He makes four Takbīrs (i.e. says “Allahu Akbar”). After the first Takbīr, he says, “A‘ūdhu billahi min ash-shaytān ar-rajīm” (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed devil), after which he recites Al-Fātihah supplication. Then, he makes the second Takbīr, after which he invokes Allah’s peace and blesssings upon the Prophet, saying: “Allhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala āli Muhammad” (O Allah, bestow Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad). It is preferable that he completes it, saying: “Kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrāhīm... (as You bestowed Your blessings upon Ibrahīm... ) until “Innaka hamīdun majīd” (Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious).
He should refrain from doing what many laymen do, which is reciting the verse that says: {Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask him to do so]...} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 56] The prayer is not valid if it is restricted to this only.
Then, he makes the third Takbīr and supplicates for the deceased and for Muslims with the supplications that we will cite, Allah willing. Then, he makes the fourth Takbīr and supplicates. One of the best supplications to be said in this situation is: O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, do not put us to trials after him, and forgive us and him.
According to the favored view, he should prolong the supplication after the fourth Takbīr, as opposed to the common practice among many people. This is based on a Hadīth reported by Ibn Abi Awfa, which we will cite here, Allah willing.
As for the reported supplications after the third Takbīr, they include the following:
935/1 - Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān ‘Awf ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) offered a funeral prayer, and I memorized this supplication from him: “Allahumma ighfir lahu, warhamhu, wa ‘āfihi, wa‘fu ‘anhu, wa akrim nuzulah, wa wassi‘ mudkhalah, waghsilhu bilmā’ wath-thalj wal-barad, wa naqqihi min al-khtāya kamma naqqayt ath-thawb al-abyad min ad-danas, wa abdilhu dāran khayran min dārih, wa ahlan khayran min ahlih, wa zawjan khayran min zawjih, wa adkhilhu al-jannah, wa a‘idhhu min ‘adhāb al-qabr wa min ‘adhāb an-nār” (O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him. Grant him ease and respite. Make his resting place a noble one, and facilitate his entry. Wash him with water, snow, and hail. Purify him from sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Give him in exchange a home better than his home (on earth) and a family better than his family and a spouse better than his spouse. Grant him entrance to Paradise and protect him from the trials of the grave and the torture of Hellfire). ‘Awf said: I wished I was that deceased person! [Narrated by Muslim]
--
--
His entry: It refers to the place he enters, namely his grave.
1) This supplication is made for the deceased person in particular. The funeral prayer comprises the recitation of Al-Fātihah supplication, then invoking Allah’s blessings upon the Prophet, then supplication for Muslims at large, and then supplication for the deceased in particular.
2) It urges us to be sincere to Allah Almighty and be persistent in our supplication for the deceased to be forgiven and his sins to be completely erased.
3) The supplication for him to be given in exchange a better home, family, and spouse may mean to be given a better alternative or to be given the same but with better qualities.
4) The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were so keen to benefit from the blessing of the Prophet’s supplication that the Companion reporting the Hadīth wished he had been the deceased one, for whom the supplication was made.
His words: “Wash him with water, snow, and hail. Purify him from sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt,” point to the common mistake made by laymen when they say the expression "the heat of faith". Rather, we should say "the coolness of faith". In the Hadīth, he mentions snow and hail because they are cool, and water because it cleans. As sins lead to heated punishment and Satan who whispers to humans to commit them was created from fire, it was appropriate to couple water with snow and hail so that complete cleanliness and cooling from sins would be achieved.
He mentioned the white garment because it is where the least traces of dirt is obvious. So, when it is purified and clear, this means it does not have any traces of dirt whatsoever, which happens as a result of persistent supplication for forgiveness and cleansing of sins. How beneficial the Prophet’s supplications are, as they comprise all the aspects of goodness!
