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Hanafi method, with sources

How to Pray Janazah: The Funeral Prayer and Its Duas (Hanafi)

A clear guide to the funeral prayer the Hanafi way: the four takbirs, what to recite after each, and the duas for an adult, a boy and a girl in Arabic with meaning, with book references.

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A calm evening sky over a mosque with raised hands making dua, for the funeral prayer guide
4 takbirsAll standing
DuasAdult, boy, girl
Fard kifayahCommunal duty
HanafiDawat-e-Islami books
SourcesBook and page

What is the janazah prayer?

Salat al-janazah is the funeral prayer for a Muslim who has passed away. It is fard kifayah and is offered standing with four takbirs, without ruku or sujood (Method of Funeral Salah, p. 8).

This guide follows the Hanafi method as taught in Dawat-e-Islami’s books, such as Method of Salah and Bahar-e-Shariat.

How to pray janazah

  1. IntentionIntend the funeral prayer for the deceased, for Allah, behind the imam.
  2. First takbirRaise your hands, say Allahu Akbar, fold your hands and recite the thana with “wa jalla thana’uka”.
  3. Second takbirSay Allahu Akbar without raising the hands and recite Durood-e-Ibrahimi.
  4. Third takbirSay Allahu Akbar and recite the dua for the deceased.
  5. Fourth takbir and salamSay Allahu Akbar, then give salam to the right and the left.

Method of Funeral Salah (Dawat-e-Islami), pp. 8–10.

What to recite

After the 1st takbirسُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالٰى جَدُّكَ وَجَلَّ ثَنَاؤُكَ وَلَا اِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَSubhanakallahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta‘ala jadduka, wa jalla thana’uka, wa la ilaha ghairuk.Glory be to You, O Allah, and all praise is Yours. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, great is Your praise, and there is none worthy of worship except You.Method of Funeral Salah (Dawat-e-Islami), p. 8: in janazah, “wa jalla thana’uka” is added

After the 2nd takbir: Durood-e-Ibrahimi, as in Salah (see the how to pray guide).

After the 3rd takbir: adultاَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيْرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَاُنْثَانَا، اَللّٰهُمَّ مَنْ اَحْيَيْتَهٗ مِنَّا فَاَحْيِهٖ عَلَى الْاِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهٗ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهٗ عَلَى الْاِيْمَانِAllahummaghfir li-hayyina 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 fa-tawaffahu ‘alal-iman.O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our men and our women. O Allah, whoever of us You keep alive, keep him alive upon Islam, and whoever of us You take, take him upon faith.Method of Funeral Salah (Dawat-e-Islami), p. 9, citing al-Mustadrak 1366; also Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1024, where the second sentence is in the narration of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah
For a boyاَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ لَنَا فَرَطًا وَّاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا اَجْرًا وَّذُخْرًا وَّاجْعَلْهُ لَنَا شَافِعًا وَّمُشَفَّعًاAllahummaj‘alhu lana faratan, waj‘alhu lana ajran wa dhukhran, waj‘alhu lana shafi‘an wa mushaffa‘a.O Allah, make him one who goes ahead of us, make him a reward and a treasure for us, and make him an intercessor for us whose intercession is accepted.Method of Funeral Salah (Dawat-e-Islami), p. 10, citing Kanz al-Daqa’iq
For a girlاَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهَا لَنَا فَرَطًا وَّاجْعَلْهَا لَنَا اَجْرًا وَّذُخْرًا وَّاجْعَلْهَا لَنَا شَافِعَةً وَّمُشَفَّعَةًAllahummaj‘alha lana faratan, waj‘alha lana ajran wa dhukhran, waj‘alha lana shafi‘atan wa mushaffa‘ah.O Allah, make her one who goes ahead of us, make her a reward and a treasure for us, and make her an intercessor for us whose intercession is accepted.Method of Funeral Salah (Dawat-e-Islami), p. 10

Frequently asked questions

Is the janazah prayer obligatory?

It is fard kifayah: if some Muslims pray it, the obligation is lifted from the rest (Method of Funeral Salah, p. 8).

What are its pillars?

Two: the four takbirs and standing. Its sunnahs are the thana, the durood and the dua (Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 1, p. 829).

Is there ruku or sujood?

No. The whole prayer is offered standing, with four takbirs and salam (Method of Funeral Salah, p. 8).

Do I raise my hands at every takbir?

No, only at the first takbir (Method of Funeral Salah, p. 8).

Sources

  1. Method of Funeral Salah, Dawat-e-Islami (Maktaba-tul-Madinah), English edition: status and method, p. 8; adult dua, p. 9; duas for a boy and a girl, p. 10.
  2. Kitab-ul-Janaiz, Dawat-e-Islami Islamic Portal (from Bahar-e-Shariat): pillars and sunnahs, Bahar-e-Shariat vol. 1, p. 829.
  3. Hadith: Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1024; al-Mustadrak 1366 (as cited in Method of Funeral Salah).

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Last updated: October 2026

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