The funeral prayer (Janazah)

The funeral prayer is a communal obligation (fard kifayah): if some people pray it, the duty is lifted from all; if no one does, all are sinful. It has no ruku‘, sujud or sitting — it is prayed standing, with four takbirs.

1. First takbir: make the intention, raise the hands saying “Allahu akbar”, fold them and recite the opening praise (Hanafis add “wa jalla thana’uk” after “wa ta‘ala jadduk”).
2. Second takbir: say “Allahu akbar” without raising the hands and recite the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ (as in the tashahhud).
3. Third takbir: say “Allahu akbar” and pray for the deceased:
   اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا، وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، اللّٰهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِAllahummaghfir 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-imanO 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.
   (Abu Dawud 3201, Tirmidhi 1024)
4. Fourth takbir: say “Allahu akbar” and give salam to the right and left.