936/2 - Abu Hurayrah, Abu Qatādah, and Abu Ibrāhīm Al-Ashhali reporting from his father who was a Companion (may Allah be pleased with them all) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) offered a funeral prayer and said therein: “Allahumma ighfir li-hayyina wa mayyitina, wa saghīrina wa kabīrina, wa dhakarina wa unthāna, wa shāhidina wa ghā’ibina. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa’ahyihi ‘ala al-Islām, wa man tawffaytahu minna fatawaffahu ‘ala al-imān. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrah, wa la taftinna ba‘dah” (O Allah, forgive those of us who are living and those of us who are dead, those of us who are young and those who are old, those of us who are males and those who are females, and those of us who are present and those who are absent. O Allah, whoever of us You give life, let him live upon Islam, and whoever of us You take in death, let him die in a state of faith. O Allah, deprive us not of his reward, and subject us not to temptation after his death). [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dāwūd] Al-Tirmidhi narrated it as reported by Abu Hurayrah and Al-Ashhali; Abu Dāwūd narrated it as reported by Abu Hurayrah and Abu Qatādah. Al-Hākim classified the version reported by Abu Hurayrah as authentic as per the conditions set by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim. Al-Tirmidhi said: Al-Bukhāri said that the most authentic among the versions of this Hadīth is the one reported by Al-Ashhali. Al-Bukhāri said: The most authentic report on this topic is the Hadīth reported by ‘Awf ibn Mālik.
--
1) It is recommended to make supplication simple and detailed, for each phrase in it is a request and praise. And the more a person repeats his supplications, the nearer he gets to his Lord and the greater will be his reward.
2) This supplication includes invocation for the deceased person and for Muslims in general.
3) Islam is based on outward deeds; that is why he mentioned them in relation to life; and faith is based on inward deeds; that is why he mentioned them in relation to death. Faith lies in the heart, while Islam exists outwardly.
4) Living people are not immune to temptation. So, it is recommended to implore Allah Almighty to make us firm and not subject us to temptation.
937/3 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “When you offer a funeral prayer for a dead person, supplicate sincerely for him.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd]
1) It is recommended to be sincere in our supplication for the dead person, for he is in need of intercession and supplication by the believers. Indeed, the supplication is the chief objective of the funeral prayer.
2) Acceptance of a supplication depends on the sincerity of the supplicant. The more he is sincere and complying with the Sunnah, the more likely his invocation will be answered.
938/4 - He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said during a funeral prayer: “Allahumma anta rabbuha, wa anta khalaqtaha, wa anta hadaytaha lil-Islām, wa anta qabadta rūhaha, wa anta a‘lamu bisirriha wa ‘alāniyyatiha, ji’nāka shufa‘ā’a lahu, faghfir lah” (O Allah, You are its Lord [i.e. Lord of this soul]; You created it; You guided it to Islam; You have taken its life back and You are most knowledgeable about its hidden and apparent affairs. We have come as intercessors for him; so forgive him). [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd] [6]
939/5 - Wāthilah ibn al-Asqa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) led us in a funeral prayer for a Muslim man. I heard him say: “Allahumma inna (mention name of deceased here) fi dhimmatika wa hablu jiwārik, faqihi fitnat al-qabr wa ‘adhāb an-nār, wa anta ahl al-wafā’ wal-hamd. Allahumma faghfir lahu warhamhu, innaka anta al-ghafūr ar-rahīm” (O Allah, so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, is under Your protection and mercy. So, protect him from the trial of the grave and the torture of Hellfire. You are worthy of fulfilling promises and worthy of praise. O Allah, forgive him and have mercy upon him, as You are the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful). [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd]
--
1) It encourages us to be persistent in asking Allah for forgiveness and imploring Him to have mercy upon the deceased person.
2) The funeral prayer constitutes intercession by the believers before Allah Almighty for deceased Muslims.
3) It is permissible to mention the deceased by his first name and his father’s name.
940/6 - ‘Abdullāh ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he made four Takbīrs in the funeral prayer for one of his daughters and stood after the fourth Takbīr for as long as the duration between two Takbīrs, supplicating for her and asking Allah to forgive her. Then, he said: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to do like this.
In another version: He made four Takbīrs and stayed for so long that I thought he would make a fifth Takbīr. Then, he made Taslīm (said “As-salāmu ‘alykum wa rahmatullah”) to the right and to the left. As he left, we said to him: “What was that?” He said: “I did not do anything beyond what I saw the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) doing.” Or “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did like this.” [Narrated by Al-Hākim; he classified it as authentic] [7]
1) It is recommended to prolong the supplication for the dead person, as the situation is that of asking for mercy and forgiveness.
2) The Hadīth apparently indicates that there are two Taslīms in the funeral prayer, just like regular prayers.
3) It shows how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) followed the Prophet’s example in their acts of worship: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did like this.”