Burial Rituals Chapter 5 and 6
Fourth Wajib Act – Salaatul Mayyit
The next wajib act is Salaatul Mayyit – (Namaz-e-Janaza) for a six-year-old child or even lower than six if the child during his/her life used to pray salaat and could distinguish good from bad (Mummaiz)
Method
The body, in a coffin, is laid before the person(s) praying in congregation, head on the right side of the congregation and the face towards Qibla. Those praying, stand close to the coffin in a row(s) stretching along both sides from the middle of the coffin. Imam stands in front reciting loudly and Mu’mineen follow the recitation. It is recommended that they all be in (wudhu). For a female mayyit, Imam stands near the chest of the mayyit.
The Salaat
The salaat has no ruku or sujud. It is offered in a standing position. There are five Takbirs with recitations after each Takbir.
Method of Namaz-e-Mayyit
There are 5 Takbirs (i.e. saying Allahu Akbar) in Namaz-e-Mayyit, which is prayed as follows:
After making Niyyat to offer the prayers and pronouncing the
First Takbir one should say:
Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah. Ash haduan la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah. Wa Ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasuluh, arsalahu bil haqqi bashiran wa nadhiran bayna yada yis sa’ah.
After the 2nd Takbir one should say:
Alla humma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ali Muhammad. 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 one should say:
Alla hummaghfir lil mu’minina wal mu’minat. 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 he should say:
Alla humma inna hadha ‘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 female one 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 and complete the salaat by reciting Surah al-Fatiha.
Fifth Wajib Act – Dafan Burial
After the salaat, the body should be buried in a Muslim graveyard. It cannot be buried in non-Muslim graveyard unless a portion of that graveyard has been specifically reserved for Muslims. If that does not exist, the body should be sent to a Muslim country for burial. In case that is not possible, it may be buried in the graveyard of Ahlul Kitab – Christians /Jews/Zoroastrians. Conversely, a non-Muslim cannot be buried in a Muslim graveyard.
Method
The coffin, having been brought in a graveyard, is placed a short distance away from the dug up grave and moved slowly to the grave by pausing for a few seconds, putting back on the ground and lifting up again, three times. At the fourth time, it is finally lowered into the grave with head first and is put to rest on its right side with the face towards Qibla as a wajib act. This position should be maintained all that time. A piece of cloth should be spread over the grave while lowering the body of a female so that the bystanders should not be able to see and in the absence of mahram, close relatives should lower the body in the grave.
After the body has been laid in the lahad the ties at both ends of the kafan should be unfastened and some earth should be put under the cheek of the mayyit. An earthen pillows should be done up under the head to rest it a little above the ground.
Talqin is then recited. The following is the full text of Talqin.
The person reciting the talqin should hold with his right hand the right shoulder of the dead body and should place his left hand tightly on its left shoulder and take his mouth near its ear and shaking its shoulders should say thrice:
