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A janazah prayer card for your masjid

Many people at a funeral have not prayed the janazah before. Print this card and leave a stack at the entrance, so they can follow the imam with confidence.

The full guide, with sources

Prints on US Letter, landscape, two cards to a sheet. Cut down the dashed line. Choose “Actual size” (100%) and turn off headers and footers in the print dialog. Heavier paper or card stock holds up best.

Ṣalāt al-Janāzah

The janazah prayer

Prayed standing, with no bowing and no prostration. Stand in rows behind the imam, facing the qiblah, and intend in your heart to pray for this person. Raise your hands at the first takbīr and say Allāhu akbar with the imam each time.

  1. First takbīr

    Recite al-Fātiḥah quietly.

    ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

    Al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbil-ʿālamīn …

    The Ḥanafī and Mālikī schools praise Allah here instead. Follow the imam.

  2. Second takbīr

    Send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, as in the sitting of every prayer.

    اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

    Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka ḥamīdun majīd

  3. Third takbīr

    Pray for the one who has died. This is the heart of the prayer.

    اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ

    Allāhumma-ghfir lahu wa-rḥamhu wa ʿāfihi wa-ʿfu ʿanhu, wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassiʿ mudkhalah

    For a woman, -hu becomes -hā. Or pray for them in your own words; Allah hears every language.

  4. Fourth takbīr

    Pause for a short duʿāʾ, then turn to the right and say:

    As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh

    Many also turn to the left.

If you arrive late, join at the imam’s next takbīr and follow him.

lifeistemporary.com/guides/janazah-prayerBukhārī 1245, 1335, 3370 · Muslim 963

Sources: the four takbīrs Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1245; al-Fātiḥah Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1335; the blessings Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3370; the duʿāʾ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 963. The card shows the opening of the duʿāʾ; the full guide has all of it, the duʿāʾ for a child and the alternative duʿāʾ.