Death & Burial
Caring for the dying, washing, shrouding, the funeral prayer and burial.
The dying and the dead
- As death approaches What to do for a Muslim who is dying: facing the direction of prayer (qiblah), helping them say the declaration of faith (kalimah), and reciting Surah Ya-Sin.
- Immediately after death The first practical things to do for the body right after death, before the washing (ghusl): positioning, closing the eyes, and what to avoid.
Washing the body (Ghusl)
- Washing the body (ghusl of the deceased) Who washes the body, the method used, and the water and materials: the full sunnah way of washing (ghusl) a deceased Muslim.
- Washing the dead (ghusl): who may wash whom, and special cases Who is allowed to wash whose body, and what to do for a martyr, a newborn, a drowned person, a decayed body, or when water or a same-sex washer is not available.
The shroud (Kafan)
The funeral prayer (Janazah)
- The funeral prayer: ruling and conditions Why the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is a communal obligation (fard kifayah), its conditions, who has the right to lead it, and when it may not be prayed.
- How to pray the funeral prayer, with the words to say The four takbirs of the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) in order, and the exact Arabic, transliteration and translation of the praise (thana), salutations (durood) and supplications (duas) said at each.
Burial
- Carrying the bier to the grave How the bier is carried, who may walk where in the procession, and why women do not take part in it.
- The grave and burial How a grave is dug and shaped, how the body is lowered facing the direction of prayer (qiblah), who may enter the grave, and what is said while filling it.
Afterwards
- The reality of reciting for the dead (Fatiha) What it actually means to "do Fatiha" for someone who has died: reciting the Qur'an or another good deed and sending its reward to their soul.
- Miscellaneous rules of death and burial Seeing the deceased's face, a spouse's rights, handling a non-Muslim relative's body, visiting graves, and how long mourning lasts.