Question:

Are there any duas one should recite for one’s deceased relatives?

JazakAllahu khair

Answer:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Making dua for a deceased person whether they are ones relative or any other Muslim is Sunnah. When the Prophet (SAW) was informed of the death of one of His companions (RA) he would pray for them as shown in the following ahadeeth:

1.   عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي خَارِجَةُ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، أَنَّ أُمَّ الْعَلاَءِ ـ امْرَأَةً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ ـ بَايَعَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّهُ اقْتُسِمَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ قُرْعَةً فَطَارَ لَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مَظْعُونٍ، فَأَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي أَبْيَاتِنَا، فَوَجِعَ وَجَعَهُ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ، فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ وَغُسِّلَ وَكُفِّنَ فِي أَثْوَابِهِ، دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ أَبَا السَّائِبِ، فَشَهَادَتِي عَلَيْكَ لَقَدْ أَكْرَمَكَ اللَّهُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَمَا يُدْرِيكِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَكْرَمَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ يُكْرِمُهُ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَمَّا هُوَ فَقَدْ جَاءَهُ الْيَقِينُ، وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَرْجُو لَهُ الْخَيْرَ، وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي ـ وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ أُزَكِّي أَحَدًا بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا‏"‏‏.(صحيح البخاري باب الدُّخُولِ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ إِذَا أُدْرِجَ فِي كَفَنِهِ)

Narrated Kharija bin Zaid bin Thabit: Um Al-`Ala', an Ansari woman who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (SAW) said to me, "The emigrants were distributed amongst us by drawing lots and we got in our share `Uthman bin Maz'un. We made him stay with us in our house. Then he suffered from a disease which proved fatal when he died and was given a bath and was shrouded in his clothes, Allah's Messenger (SAW) came I said, 'May Allah be merciful to you, O Abu As-Sa'ib! I testify that Allah has honored you'. The Prophet (SAW) said, 'How do you know that Allah has honored him?' I replied, 'O Allah's Messenger (SAW)! Let my father be sacrificed for you! On whom else shall Allah bestow His honor?' The Prophet (SAW) said, 'No doubt, death came to him. By Allah, I too wish him good, but by Allah, I do not know what Allah will do with me though I am Allah's Messenger (SAW). ‘By Allah, I never attested the piety of anyone after that."

2.   عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضى الله عنه قَالَ نَعَى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم النَّجَاشِيَّ صَاحِبَ الْحَبَشَةِ، يَوْمَ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ فَقَالَ ‏ "اسْتَغْفِرُوا لأَخِيكُمْ ‏"‏‏.(صحيح البخاري باب الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى الْجَنَائِزِ بِالْمُصَلَّى وَالْمَسْجِدِ)  

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (SAW) informed about the news of the death of An-Najash (King of Ethiopia) on the day he expired. He said, "Ask Allah's forgiveness for your brother."

There are many duas narrated in the ahadeeth with which the Prophet (SAW) prayed for the deceased in Salaat ul Janzah.[1] It is permissible to use these duas to pray for the deceased outside Salat ul Janzah also. Some are as follows:[2]

1.   عَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ، سَمِعَهُ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَوْفَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ فَحَفِظْتُ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ وَأَهْلاً خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ أَوْ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا ذَلِكَ الْمَيِّتَ. (صحيح مسلم باب الدُّعَاءِ لِلْمَيِّتِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ)

Jubair b. Nufair says: I heard it from 'Auf b. Malik that the Prophet (SAW) said prayer on the dead body, and I remembered his prayer: "O Allah! forgive him, have mercy upon him, give him peace and absolve him. Receive him with honour and make his grave spacious; wash him with water, snow and hail. Cleanse him from faults as Thou wouldst cleanse a white garment from impurity. Requite him with an abode more excellent than his abode, with a family better than his family, and with a mate better than his mate. Admit him to the Garden, and protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of the Fire." ('Auf bin Malik) said: I earnestly desired that I were this dead body.

