Grade 5 Karmam Chapter 9-13: Funeral Prayer, Burial, Seclusion, and Blessed Journeys Notes
Procedures and Components of Janazah Prayer (Funeral Prayer)
The Structure of the Prayer: * The Janazah prayer consists of Takbirs. * It has been reported that the Prophet (PBUH) never performed more than Takbirs for this specific prayer.
The Sequential Steps After Each Takbir: * First Takbir: After the opening Takbir, the worshipper must recite Surah Al-Fatiha. * Second Takbir: After the second Takbir, the worshipper recites the Ibrahimiyya Salawat (the Durood-e-Ibrahim recited in daily prayers). * Third Takbir: This is designated for offering supplications (Dua) for the deceased. According to authentic Hadiths, various supplications may be used. * Fourth Takbir: After this Takbir, one can choose to offer additional supplications for the deceased.
Authentic Supplications for the Deceased (Muslim): * Arabic: اللهم اغِف ْر ُه َعن ْم ْ ل َوا ْر َح ْمُه َو َعاِف ِه َوا ْع ُف ُه، َ َوَأ ُه، َأ ْكرِ ن َوَو ِس ْع ُه، ُ ُزلَ َوا َما ِء ْغ ِسلْ ُمْد َخل ُه َ الْ ِ ب لْجِ َوالث َب َرِد، َّ ُيَنقَّ ال َكَما ى ْ َخ َط َو ِمَن اَيا َن َوال ِق ِه ْ ْو ُب الَّدَن ُه ِس ا ِمَن أَل الث ْبَي ُض َّ ْبِدلْ َأ ِم ْن ِه، َخ َوَأ َدا ًرا ْي ًرا َدار ْه لِ ِه َخ َوَأ ْي ًرا ِفتْ َن َة َوِق ِه َزْو ِج َأ َو َزْو ًجا َخْي ًرا ِم ْن ِه َأ ال ا َب ْ َقْبرِ َو َعذَ النَّارِ * Translation: "O Allah! Forgive him, have mercy on him, grant him well-being, and pardon him. Make his reception honorable and make his entrance spacious. Wash him with water, snow, and hail, and cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed of filth. Exchange his home for a better home, his family for a better family, and his spouse for a better spouse. And protect him from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the Fire."
Authentic Supplications for the Deceased (Sunan Abi Dawud): * Arabic: ا ْغ الل ِف ْر َّ ُهَّم ِ لِ َحي َنا، ِ َن ِت ا، َن َو َمي ا، ِ َن َو َصِغير ا، يرِ ِ َن َو ا َكب اَن َوذ ا، َ َكرِ نْثَ ُأ َن َو ا، َشا ِهِدَن َوُأ ا ِ َو ُهَّم َغاِئب الل َم ْن ْحَيْيَت ُه َّ َأ ِمن ِه َّ َأ ا ِ ْحي َفَأ َعل َ ى لَمِ ْسْ نا َوفَّ الِْ َو َم ْن ْيَت ُه ِْ ِم ُه َت َّ لى َوفَّ ِن َع َفَت َ ْي َم تُ ب ْعَدهُ اللَّ ُهَّم ااِْل ْج َره،ُ َوالَ ُ َأ الَ َت ْح ِر ْمَنا * Translation: "O Allah! Forgive our living and our dead, those of us who are present and those of us who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah! Whoever You keep alive among us, keep them alive upon Islam, and whoever You take from us, take them upon faith. O Allah! Do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him."
Conclusion of the Prayer: * The prayer is completed by delivering the Taslim («م َسلُ لُي ْكم الَّ ْعَ َمةُ رْ َوَهللا «) to the right. * While the Taslim to the right is standard, there are reports mentioning a second Taslim to the left.
Advanced Rules and Etiquette of Funeral Prayers
Prayers for Deceased Children: * If the deceased is a child, the third Takbir is used to supplicate specifically for the child's parents, as commanded in the Hadiths.
Physical Location and Congregation: * Ideally, the prayer is performed in specific areas prepared for funerals. If unavailable, performing it in a mosque is permissible. * Row Formation: Rows should be organized similarly to regular prayers. If the number of attendees is low, they should be arranged into rows.
Positioning of the Imam: * For a deceased male: The Imam stands near the head. * For a deceased female: The Imam stands near the middle of the body.
Handling Multiple Deceased Persons: * A single prayer for all bodies is sufficient and follows the Prophetic Sunnah. * Arrangement: Men are placed closest to the Imam. Women are placed behind men, aligned so their middle portion matches the man's head. Children are placed between the men and the women. * All bodies must have their heads aligned in the same direction.
