About JANAZA

Illness is a blessing

Illness is also a great gift and there are many benefits from it although by looking at it may seem as if it is giving you difficulty, but in reality it is a source of rest and easiness and the illness that is of the body is actually a great source of medicine for the recovery of the soul.

What is real illness ?

The real illness is the illness of the soul and is something that should be feared and should be seen as a fatal illness. What should really happen is that a person should think of the illness or difficulty as a gift and accept it gladly, if not then at least have patience and understanding and hence by being impatient and complaining why lose the reward that has come your way and by being impatient the illness is not going to disappear but you will lose the reward and gain another problem and many people who are naive use wrong phrases and obtain sin and some in fact even say words of Kufr by blaming Allah of being cruel (may Allah protect us from this). These people destroy their world and afterlife due to these sorts of statement.

Sins are forgiven and reward is given for illness and difficulties

The Holy Prophet SallallahoAlaihiWasallam has stated that the difficulty that a Muslim suffers upto the extent that a thorn pricks them, then Allah Ta'ala forgives his sin [Bukhari, Muslim] and the Holy Prophet also states that if a Muslim is taken ill due to illness or suffers any other sort of difficulty then Allah drops his sins like a tree drops it's leaves [Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim], and the Holy Prophet also states that Allah has set a grade for a Muslim and if they do not reach that grade due to poor actions then Allah tests them by either their health, goods or children and then gives them patience and then makes them reach their intended grade [Ahmad, Abu Da'wood] and he also states that on the day of judgement when Allah rewards themfor their patience the people who had rested and relaxed in this world will wish that only if scissors would have cut their skins and given them that sort of difficulty so that they could be collecting the reward [Tirmizi].

Visiting people who are sick

To visit someone and enquire about their health is Sunnat. It is quoted in the Hadiths that there is a lot of virtuousness in this and the Holy Prophet has stated that when one Muslim goes and visits his other Muslim brother and because he is ill then until his return he has been gathering the flowers from Jannat [Bukhari, Muslim]. It was the Holy habit of the beloved Prophet that when he visited someone he used to say "Laa Baasa Tahurun Insha Allaho Ta'ala" meaning 'there is nothing to worry about, Insha Allaho Ta'ala this illness will purify you from your sins' [Bukhari, Muslim]. The Holy Prophet says that whenever you go to see an ill person ask them to pray for you because their prayer is the same as the prayers of the angels [Ibne Maja] and he has also stated that when one Muslim goes to visit another ill Muslim then they should pray this Dua seven times "As alullahu Azueem Rabbal Arshil Kareem Ayyashfeeka" if death doesn't come then you will get better.

Rule: If you are aware that if you go to see someone about their health and the patient will not like it then do not go [Durrar].

Rule: If you went to visit someone and you saw that their situation was bad then do not show this in front of the patient nor shake your head so that the patient will know that their health has deteriorated, but talk to the patient about things that would enlighten them and make them feel better and do not put your hand on their forehead unless that is their request [Durrar]. Rule: To go and visit a Fasiq (wrongdoer) is also allowed because visiting is a right of Islam and a Fasiq is still a Muslim. If a Christian or Jew is a Zimmi (citizen of an Islamic country) then it is allowed to go and visit them [Durrar]. There is disagreement between Ulema as to whether one can visit fire worshippers if they are Zimmi. A Hindu comes under the same ruling as a fire worshipper and is different to the ruling of those who are followers of the book (Christians, Jews). There are no Zimmis who are Hindu, Christian, Jews, idol worshippers in the subcontinent of India [Bahar-e-Shariat].

The coming of death

One day we will leave this world and death is going to come and we are going to go from here and hence we should prepare for the afterlife where we are going to stay forever and this time should always be remembered and not forgotten.

How should one live here ?

The Holy Prophet has stated that live in this world like a traveller who is on a journey, meaning he lives like a stranger and he doesn't waste time on different routes because he knows he will be wasting time and will not reach his desired destination. In the same way a Muslim should not get stuck in the worldly affairs nor should they get involved with such connections which will divert them from the real destination and objective and should always remember their death as this reminds them of not getting too involved with worldly affairs.

When can one ask for death ?

