Method of Prayer on Dead Body

12:07 - 2016/01/05

615. There are 5 takbirs (saying Allahu Akbar) in Namaz-e-Mayyit and it is sufficient if a person recites those 5 takbirs in the following order:

After making Niyyat to offer the prayers and pronouncing the 1st takbir he should say: Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah. (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger).
After the 2nd takbir he should say: Alla humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ali Muhammad. (O' Lord! Bestow peace and blessing upon Muhammad and his progeny).
After the 3rd takbir he should say: Alla hummaghfir lil mu'minina wal mu'minat.(O' Lord! Forgive all believers - men as well as women).
After the 4th takbir he should say: Alla hummaghfir li hazal mayyit. (O' Lord! Forgive this dead body). If the dead person is a woman, he would say: Alla hummaghfir li hazihil mayyit. Thereafter he should pronounce the 5th takbir.

It is, however, better that he should pronounce the following supplications after the takbirs respectively:

After the 1st takbir: Ash hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah. Wa Ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluh, arsalahu bil haqqi bashiran wa naziran bayna yada yis sa'ah.
After the 2nd takbir: Alla humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad wa barik 'ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad warham Muhammadan wa Ala Muhammadin ka afzali ma sallayta wa barakta wa tarah hamta 'ala Ibrahima wa Ali Ibrahima innaka Hamidum Majid wa salli 'ala jami'il ambiya'iwal-mursalina wash-shuhada'i was-siddiqina wa jami'i 'ibadilla his-salihin.
After the 3rd takbir: Alla hum maghfir lil mu'minina wal mu'minati wal muslimina wal muslimat, al ahya'i minhum wal amwat tabi'baynana wa baynahum bil khayrati innaka mujibud-da'wat innak 'ala kulli shay'in Qadeer.
After the 4th takbir: Alla humma inna haza 'abduka wabnu 'abdika wabnu amatika nazala bika wa anta khayru manzulin bihi Alla humma inna la na'lamu minhu illa khayra wa anta a'alamu bihi minna. Alla humma in kana mohsinan fa zid fi ihsanihi wa in kana musi'an fatajawaz anhu waghfir lahu. Alla hummaj'alhu 'indaka fi a'la'illiyyin wakhluf 'ala ahlihi fil ghabirin warhamhu bi-rahmatika ya ar hamar Rahimin.

 

 

 

If the dead body is that of a woman he should say: Alla humma inna hazihi 'amatuka wabnatu 'abdika wabnatu amatika nazalat bika wa anta khayra manzulin bihi Alla humma inna la na'lamu minha illa khayra wa anta a'lamu biha minna. Alla humma in kanat mohsinatan fa zid fi ihsaniha wa in kanat musi'atan fatajawaz 'anha waghfir laha. Alla hummaj'al ha 'indaka fi a'la 'illiyin wakhluf 'ala ahliha fil ghabirin warhamha bi-rahmatika ya ar hamar Rahimin. Thereafter he should pronounce the 5th takbir.

616. A person offering prayers for the dead body should recite takbirs and supplications in a sequence, so that Namaz-e-Mayyit does not lose its form.

617. A person who joins Namaz-e-Mayyit to follow an Imam should recite all the takbirs and supplications.

Islamic Laws for Grand Ayatollah Sistani