Special Circumstances: * Late Arrival: If a person arrives after the burial, they may perform the Janazah prayer at the gravesite. The Prophet (PBUH) once did this for a woman who served in the Medina mosque. * Miscarriages: If a fetus is miscarried after months of pregnancy, it must be bathed, shrouded, and a funeral prayer must be performed.
Forbidden and Discouraged Acts: * Talking loudly or reciting specific dhikrs while carrying the body or waiting for the prayer is contrary to the Sunnah. * Attendance should involve silent reflection upon death.
The Process and Sunnah of Burial (Khabr)
Types of Graves: * Lahad (لحد): A large pit with a niche carved into the side facing the Qibla. This is the preferred method but rare in certain regions. * Shiqq (شق): A large pit with another smaller pit dug into the middle of the floor to fit the body. This is the common method in many countries.
Placement and Recitation: * The body must always be placed facing the Qibla. * The recitation while lowering the body is: "ْسمِ ب ِهللا ى ِ َو َعل ِة َ َر ُسو ِل ِهللا ُسنَّ" (Bismillahi wa 'ala sunnati Rasoolillah) or "ْسمِ ب ِهللا ى ِ َو َعل ِة َ َر ُسو ِل ِهللا ِملَّ" (Bismillahi wa 'ala millati Rasoolillah).
Post-Burial Sunnah: * Throwing handfuls of soil into the grave after the covering stones are placed. * There is no specific dhikr or verse cited in Hadiths for the throwing of the soil. * It is Sunnah to pray for the deceased's steadfastness (Thasbeeth) and forgiveness immediately after burial.
Prohibited Acts and Innovations (Bid'ah): * Building structures over graves, plastering them with lime, or sitting on them is strictly forbidden. * Congregational recitation where one leads and others repeat during Thasbeeth is not from the Sunnah. * Reciting Surah Al-Mulk during burial or reciting Talqeen after burial has no evidence in the Sunnah. * Planting trees on the grave is not part of the Prophetic tradition.
Ta'ziyah (Consolatory Acts): * Consoling relatives is Sunnah. The prescribed greeting is: "Truly, what Allah has taken belongs to Him, and what He has given belongs to Him. Everything with Him has an appointed term. So, be patient and seek reward [from Allah]." * Non-prescribed acts include choosing specific days for mourning/consoling or distributing/cooking food as a formality (Niyaha/wailing).
I'tikaf: Seclusion in the Mosque
Definition and Purpose: * I'tikaf is temporarily withdrawing from worldly affairs to stay in a mosque for worship, including prayers, Quran recitation, and dhikr.
Legal Status: * It is generally a Sunnah act. It becomes Wajib (obligatory) only if a person makes a vow (Nathr) to perform it.
Best Locations and Timing: * Most meritorious in Masjid al-Haram (Makkah), Masjid an-Nabawi (Madinah), and Masjid al-Aqsa. * It can be performed in any mosque where congregational prayers are held. * The most virtuous time is the last days of Ramadan, seeking Laylat al-Qadr.
Invalidators of I'tikaf: * Leaving the mosque for non-essential needs. * Sexual relations. * Apostasy (Murtad).
The Three Blessed Journeys and Special Mosques
Restricted Travel for Reward: * Travel specifically to seek spiritual rewards is restricted to only mosques: Masjid al-Haram, Masjid an-Nabawi, and Masjid al-Aqsa.
Masjid al-Haram (Makkah): * Contains the Kaaba. * Reward for prayer is times that of other mosques.
Masjid an-Nabawi (Madinah): * Built by the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions. * Reward for prayer is more than times that of other mosques (excluding Masjid al-Haram). * Visitation Etiquette: The primary intention should be visiting the mosque. Upon entry, perform Tahiyat al-Masjid ( Rak'ahs). * Greetings at Graves: Greet the Prophet (PBUH): "مُلَا كَ يْ سَّ ال َعل َيا َ هللا لَ سوُ رَ". Greet Abu Bakr (RA) to the right: "ال َّس ْي كَ اَلُم ي اَ علَ ةَ فَيِخلَ لِ سوُ رَّ ال". Greet Umar (RA) further to the right: "ال َّس ْي كَ اَلُم َعل َيا ِمي َر ال َأ ُمْؤ ِمِني َن َأ". * Rawdah: The space between the Prophet's house and his pulpit is "A garden from the gardens of Paradise." * Baqi' al-Gharqad: The public cemetery of Madinah, which is Sunnah for men to visit.
Masjid al-Aqsa (Palestine): * Located in Baitul Muqaddas. Built by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) after the Kaaba. * Reward for prayer is times that of regular mosques.
Masjid Quba: * The Prophet (PBUH) visited every Saturday. * Virtue: Purifying oneself at home and praying there results in the reward of an Umrah.