When it seems that someone is approaching his time of death, the recitation of Surah Ya Sin (Ch. 36 of the Holy Quran) is recommended. The reason for this choice is that the topics dealt with in this Surah are of a nature which alleviate the suffering of the person concerned and give him a kind of spiritual comfort. One should also recite, in low but audible tone, the Takbir, and Kalimah Shahadah near the person concerned. Once the person dies, all those who are present and all who come to know of the death later, should recite:
Transliteration:
Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji‘un.
Translation:
Indeed we are for Allah and it is to Him that we return.
The eyes of the deceased should be closed by hand and a cloth band should be used round his chin and head so that his mouth is closed. Instead of bewailing, one should remain calm and patient and attend to the funeral and burial arrangements.
The body should be bathed in the following manner:
Fresh or lukewarm water should be used to wash the body three times. The practise of the Holy Prophet(sa) was to put some leaves of a Beri tree in the water for washing the dead body. First of all, those limbs, which are washed during normal Wudu’ (Ablutions) should be washed though it is not required to pour water in the mouth or nostrils to clean them or to wash the feet. Next the body should be washed, first the right side and then the left. Private parts of the body should remain covered by a cloth. Men alone can bathe male persons and women alone can bathe female persons. The body should then be wrapped in a shroud, which normally is made of an inexpensive white cloth.
The shroud for men consists of three pieces of cloth; a top sheet to cover the top part of the body, a bottom sheet to cover the lower part and a large sheet to cover the whole body from head to feet.
For a female, however, two additional pieces of cloth are used, one for her chest and the other for her head. Islam instructs that one should arrange the burial with utmost simplicity.
A martyr does not need either bathing or the shroud to wrap his body. He should be buried in the clothes he was wearing at the time of death.
After bathing and wrapping the body in a shroud, the body should be carried on shoulders to the place where the Funeral Prayer is to be performed. The Funeral Prayer is held in the open or in a place built for that purpose called Janazah Gah. Those present for the funeral service should arrange themselves in rows behind the Imam. The number of rows should be odd. The Imam should occupy a position ahead of the first row and in the middle, with the body of the deceased resting in front of him. The position of the dead body should be such that the right side of the body should be towards the Ka‘bah.
The Imam commences the Prayer by saying Allahu Akbar, i.e. Allah is the Greatest, loudly. The followers say the same in a low tone. The Imam then recites Thana’ and Surah Al-Fatihah silently. He then says Allahu Akbar without raising his hand. The followers say Allahu Akbar too, but in a low tone.
Then, the whole congregation recites Durud silently. After that the Imam says Allahu Akbar for the third time audibly and the particular prayers for the deceased as given below, are recited. The Imam then says Allahu Akbar for the fourth time and, turning his face towards the right says Assalamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah, and turning his face towards the left repeats the same to mark the end of the Prayer.
The followers, too, say Assalamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah, in a low tone and also turn their faces to the right and left.
There is no Ruku‘ or Prostration in the Funeral Prayer. Funeral Prayer in absentia can also be offered for a deceased person, specially for prominent people or in a case when few Muslims have offered the original Funeral Prayer. To offer a Funeral Prayer for a Muslim is obligatory for the body of all Muslims. It is called Fard-i-Kifayah. Thus if only a few people offer the Funeral Prayer they are deemed to have done it on behalf of all Muslims. The rest of the Muslim Community is therefore absolved from the obligation of performing the Funeral Prayer.
If the deceased is an adult, male or female, the following Prayer is recited:
Transliteration:
Allahumaghfir lihayyina wa mayyitina wa shahidina wa gha’ibina wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa Dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaitahu minna fa’ahyihi ‘alal-Islam, wa man tawaffaitahu minna fatawaffahu ‘alal-Iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wala taftinna ba‘dah.
