Question: Can you please advice me the correct method of performing Janaazah Salaah as I have noticed that the four schools differ in the method.

Jazakallaahu khairan

Answer:

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
حامدًا وّمصليًا وّمسلمًا
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

There are slight differences with regards to how the four schools perform the Janaazah Salaah, however all of them have based their results on the Hadith of Rasulullaah Salallaahu Alaihi Wasallam and the statements of the Sahaabah [May Allaah be pleased with them]. Generally when a person is confronted with such conflicting opinions then the correct approach is to follow a particular Madh-hab in its entirety with the conviction that this Madh-hab is most correct with the possibility of being incorrect and attest with regards to the remaining Madha-hib that they are incorrect with the possibility of being correct.
Hence, the scholars of one school do not criticize the scholars of another school, but rather understand that each is following an interpretation of the same sources of Shari’ah (the Quraan and Hadith) as propounded by their Imaams – all of whom possessed the ability to infer rulings directly from the Quraan and the Ahadith of the Messenger [Salallaahu Alaihi Wasallam]
These four schools have been accepted century after century by the people of the Sunnah and community [Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’a]. Although there are those who do not follow a school of jurisprudence and claim to rely only on the Ahadith, what they are in fact claiming is a place alongside the four Sunni Imaams. [I.e. even though what they are claiming sounds appealing, they are only creating another Madh-hab by claiming to have such knowledge of Shari’ah which these great luminaries acquired. Thus there will eventually be numerous Madh-habs and Islaam will end up being nothing but a plaything.]
The Muslim Jurists, when interpreting the sources of the Shari’ah , attempt never to satisfy their personal desires. They attempt to make their best effort to discover the spirit of Shari’ah and they base their opinions on the force of evidence and not merely on the search for convenience. They do not choose an interpretation on the basis of its suitability to their personal fancies; they choose it only on the basis of the strength of the evidence before them.
Now if someone who has not studied Islaamic law is allowed to choose any juristic view without consulting the arguments pertaining to those views, he will be at liberty to select only those views which seem to be more fulfilling to his personal desires and not the guidance – a practice totally condemned in the Quraan.
If such an attitude is permitted, it will render the Shari’ah a plaything in the hands of the ignorant and no rule of Shari’ah will remain immune to distortion. This is why the practice of “pick & mix” has been condemned by all the renowned scholars of Shari’ah.
This was the basic cause for the policy adopted by the later jurists, who made it necessary for the common people to adopt a particular school in its totality. If one prefers the Madh-hab of Imaam Abu Hanifa, then one should adopt it in all matters and with all its details. However, if one prefers another Madh-hab one should adopt that one in full. One should not pick and mix between the different views of the schools for ones own benefit.
The benefit of the validity of the Madh-habs, according to the jurists, is that a person can elect to follow any one of them. But once a person has adopted a particular Madh-hab, then he should not follow any other Madh-hab in any matter, whether it be to seek convenience or to satisfy his personal choices, both of which are based on his desires and not on the force of argument. Thus, policy of allegiance to a particular school was a preventive measure adopted by the jurists to preclude anarchy in the matter of Shari’ah. {Mufti Taqi Uthmani – summarized from Fiqh al- Imaam}

The four schools have differed with regards to what a person should recite after the first Takbeer in the Janaazah Salaah. The Hanafi Madh-hab is of the view that Hamd and Thanaa (praises) of Allaah Ta’ala should be recited. Thus a person may recite the famous Thanaa which is generally recited after the first Takbeer in the ordinary Salaah or he may also add ‘Wa Jallaa Thanaauka’. Since Surah Fatihaa also constitutes the praises of Allaah Ta’ala, one may recite it in place of the above after the first Takbeer of Janaazah Salaah however, it must be read with the intention of Thanaa.

With regards to the procedure of performing Janazah Salaah we reproduce here a short article on the method of Janazah Salaah compiled by us;

Sunnat method of performing Janaazah Salaah

The Mayyit should be placed in front of the Imaam standing in line with the Mayyit’s breast.[1]

It is Mustahab (preferable) to form three rows behind the Imaam .[2]

The following intention is then made:
I make Niyyat of performing Janaazah Salaah for Allaah Ta’ala and as a Dua for the deceased

After the Niyyat recite “Allaahu Akbar” and raise the hands (as in other Salaats) and fold as usual. Then recite Thana & Hamd (the praises of Allaah) ;[3]

Subhaanaka Allahumma wa behamdika wa Tabaraakasmuka wa Ta’aala Jadduka (Wa Jalla Thanaauka [4]) Wa La Illaha Ghairuk.[5]

“Purity (from all faults) is only for you, O Allaah and praise be to You and blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your majesty, and high is Your praise and there is none worthy of worship besides You”.
One may recite Surah Fatihah in place of the above however, it must be read with the intention of Thana & Hamd as it also constitutes the praises of Allaah Ta’ala.

