Funeral Regulations In Islam for Muslims
1: Creed 2: Manners 3: Character 4: Act of Worship 5: Deeds
- Purification-Make Pure
- The Manners of Relieving
- Wudu–Ablution
- The Adhan & Iqama
- Ghusl–Full Bath
- Tayammum–Dry Ablution
- Masah–pass wet hand over feet
- Menstruation Postnatal Bleeding
- Salat–Namaz-Salat
- Funeral Regulation
Funeral Regulations
There are three topics related to funeral regulations:
Requirements from the Time of illness to the Time of Death
1:The Obligation for Patience:
The Muslim should adhere to patience when afflicted by any adversity. He should not submit to either desperation nor despondence; since Allah the Almighty has commanded patience in many a verse in the Noble Qur’an, and so did His Messenger ﷺ in the Sunnah. There is no harm, for the Muslim, when asked about his health to say: “I am ill or I feel pain.” But he should add: “Praise is to Allah in every circumstance.”
2:Taking Medication is Recommended:
It is recommended for the Muslim who becomes sick to take lawful medication.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ، لَمْ يُنْزِلْ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً فَتَدَاوَوْا»
Allah did not send down any illness, except that He sent down its cure. So take the remedy. (Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim)
It is not allowed to use medications that are made of what is unlawful, such as wine, pork and the like.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«إِنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ شِفَاءَكُمْ فِيمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ»
Indeed Allah has not placed your cure in what He made unlawful for you. (At-Tabrani)
3:Seeking Ruqya is Allowed:
It is allowed for a Muslim to try to have Ruqya performed for him with verses of the Qur’an, Prophet supplications, and good words, due to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ :
«لَا بَأْسَ بِاالرُّقَى مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ شِرْكٌ»
There is no harm in Ruqya a long as there is no Shirk in it. (Muslim)
4:Talismans and Amulets are Unlawful:
Wearing talismans and the use of amulets is unlawful. It is not permissible for a Muslim to wear any talisman due to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ :
«مَنْ عَلَّقَ تَمِيمَةً فَقَدْ أَشْرَكَ»
Whoever wears a talisman, he has committed Shirk. (Ahmad and Al-Hakim)
Holy Prophet Said(PBUH):
«مَنْ عَلَّقَ تَمِيمَةً فَلَا أَتَمَّ اللهُ لَهُ، وَمَنْ عَلَّقَ وَدْعَةً فَلَا وَدَعَ اللهُ لَهُ»
Whoever wears a talisman may Allah not help him. Whoever wears shells hoping for achieving his aims and objectives, may Allah help him and attain them.” (Ahmad and Al-Hakim)
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺsaw a man tying a brass ring on his hand, He saidﷺ to him:
«وَيْحَكُ مَا هَذِهِ»
Woe to you! What is this?
The man said: “For weakness.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«انْزِعْهَا، فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَزِيدُكَ إِلَّا وَهْنًا، وَإِنَّكَ لَوْ مِتَّ وَهِيَ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَفْلَحْتَ أَبَدًا»
Remove it. It will only increase your weakness. Indeed, if you die while wearing it, you will never succeed. (Ahmad)
5:Some Ways the Messenger of Allah ﷺwould Treat a Patient:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to place his hand on the patient and say:
اَللَّهُمَّ رَبِّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
Allaahumma rabban-naasi adhibil-ba’s. Ishfi Antash-Shaafee. Laashifaa’a illaa shifaa’uka shifaa’an laa yughaadiru saqamaan,
O Lord of the people! Take away the disease. Cure him; since You are the only One to cure. There is not cure except Yours. A cure that leaves no side effect. (Al-Bukhari)
A man complained to him about his pain.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid to him:
ضَعْ يَدَكَ عَلَى الَّذِى تَأَلَّمَ مِنْ جَسَدِكَ وَقُلْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ. ثَلاَثًا. وَقُلْ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
Place your hand on the location of the pain and say : “In the Name of Allah” three times.
Bismillaah A’uwdhu bi ‘izzatillaahi wa qadarithi min sharri maa ajidu wa ahaadhir.
“I seek refuge in the Dignity of Allah and His Decree from what I suffer and from what I fear” (seven times) (Muslim)
[1] The wording of Muslim is:
«أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ وَ قُدْرَتِهِ»
A’udhu billaahi wa qudrathi.
I seek refuge in Allah and His decree)) without the word ‘Izzah-Dignity.
Similar is recorded by Muslim, once the Prophet ﷺfelt pain, so Jibril recited Ruqya saying:
بِسْمِ اللهِ أَرْقِيكَ، مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ، مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنٍ ، أَوْ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ، بِسْمِ اللهِ أَرْقِيكَ
Bismillaah, arqeeka min kulli shay’in yu’dheeka min sharri kulli nafsin, aw ‘aynin haasid.Allaahu yashfeeka, bismillaahi arqeek.
In the Name of Allah, I say Ruqya for you against everything that harms you, from every soul, or envious eye. May Allah cure you, in the Name of Allah I say Ruqya for you.
6:It is Allowed to Receive Treatment from a Disbeliever and a woman:
There is a consensus among the Muslim scholars that it is permissible for the Muslim to receive treatment from a disbelieving physician provided that he is honest. Likewise the man is permitted to receive treatment form a woman and vice versa in cases of necessity.