Translation:
O Allah, forgive our living ones and our deceased ones and those of us who are present and those who are absent, and our young ones and our old ones and our males and our females. O Allah, those of us whom Thou grantest life, keep them firm on Islam, and those of us whom Thou causest to die, cause them to die in the faith. Deprive us not, O Allah, of the benefits relating to the deceased and subject us not to trial after him. (Ibn-e-Majah Kitabul-Jana’iz, Babud-Du‘a’ fis-Salati ‘alal janazah, page 107).
Prayer for a Deceased Male Child
Transliteration:
Allahummaj‘alhu lana salafan wa furutan, waj‘alhu lana ajran wa dhukhran, waj‘alhu lana shafi‘an wa mushaffa‘a.
Translation:
O Allah make him our forerunner, and make him, for us, a reward and a treasure, and make him for us a pleader and accept his pleading.
Prayer for a Deceased Female Child
Transliteration:
Allahumaj‘alha lana salafan wa furutan wa dhukhran wa ajran wa shafi‘atan wa mushaffa‘ah.
Translation:
O Allah make her our forerunner, and make her, for us, a reward and a treasure, and make her for us a pleader and accept her pleading.
After the Funeral Prayer, the body should be taken to the cemetery for burial without any delay. The coffin should be carried on shoulders and all those who accompany the coffin should take turns in shouldering the coffin. If the body is to be carried to a considerable distance for burial, a vehicle may be used. Those who follow the funeral procession should continue the remembrance of God as well as pray for the forgiveness of the deceased in a low tone.
The grave may be prepared either as a dug up area which contains a further niche (lahd) inside for the body to rest on or it may be just a dug up area. However, it is essential for the grave to be wide and spacious. In extreme cases more than one body can be buried in one grave. If the burial at a particular location is meant to be temporary, or if the burial ground is likely to be affected by flood waters, then it is permissible to use an iron or wooden box for the corpse so as to protect the body from decaying too early.
The body must be lowered into the grave with care and caution.
The following should be recited when the body is being lowered into the grave:
Transtiteration:
Bismillahi wa billahi ‘ala millati Rasulillahi sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam.
Translation:
In the name of Allah and with his blessings, upon the path set by the conduct of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
As the body is placed in the grave, the sheet wrap should be loosened a bit at the opening and the face tilted a little towards the Qiblah. Some bricks or stone slabs should be used to cover the niche (lahd) and then sand or loose earth should be heaped. The following should be recited on this occasion:
Transliteration:
Minha khalaqnakum wa fiha nu‘idukum wa minha nukhrijukum taratan ukhra.
Translation:
We have created you out of this (dust) and we shall return you to it and it is out of the same that we shall revive you in the end.
It is in keeping with the practice of the Holy Prophet(sa) to make the heap of the grave somewhat raised from the ground, i.e. a slight hump-like form.
When the burial ceremony is complete, a brief silent congregational Prayer with raised hands should be made for the forgiveness of the deceased. Then the mourners should leave the cemetery reciting the following:
Transliteration:
Assalamu ‘alaikum wa inna insha’allahu bikum la-lahiqun.
Translation:
Peace be upon you and God willing we are certainly bound to join you.
Condolences must be offered to those related to the deceased.
It is commendable for the near and dear ones, or neighbours, to provide meals to the bereaved family for one time at least.
One must not give in to any superstitions. The condolences and conditions of bereavement should be maintained for three days. After that life should come back to normal. However, the period of bereavement as applicable to the widow of the deceased is four months and ten days. According to the Holy Quran, this is a period to stabilise her mentally and emotionally as women are under a great stress, more so than men in this situation, and they need protection from those who sometimes exploit their helplessness by sympathising at the time when such women are more vulnerable. During this period, a widow should not leave her house except for unavoidable needs. In case the woman is the only earning hand in the family and she has to keep up her job obligations, then she is allowed to go out for the purpose of performing her essential professional responsibilities, without socialising herself.
She may further abstain from wearing make-up, dressing up festively, using perfume or taking part in festive ceremonies. This period should be spent by her in the remembrance of Allah and with patience and gratitude to her Creator.