After Thana, recite “Allaahu Akbar” again once, but do not raise the hands.[6] After this Takbeer recite Durood Ibraahim.[7]

After Durood Ibraahim recite “Allaahu Akbar” again once (but do not raise the hands), and recite a Dua for the Mayyit.[8]

If the Mayyit is a Baaligh (of age) male or female one may recite the following Dua:[9]

اَللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيْرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَاُنْثَانَا اَللهُمَّ مَنْ اَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَاَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْاِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْاِيْمَانِ
Allahummaghfir le Hayyina wa Mayyitinia wa Shaahidina wa Ghaa’ibina wa Saghirina wa Kabirina wa Zakarina wa Unsaana. Allamuhmma man Ahyaitahu minna Fa’Ahyihi alal Islam. Wa man Tawaffaituhu minna Fatawaafhu alal Iman.

“O Allaah! Forgive the living and the dead; the present and the absent; the young and old; every man and woman. O Allaah! Whoever You keep alive, bless them with Islam and whoever You cause to die, let them die in the state of Imaan.”

If the deceased is a male child, then the following Du’a is recited instead;

‘Allahummaj’hulana Faratan waj’al’hu lana Ajran wa Zukhran waj’al’hu lana Shaa’fian wa Mushaffa’aa.’[10]

“O Allaah! Make him a source of happiness for us; and make him a reward and a treasure for us, and make him for us an intercessor and an accepted intercession.”

If the deceased is a female child, then the following Du’a is recited instead;

Allahummaj’halana Faratan waj’al’ha lana Ajran wa Zukhran waj’al’ha lana Shaa’fiatan wa Mushaffa’ah.’

After the Dua, recite once again “Allaahu Akbar”. Again do not raise the hands. After the fourth Takbeer pause for a moment and make the two Salaams as is done in other Salaats.[11]
This concludes the Janaazah Salaah.

After the Janaazah Salaah there is no collective Dua as this Salaah itself is a Dua[12]

And Allaah Ta’ala knows best

Answered by:

Musayyab Sahib
26th August 2015
10th Dhul Qa’dah 1436
Checked and Approved by:
[Mufti] Muhammad Irshad Motara

[1] Sahih Bukhaari pg. 177 vol. 1 #1317 – {Muhammad bin Ismail A.H 256}, also see; Raddul Muhtaar pg. 216 Vol. 1{Muhammad Ameen Ibn Aabideen Shaami A.H 1252}

[2] Sunan Abu Dawood #3166 {Sulaiman Bin Ash’ath A.H 275}, also see; Jaami-ut-Tirmidhi pg. 200 vol. 1 {Muhammad bin Isa A.H 279}, Fataawa Hindiyah pg. 161 vol. 1

[3] Muwatta Imaam Maalik pg. 79 – {Imaam Maalik ibn Anas A.H 179} also see; Fathul Baari pg. 673 Vol. 3 Daar Misr{Hafidh Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Hajar Asqalaani A.H 852} , Musannaf Abdur Razzaaq pg. 491 Vol. 3 # 6434{Hafidh Abdur Razzaaq bin Hammaam As-San’aani A.H 211, Raddul Muhtaar pg. 212 vol. 2,

[4] Musnad Al-Firdous Lid-Dailami pg. 614 vol. 1,  Tahtaawi Alal Maraaqi pg. 584, Sharah Munyatul Musalli pg. 302

[5] Sunan Nasai pg. 104 vol. 1- {Imaam Ahmad bin Shuaib An-Nasai A.H 303}

[6] Musannaf Abdur Razzaaq pg. 470 vol. 3 #6361-6363, also see; Jaami-ut-Tirmidhi pg. 206 vol. 1 #1077

[7] Muwatta Imaam Maalik pg. 79, also see; Musannaf Abdur Razzaaq pg. 491 Vol. 3 # 6434, Raddul Muhtaar pg. 212 vol. 2, Al- Mawsoo’ah Al-Kuwaitiyah pg. 21 vol. 26

[8] Ibid

[9] Sunan Ibn Maajah pg. 107 {Muhammad bin Yazeed A.H 273} also see; Jaami-ut-Tirmidhi pg. 198 vol. 1, Majma-uz-Zawaaid pg. 33 vol. 3

[10] Durrul Mukhtaar pg. 215 vol. 2

[11] As-Sunan-ul-Kubraa pg. 43 Vol. 4 – {Imaam Baihaqi A.H 458},  also see; Talkhees-ul-Habeer pg. 126 Vol. 1 {Hafidh Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Hajar Asqalaani} Tahtaawi Alal Maraaqi pg. 320 – {Allaamah Ahmad bin Muhammad  At-Tahtaawi A.H 1231}

[12] Mirqaat-ul-Mafaateeh pg. 394 vol. 1 {Mulla Ali Qari A.H 1014}also see; Khulaasa-tul-Fataawa pg. 225 vol. 1-{Taahir bin Abdur Rasheed Bukhaari}

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