Isma’ ifham ya …….here the name of the dead person and his father should be called. For example, if the name of the dead person is Muhammad and his father’s name ‘Ali it should be said thrice: Isma ‘ifham ya Muhammad bin ‘Ali. And then he should say: Hal anta ‘alal ‘ahdil lazi farqtana ‘alayhi min shahadati an la ilaha illal lahu wahdahu la sharika lah wa anna Muhammadan sallal lahu ‘alayhi wa Alihi ‘abduhu wa Rasuluhu wa sayyidun nabiyyina wa khatamul mursalina wa anna ‘Aliyyan Amirul mu’minina wa sayyidul wasiyyina wa imamu nif taradhallahu ta’tahu ‘alal ‘alamina wa annal Hasana wal Husayna wa ‘Aliyyabnal Husayni wa Muhammadabna ‘Aliyyin wa Ja’farabna Muhammadin wa Musabna Ja’farin wa ‘Ali ibne Musa wa Muhammadabna’Aliyyin wa ‘Aliyyabna Muhammadin wal Hasanabna ‘Aliyyin wal Qa’imal hujjatal Mahdi salawatullahi ‘alayhim a’i’mmatul mu’minina wa hujajullahi’alal khalqi ajma’ina wa a’immatuka a’immatu hudan abrar ya ……..(here the name of the dead person and his father should be called) and then the following words should be said: Iza atakal malakanil muqarraabani Rasulayni min ‘indillahi tabaraka wa ta’ala wa sa’alaka ‘an Rabbika wa ‘an Nabiyyika wa ‘an dinika wa ‘an Kitabika wa ‘an Qiblatika wa ‘an A’immatika fala takhaf wa la tahzan wa’qul fi jawabi hima, Allahu Rabbi wa Muhammadun sallal lahu ‘alayhi wa Alihi nabiyyi wal Islamu dini wal Qur’anu kitabi wal Ka’batu Qiblati wa Amirul mu’minina ‘Aliyybnu Abi Talib imami wal Hasanubnu ‘Aliyyi nil Mujtaba imami wal Husaynubnu ‘Aliyyi nish-shahidu bi-Karbala imami wa ‘Aliyyun Zaynul ‘Abidina imami wa Muhammadu nil Baqiru imami wa Ja’faru nis Sadiqu imami wa Musal Kazimu imami wa ‘Aliyyu-nir Riza imami wa Muhammadu nil Jawadu imami wa ‘Aliyyu nil Hadi imami wal Hasanul ‘askari imami wal Hujjatul muntazar imami ha ula’i salawatullahi ‘alayhim ajma’in A’i’mmati wa sadati wa qadati wa shufa-a’i bihim atawalla wa min a’daihim atabarra’u fid dunya wal akhirati thumma i’lam ya ……. here the name of the dead person and his father should be called and thereafter it should be said: Annal laha tabaraka wa ta’ala ni’mar-Rabb wa anna Muhammadan sallal lahu ‘alayhi wa Alihi ni’mar Rasul wa anna ‘Aliyyabna Abi Talib wa awladahul ma’suminal A’i’mmatal ithna ‘asharah ni’mal A’i’mmah wa anna ma ja’a bihi Muhammadun sallal lahu ‘alayhi wa Alihi haqqun wa annal mawta haqqun wa suwala munkarin wa nakirin fil qabri haqqun wal ba’tha haqqun wan nushura haqqun wassirata haqqun wal mizana haqqun wa tatayiral kutubi haqqun wa annal jannata haqqun wan-nara haqqun wa annas sa’ata a’tiyatun la rayba fiha wa annallaha yab’athu man fil qubur. Then the following words should be said: Afahimta ya …. (here the name of the dead person should be called) and thereafter the following should be said: Thabbatakallahu bil qawlith thabit wa hadakallahu ila siratim mustaqim ‘arrafallahu baynaka wa bayna awliya’ika fi mustaqarrim min rahmatih. Then the following words should be uttered: Alla humma jafil arza ‘an jambayhi vas’ad biruhihi ilayka wa laqqihi minka burhana Alla humma ‘afwaka ‘afwaka.
After burial Talqin is recited once more over the grave.
Surah Al-Qadr is recited seven times over the grave after the burial and a short dua of Maghferat for the deceased is also offered.
Ghusl for touching a dead body (Mase Mayyit):
If a person touches any part of a dead body including bone but not hair of a human being which has become overall cold and has yet not been given complete Ghusl-e- mayyit either consciously or unconsciously, voluntarily or involuntarily while a sleep or awake, with any part of his body including nail, he should do GHUSLE MASE MAYYIT (GHUSL FOR TOUCHING A DEAD BODY).
Therefore, those who performed Ghusl-e-Mayyit for the deseased person, having touched the body before three ghusls were completed shall have to do GHUSLE MASE MAYYIT. They cannot say their prayers or similar acts of worhip till they have done the Ghusl.
Salaat-ul-Wahshat:
This the namaaz prayed usually on the first night of the burial between Magrib and Isha prayers for the peace of the departed soul. It consist of two raakaats as follows:
- a) In the first rakaat recite Ayatal Kursi after Sura Al Hamd
- b) In the second rakaat recite ten times Sura Al-Qadr after Sura Al-Hamd
- c) After the prayers recite Dua for the pardon and peace of the departed soul.