Haramain guide

Guide to Salat al-Janazah in the Haramain

Step-by-step funeral prayer guide according to the Sunnah, as practised in Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi.

4 Takbīrāt
Standing only — no rukū‘ or sujūd
Open to men and women

Quick reference

Four takbīrāt, all standing. Keep this open on your phone in the Haram.

Takbīr 1

Recite Surah Al-Fātiḥah

Takbīr 2

As-Salāt al-Ibrāhīmiyyah

Takbīr 3

Du‘ā’ for the deceased

Takbīr 4

Brief pause, then one taslīm to the right

First takbīr — Surah Al-Fātiḥah

Stand facing the qiblah with the intention in your heart. Raise your hands and say Allāhu Akbar, then place your hands on your chest. There is no opening supplication (du‘ā’ al-istiftāḥ) in Janazah — go straight into Surah Al-Fātiḥah, recited quietly.

Surah Al-Fātiḥah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ۝ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ۝ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ۝ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ۝ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ۝ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ۝ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ

Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Al-ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil-‘ālamīn. Ar-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Māliki yawmid-dīn. Iyyāka na‘budu wa iyyāka nasta‘īn. Ihdinaṣ-ṣirāṭal-mustaqīm. Ṣirāṭal-ladhīna an‘amta ‘alayhim, ghayril-maghḍūbi ‘alayhim wa laḍ-ḍāllīn.

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds; the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate; Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us along the straight path — the path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray.

Second takbīr — blessings on the Prophet ﷺ

Say Allāhu Akbar (raising the hands here is from the Sunnah), then send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ with the same wording you recite in the tashahhud.

As-Salāt al-Ibrāhīmiyyah

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 ṣalli ‘alā Muḥammadin wa ‘alā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ‘alā Ibrāhīma wa ‘alā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma bārik ‘alā Muḥammadin wa ‘alā āli Muḥammad, kamā bārakta ‘alā Ibrāhīma wa ‘alā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd.

O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; indeed You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; indeed You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.

Third takbīr — sincere du‘ā’ for the deceased

Say Allāhu Akbar, then supplicate sincerely for the deceased. This is the heart of the prayer. Choose the complete prophetic du‘ā’ if you know it, or the short alternative if you are learning.

Haramain grammar helper

In the Haram the imam announces who is being prayed over. Choose the right form and the pronouns below update for you.

Complete prophetic du‘ā’

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ

Allāhumma ighfir lahu warḥamhu wa ‘āfihi wa‘fu ‘anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi‘ mudkhalahu, waghsilhu bil-mā’i wath-thalji wal-barad, wa naqqihi minal-khaṭāyā kamā naqqaytath-thawbal-abyaḍa minad-danas, wa abdilhu dāran khayran min dārihi wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi wa zawjan khayran min zawjihi, wa adkhilhul-jannata wa a‘idhhu min ‘adhābil-qabri wa min ‘adhābin-nār.

O Allah, forgive and have mercy, grant wellbeing and pardon; honour the resting place and widen the entrance; wash away sins with water, snow and hail; cleanse from faults as a white garment is cleansed of dirt; give in exchange a better home, a better family and a better spouse; admit into Paradise and protect from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Fire. (Sahih Muslim 963)

If the deceased is a child, supplicate for their parents instead, asking Allah to make the child a means of reward and intercession for them.

Fourth takbīr — pause, then one taslīm

Say Allāhu Akbar a fourth time, pause briefly in silence (some add a short du‘ā’ such as “Allāhumma lā taḥrimnā ajrahu wa lā taftinnā ba‘dahu”), then give one single taslīm to the right.

Taslīm

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatullāh

Peace and the mercy of Allah be upon you. (Turning the head to the right only)

There is no rukū‘, no sujūd and no sitting — the entire prayer is performed standing and usually takes under two minutes.

Virtues and rewards

Few acts of worship give so much reward for so little time. In the Haramain the opportunity comes after almost every fard prayer.

Two mountains of reward

The Prophet ﷺ said: whoever attends the funeral prayer has one qīrāṭ of reward, and whoever stays until the burial has two qīrāṭ — and each qīrāṭ is like a great mountain. (Sahih al-Bukhari 1325, Sahih Muslim 945)

Intercession for the deceased

When a large congregation prays over the deceased — as happens after every prayer in the Haramain — their supplication is accepted for the deceased. (Sahih Muslim 947, 948)

A right of every Muslim

Praying over a Muslim who has passed away is one of the rights a believer owes their brother or sister, and it is a fard kifāyah fulfilled on behalf of the whole community.

Multiplied in the Haramain

It is a prayer offered in the two most blessed mosques on earth, usually alongside thousands of worshippers, with barely a minute of your time asked of you.

For women in the Haramain

Women are fully permitted to join Salat al-Janazah inside the mosque and receive the same reward. Simply remain standing in your place when the imam announces the funeral prayer and follow the takbīrāt. Attending the burial at the graveyard is what is restricted — not the prayer itself.

When it happens

In Makkah and Madinah the Janazah is normally prayed immediately after the salām of the fard prayer. You will hear the announcement “aṣ-ṣalātu ‘alal-janāzah”. Stay standing, do not rush to leave, and do not begin your sunnah prayers until it is finished.

Please note

This guide describes the method followed in both Haramain, which is based on the Ḥanbalī school. If you follow a different madhhab, some details may look unfamiliar to you — that is perfectly normal, and there is no problem at all in simply following the imam. Differences in these details are well-known and accepted differences of opinion among the scholars.

Based on the rulings and guidance explained by Sheikh Aziz Farhan, with hadith references from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. For anything specific to your situation, please consult a qualified scholar.

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