The Messenger ﷺhired some polytheists for some services. Some wives of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to care for the wounded in Jihaad during the life time of the Prophet ﷺ .
7:Quarantine:
It allowed, even recommended, to place patients with contagious diseases in separate wards of the hospital, and to prevent the healthy from being around them, with the exception of medical professionals.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«لَا يُوْرِدُ مُمْرِضٌ عَلَى مُصِحٍّ»
Do not water the diseased camels with the healthy. (Muslim)
Since this is the case with the diseased animal, then it is even more so with people.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid about the plague:
فَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمْ بِهَا فَلاَ تَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَلَسْتُمْ بِهَا فَلاَ تَهْبِطُوا عَلَيْهَا
If it strikes in a land that you are, do not leave it. And if it strikes in a land you are not, do not go there. (At-Tirmithi)
As to the saying of the Messenger ﷺ .
«لَا عَدْوَى وَلَا طِيَرَةَ»
There is neither infection nor bad omen.
This means that the infection does not affect man by itself; but by the Will of Allah, Nothing takes place except by the Will of Allah. This does not prevent anyone from taking the necessary due precautions, believing that Allah alone is the Protector, and that whom Allah does not protect, will never be saved.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺwas about the camel with mange, he replied:
«وَمَنْ أَعْدَى الْأَوَّلَ»
And who did infected the first one?
In this Hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺinforms us that infection is caused by none except Allah, and that which He wills, will some to pass and what He does not will, will never come to pass.
[1] The “disease” here refers specifically to manage.
8:The Obligation of Visiting the Sick:
It is obligatory for the Muslim to visit his brother when he becomes ill.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«أَطْعِمُو الْـجَائِعَ، وَ عُودُو الْـمَرِيضَ، وَفُكُّو الْعَانِي- الْأَسِيرَ»
Feed the hungry, visit the sick and release the captive. (Al-Bukhari)
When visiting him during his illness, it is recommended for him to supplicate asking Allah to cure him and encouraging him to have patience and speaking good words to him. It is also recommended that he not sit with him for too long. When visiting a sick man the Messenger of Allah ﷺused to say:
9:Innovations Related to Consoling:
«لَا بَأْسَ، طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ»
La ba’s, tahoorun in shaa’Allah.
May there be no harm, it is only purification, if Allah wills.(Al-Bukhari)
So the Muslim should also say that.
9:The Sick is Required to Assume good on Behalf of Allah:
When the Muslim becomes sick and get on the verge of death, he should assume good on behalf of Allah, that Allah would not torture him but be Merciful at him, but pardon him, for His forgiveness and mercy are boundless, encompassing everything.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لاَ يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ بِاللَّهِ الظَّنَّ »
Let none of you die except while assuming good on behalf of Allah. (Muslim)
10:Encouraging the dying person to the Testimony of Faith:
If the Muslim is present when his Muslim brother is one the verge of death, he should encourage him to recite the Word of Sincerity: “None has right to be worshipped except Allah.” Reminding him thereof until he recites it, one he recites it, that will be sufficient for him. But if he says anything other than it, he should repeat the formula, so that the last words of the dying person would be: “none has the right to be worshipped except Allah.” In this way he becomes liable of admittance into Paradise; since the Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«لَقِّنُوا مَوْتَاكُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ»
Enourage your dying to say: “None has the right to be worshipped except Allah. (Muslim)
He ﷺalso said:
«مَنْ كَانَ آخِرُ كَلَامِهِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ دَخَلَ الْـجَنَّةَ»
Whoever’s last words be : “none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, he will be admitted into Paradise.” (Ahmad and Abu Dawud)
11:Laying the dying person in the direction of the Qibla:
When the signs of death appear , the dying person should be faced toward the Qiblah, laying him on his right side if possible, if not, he should be placed lying on his back with his feet in the direction of the Qiblah. If the pangs of death become intense, then Surah Ya-Sin (36) should be recited over him, so that Allah the Almighty might alleviate what he is suffering due its blessings.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«مَا مِنْ مَيِّتٍ يَمُوتُ فَتُقْرَأُ عِنْدَهُ (يس) إِلَّا هَوَّنَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ»
there is not a dying person whom you recite Ya-Sin for except Allah alleviates his suffering.
[1] Recorded in Al-Firdaws from Abu Ad-Darda’ and Abu Dhar and it is weak. A different wording was recorded by Abu Dawud and An-Nasa’i.
12:Closing the eyes and covering him:
When the soul of the Muslim is taken away, his eyes should be closed and his body should be covered. Nothing but good should be said about him, such as: “O Allah! Forgive him. O Allah! Shower Your Mercy of him.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺentered shortly after Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, had died, he closed his eyes as saying:
«إِنَّ الرُّوحَ إِذَا قُبِضَ تَبِعَهُ الْبَصَرُ»
Indeed, when the soul is taken away, the sight follows it.
When some of his relatives made some noise,
The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid:
«لاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلاَّ بِخَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ يُؤَمِّنُونَ عَلَى مَا تَقُولُونَ»
Do not invoke except good ; since the angels say Aameen to what you say. (Muslim)
