Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika is a standing prayer of four takbeers and no bowing or prostration. In the Hanafi method you say Sana after the first takbeer, Durood after the second, and a dua for the deceased after the third. After the fourth takbeer you give salam to both sides.
This article gives the Hanafi method first, because it is the most searched version. It then explains where Ahle Hadees and other schools differ. It also covers the dua for men, women and children, and the mistakes people commonly make.
What Is Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika and Who Must Pray It?
The funeral prayer is a fard kifayah. If enough Muslims pray it, the rest are relieved of the duty. Sound Vision describes it as a fard kifayah whose procedure follows the sunnah of the Prophet, and says people are strongly encouraged to join as many as possible.
A hadith in Bukhari and Muslim lists following a Muslim’s funeral as one of the five rights a Muslim has over another.
Before You Start: What to Know
- Wudu is needed. Make wudu as you would for a normal prayer.
- Face the Qibla, with the body placed in front of the congregation.
- No azan and no iqamah. The prayer is offered standing, with no ruku or sujud.
- Rows: An odd number of rows is preferred.
- Imam’s position: He stands in line with the head of a man and the midriff of a woman.
- Several deceased people: The bodies are placed in a row, with the men nearest the imam.
Niyyat (intention): The intention is made in the heart. In simple words: “I am praying the funeral prayer for Allah, as dua for this deceased person, behind the imam, facing the Qibla.”
Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika in Hanafi Method
The Hanafi method has four takbeers. The steps below follow Darul Ifta Birmingham and Darul Ifta Deoband.
Step 1: First takbeer and Sana. Raise your hands to your ears and say “Allahu Akbar.” Then fold your hands as in regular prayer and recite Sana:
Subhanakallahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta’ala jadduka, wa jalla thanauka, wa la ilaha ghayruk.
Darul Ifta Birmingham notes that hands are raised to the ears only in the first takbeer.
Step 2: Second takbeer and Durood. Say “Allahu Akbar” without raising your hands. Recite Durood Ibrahim, the same one you read in the last sitting of regular prayer:
Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahima innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahima innaka Hamidun Majid.
Step 3: Third takbeer and the dua for the deceased. Say “Allahu Akbar” and recite the dua for an adult:
Allahummaghfir li-hayyina wa mayyitina, wa shahidina wa gha’ibina, wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa-ahyihi ‘alal Islam, wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa-tawaffahu ‘alal iman.
Meaning: “O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whoever You keep alive among us, keep him alive upon Islam, and whoever You take from us, take him in faith.”
Darul Ifta Deoband says you may also read any other dua mentioned in Hadith. If you do not know this dua, any sincere dua for the deceased is accepted.
Step 4: Fourth takbeer and salam. Say “Allahu Akbar,” then give salam to the right and the left: “Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.” A Hanafi fatwa confirms that there are two salams, Surah Fatiha is not wajib, and hands are raised only for the first takbeer.
Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika or Dua for Men, Women and Children
The prayer itself is identical for a man and a woman. Only two things change: where the imam stands, and the pronouns in the dua.
| Deceased | What changes |
|---|---|
| Adult man | Standard dua above. Imam stands in line with the head. |
| Adult woman | Same prayer and same dua. Imam stands in line with the midriff. If you use the longer dua, say “laha” (for her) instead of “lahu” (for him). |
| Boy (before puberty) | Deoband’s fatwa gives this dua: Allahummaj’alhu lana faratan, waj’alhu lana dhukhran wa ajran, waj’alhu lana shafi’an mushaffa’an. |
| Girl (before puberty) | Same words with the feminine ending: Allahummaj’alha lana faratan, waj’alha lana dhukhran wa ajran, waj’alha lana shafi’atan mushaffa’ah. |
Prayer is also permitted for a child, including a miscarried fetus.
Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika: Ahle Hadees and Other Schools
The four takbeers and the focus on Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika or Dua are shared across schools. The differences are small but real.
| Point | Hanafi | Shafi’i / Hanbali / Ahle Hadees practice |
|---|---|---|
| Surah Fatiha | Not necessary to recite | Necessary in the Shafi’i school; Ibn Uthaymeen’s method has the imam recite Al-Fatiha silently after the first takbeer |
| Raising hands | First takbeer only | Shafi’i and Hanbali scholars hold that it is desirable to raise hands with every takbeer |
| Salam | Two salams | One salam to the right is described in this IslamQA answer |
| Praying inside a masjid | Makruh tahreemi under normal circumstances in the Hanafi school | Mustahab in the Shafi’i school |
IslamWeb’s fatwa on raising the hands says both practices have supporting evidence. It adds that differences here are among matters where differing opinions should be respected.
Why the Hanafi view skips Fatiha: Hanafi scholars treat this prayer as pure supplication. They cite a report from Ibn Masud, quoted by Darul Uloom Trinidad, that the funeral prayer is a supplication with no recitation. They also say that reading Fatiha as dua, not as Quran recitation, is permissible.
Quick Checklist You Can Save
- Wudu, Qibla, rows behind the imam.
- Takbeer 1: raise hands, then Sana.
- Takbeer 2: Durood Ibrahim.
- Takbeer 3: dua for the deceased.
- Takbeer 4: pause briefly, then salam.
Many people look for a Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika PDF in English or Hindi to keep on their phone. The five lines above are what such a PDF should contain. You can copy them into a note on your phone. Hindi, Urdu and Roman English versions follow the same takbeer order.
Common Mistakes in Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika
- Making ruku or sujud. There is none in this prayer.
- Saying azan or iqamah. Neither is part of it.
- Raising hands every time (Hanafi). In the Hanafi method, hands go up once.
- Waiting for a perfect Arabic dua. Sincere dua in your own words is accepted if you do not know the standard one.
- Wearing dirty shoes. An answer from Darul Ifta Zambia says you may pray in shoes if the shoes and the ground beneath them are free of impurities, though removing them shows humility.
FAQs About Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika
What if I arrive late and the imam has already started?
In the Hanafi view, join the imam and make the takbeer he is on. After his salam, complete the takbeers you missed. Ask your local imam if you are unsure.
Can a Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika prayer be offered for someone who died far away?
Scholars differ. Sound Vision says it is acceptable for someone who died in another land where Muslims could not pray for them. Many Hanafi scholars do not allow it, so ask a scholar from your school.
Can women pray Janaze Ki Namaz Ka Tarika?
The prayer method is the same. Whether women attend the funeral gathering is a matter on which communities and scholars differ, so follow your local scholars.
Thank you for Reading
Also check out “The Powerful Dua” for more such powerful duas.