].
939 Wathilah bin Al-Asqa` (radiyallahu anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the funeral prayer of a Muslim man in our presence, and I heard him saying “Allahumma inna [name of the dead person] fi dhimmatika wa habli jiwarika, faqihi fitnatal-qabri; wa `adhaban-Nari, wa Anta ahlul-wafa’i wal-hamdi; Allahumma faghfir lahu warhamhu, innaka Antal-Ghafur-ur-Rahim [If the dead person is a woman, one can change hu in some words here with ha] [O Allah, (so-and-so son of so-and-so) is in Your Protection and inside the surroundings of Your Refuge. Safeguard him from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the Hell. You keep Your Promise and You deserve to be praised. O Allah! Forgive him and be merciful to him. Indeed, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful].”[Abu Dawud].
940 `Abdullah bin Abu Aufa (radiyallahu anhuma) reported: While offering the funeral prayer of one of his daughters, he recited four Takbir, and after the fourth Takbir he continued standing for a time equal to an interval between two Takbir, praying for her and seeking Allah’s forgiveness for her.” Then he said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do so.”
Another narration is: He (Abdullah) recited four Takbir and remained standing in prayer for some time till we thought that he would recite the fifth Takbir. Then he gave Salam on the right and on the left. When he turned aside, we asked him about it. He replied: “I would add nothing to what I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ doing,” or he said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do so.”[Al-Hakim].