2.   حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ الأَشْهَلِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا صَلَّى عَلَى الْجَنَازَةِ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا ‏"‏‏.)جامع الترمذي باب مَا يَقُولُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ)

Abu Ibrahim Al-Ashhali narrated: from his father who said: "When the Messenger of Allah would perform the Salat for the funeral he would said: 'O Allah! Forgive our living and our deceased, our present and our absent, our young and our old, our male and our female.'"

3.   عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلاَ تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ ‏"‏.  (سنن أبي داود باب الدُّعَاءِ لِلْمَيِّتِ)

Narrated AbuHurayrah: When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) prayed over a dead person, he said: O Allah, forgive those of us who are living and those of us who are dead, those of us who are present and those of us who are absent, our young and our old, our male and our female. O Allah, to whomsoever of us Thou givest life grant him life as a believer, and whomsoever of us Thou takest in death take him in death as a follower of Islam. O Allah, do not withhold from us the reward (of faith) and do not lead us astray after his death.

4.   حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ كَيْفَ تُصَلِّي عَلَى الْجَنَازَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَا لَعَمْرُ اللَّهِ، أُخْبِرُكَ أَتَّبِعُهَا، مِنْ أَهْلِهَا فَإِذَا وُضِعَتْ كَبَّرْتُ وَحَمِدْتُ اللَّهَ وَصَلَّيْتُ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ثُمَّ أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ كَانَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُولُكَ وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ مُحْسِنًا فَزِدْ فِي إِحْسَانِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسِيئًا فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلاَ تَفْتِنَّا بَعْدَهُ ‏. (موطأ الإمام مالك كتاب الجنائز)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburi from his father that he had asked Abu Hurayra, "How do you pray over the dead?" and Abu Hurayra replied, "By the Life of Allah, I will tell you! I follow with the family and when the corpse is put down I say 'Allah is greater' and praise Allah and ask for blessings on His Prophet. Then I say, 'O Allah, he is Your slave and the son of Your male slave and Your female slave. He used to testify that there is no god but You and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your Messenger, and You know that best. O Allah, if he acted well, then increase for him his good action, and if he acted wrongly, then overlook his wrong actions. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not try us after him.'"

5.   عَنْ وَاثِلَةَ بْنِ الأَسْقَعِ، قَالَ صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ ‏"‏اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ فُلاَنَ بْنَ فُلاَنٍ فِي ذِمَّتِكَ فَقِهِ فِتْنَةَ الْقَبْرِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ ‏"‏ فِي ذِمَّتِكَ وَحَبْلِ جِوَارِكَ فَقِهِ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ وَأَنْتَ أَهْلُ الْوَفَاءِ وَالْحَمْدِ اللَّهُمَّ فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ‏"‏. (سنن أبي داود باب الدُّعَاءِ لِلْمَيِّتِ)

Narrated Wathilah ibn al-Asqa': The Messenger of Allah (SAW) led us in prayer over the bier of a Muslim and I heard him say: O Allah, so and so, son of so and so, is in Thy protection, so guard him from the trial in the grave. (AbdurRahman in his version said: "In Thy protection and in Thy nearer presence, so guard him from the trial in the grave) and the punishment in Hell. Thou art faithful and worthy of praise. O Allah, forgive him and show him mercy. Thou art the forgiving and the merciful one."

One may also pray for his/her deceased relatives in his/her own language using his/her own words.

And Allah Ta'ala knows best.

Sh. Muddasser Dhedhy
Student, Darul Ifta Australia
25/12/2013

Checked and approved by:
Mufti Faizal Riza

Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au

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[1] قَالَ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ: فِيهِ نَظَرٌ ظَاهِرٌ، فَقَدْ صَرَّحُوا عَنْ آخِرِهِمْ بِأَنَّ صَلَاةَ الْجِنَازَةِ هِيَ الدُّعَاءُ لِلْمَيِّتِ إذْ هُوَ الْمَقْصُودُ مِنْهَا. اهـ. (رد المحتار ج 3 ص 106.دار الكتب العلمية)

[2]  شرح فتح القدير ج 2 ص 125- 126. دار الكتب العلمية

 

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