My question is regarding Salatul Janaza. The ghair muqallids say that without Surah Fatiha the Salatul Janaza is not acceptable. Please give the correct proof of the hanafi method of Salatul Janaza with reference to hadith.

June 27, 2013 By

Question:

My question is regarding Salatul Janaza. The ghair muqallids say that without Surah Fatiha the Salatul Janaza is not acceptable. Please give the correct proof of the hanafi method of Salatul Janaza with reference to hadith.

Answer:

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In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

حدثني يحيى عن مالك عن سعيد بن أبي سعيد المقبري عن أبيه أنه سأل أبا هريرة كيف تصلي على الجنازة فقال أبو هريرة أنا لعمر الله أخبرك أتبعها من أهلها فإذا وضعت كبرت وحمدت الله وصليت على نبيه ثم أقول اللهم إنه عبدك وابن عبدك وابن أمتك كان يشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت وأن محمدا عبدك ورسولك وأنت أعلم به اللهم إن كان محسنا فزد في إحسانه وإن كان مسيئا فتجاوز عن سيئاته اللهم لا تحرمنا أجره ولا تفتنا بعده
( إعلاء السنن: 8/254، إدارة القرآن )
ه
Sa’eed bin Abi Sa’eed al-Maqbari narrates from his father that he asked Abu Hurairah (Radiyallaahu Anhu), “How do you offer salaat over the deceased?” Abu Hurairah (Radiyallaahu Anhu) replied, “By Allah! I shall inform you. I follow it (the funeral procession) from the (house of the) family of the deceased (where the body is). When it (the body) is placed (for Salatul Janaza), I say the takbeer (Allahu Akbar) then I praise Allah then I send salutations to His Prophet (i.e. recite the darood). Then I say (the following dua): ‘Oh Allah! Indeed he is your servant and the son of your servant. He used to bear testimony that there is no God but You and that Muhammad is your servant and messenger. And you are most knowing of him. Oh Allah! If he was a doer of good then increase his good. And if he was a wrongdoer then overlook his wrong doings. Oh Allah, do not deprive us of his reward (i.e. the reward of patiently bearing his loss) and do not put us to trial after him’” (Muwatta Malik; I’laa’us Sunan: 8/254)

In the hadith mentioned above, it is stated that when offering salatul janaza, Abu Hurairah (Radiyallaahu Anhu) recited the following things: praise of Allah (which includes thanaa’ i.e. Subhanakallaahumma wa bihamdika..), darood and dua. Surah Fatiha was not mentioned. The narration shows that Abu Huraira (Radiyallahu Anhu) did not consider Surah Fatiha to be a necessary component of Salatul Janaza. Besides Abu Huraira (Radiyallahu Anhu), Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu), Abdullah Ibn Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) and Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu) also did not consider Surah Fatiha to be an integral part of Salatul Janaza.

If someone recites Surah Fatiha in Salatul Janaza, it is makrooh if it is done with the intention of qira’ah (i.e. reciting the Quran – as one does in the 5 daily prayers), because Salatul Janaza is for making dua, not for reciting the Quran. If, however, someone recites Surah Fatiha in Salatul Janaza with the intention of dua, then it is permissible. Those narrations of the Sahaba in which reciting Surah Fatiha in Salatul Janaza has been mentioned actually mean reciting Surah Fatiha with the intention of dua, not with the intention of qira’ah.

وقوله “حمدت الله” يدل أن المقصود هو الثناء سواء كان بالحمد لله أو بغيره وبه نقول. وفي البحر: وفي المحيط والتجنيس ولو قرأ الفاتحة فيها بنية الدعاء فلا بأس به، وإن قرأها بنية القرأة لا يجوز لأنها محل الدعاء دون القراءة (2:197). وفي منحة الخالق: وفي النهر قال في المبسوط اختلف المشائخ في الثناء، قال بعضهم بحمد الله كما في ظاهر الرواية، وقال بعضهم يقول سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك كما في سائر الصلوات، وهو رواية الحسن عن الإمام كذا في الدراية ولا يقرأ الفاتحة إلا على وجه الثناء اهـ ومثله في العناية (2: 193، 194) وفي الجوهر النقي: ومذهب الحنفية أن القراءة في صلاة الجنازة لا تجب ولا تكره ذكره القدوري في التجريد اهـ وفيه: وقال ابن البطال في شرح البخاري اختلف في قراءة الفاتحة على الجنازة، فقرأ بها قوم على ظاهر حديث ابن عباس، وبه قال الشافعي, وكان عمر وابنه وعلي وأبو هريرة ينكرونه وبه قال أبو حنيفة ومالك، وقال الطحاوي: من قرأها من الصحابة يحمل أن يكون على وجه الدعاء لا التلاوة إلخ اهـ
( إعلاء السنن: 8/254، إدارة القرآن )
ه
For details of proof of other aspects of salatul janaza according to the hanafi method, one may refer to I’laa’us Sunan: vol 8 pg. 253-281.

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
Darul Ifta Australia
www.mufti-online.net

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