It is quoted in the Hadith Sharif "Aksiru Zikr Hazihimil Lazzatil Maut", meaning think about a very difficult death but don't ask for death as this is forbidden and if you must ask for it then say 'Oh Allah, keep me alive until life is good for me and give me death when that is the better for me [Bukhari, Muslim] and a Muslim should always have a pious thought in relation to Allah and always remain optimistic for his mercy. It is quoted in the Hadith that no-one dies except with the thought they have had, because Allah has said "Anaa Inda Zanni Abdibi" I treat my servant with the thought they have for me. The Holy Prophet once went to a young person who was close to death and the Holy Prophet said 'How do you see yourself? The young man replied " Oh messenger of Allah, I am optimistic of Allah and scared of my sins" The Holy Prophet replied "Those who have both in their heart i.e. optimism and fear then Allah will give him both, meaning fulfil his optimism and take care of his fear". It is a very tough time when the soul is being extracted, all the actions are dependant on this time and above all faith is in danger because Satan is in desperate attempt to take your faith and whoever Allah protects from his deceit and protects their faith is the one who has reached their desired destination. The Holy Prophet has said that who's last submission is "La ilaha illallah" meaning the first Kalima will go into Jannat.

When death draws nearer

Rule: When death is near for a person and you have seen some of the signs then it is Sunnat to lay the person on their right side and face them towards the Qibla. It is also allowed to keep the person flat and point his feet towards Qibla and tuck his head slightly up so that he will face the Qibla and if this is not possible as it would cause the ill person difficulty then leave them as they are [Hidaya, Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar].

Praying the Kalima

Rule: At the time of near death when the soul has not yet departed then pray this loudly "Ash Hadu An La ilaha illallahu Wa Ash hadu Anna Muhammadan Rasoolullah", however, do not instruct the ill to pray [Alamgiri, Fatahul Qadir].

Rule: Once the ill has prayed the Kalima then stop praying it loudly, however, if they say something else then start praying the Kalima again because their last words should be "La ilaha illallahu Muhammadur Rasoolullah" [Alamgiri, Johra].

Rule: The person praying the Kalima who is close to the ill should be a pious person, not a person who will be happy at the death of the person and therefore to have pious people around at the time is a very good thing and at this time to have 'Surah Yasin' being prayed and sweet smelling perfume is Mustahhab, such as Luban or Incense sticks etc. [Alamgiri].

Rule: At the time of death a woman on her menstrual cycle or after-birth bleeding can be present [Qazi Khan, Fatahul Qadir, Alamgiri]. However, if a woman has finished her period or a person for whom it is obligatory to bathe should bathe first and should not be present otherwise. Also you should make sure that their are no photographs or dogs in the house and if there are then throw them out immediately because where there are photographs or dogs then the angels of mercy do not enter. At the end time pray for the dying as much as you can and for yourself and do not say anything bad from your tongue because this is the time where angels say Ameen to your prayers, when you see that the ill person is in extreme difficulty pray 'Surah Yasin' or 'Surah Ra'ad' [Bahar-e-Shariat].

Rule: If at the dying time (Allah forgive) a phrase of Kufr is said then a Fatawa of Kufr is not be given because maybe due to the difficulty, they are not in their senses and have said it unconsciously [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Fatahul Qadir, Alamgiri] and it is also a strong possibility that you may not have understood their words fully as they may miss bits out as they may be in the difficulty of death [Bahar-e-Shariat].

What should be done when the soul is extracted

Rule: When the soul has come out then get a wide strip of cloth and take it underneath the jaw and over the head and tie it so that the mouth does not stay open and also close the eyes and straighten the hands and feet, this action should be done by the one in the house who can do it most carefully, either father or son [Alamgiri, Johra etc.].

Dua when closing the eyes

Rule: When closing the eyes of the deceased, you should pray this Dua "Bismillahi Wa Ala Millati Rasoolillah Allahumma Yassir Alaihi Amrahu Wa Sahhil Alaihi Ma Ba'dahu Wa'as'id'hu Bili Kaa'ika Waj'al Maa Kharaja ilaihi Khairam Minima Kharaja Anhu" [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri, Fatahul Qadir].

Rule: Put something heavy on the deceased stomach such as metal or soil to prevent it from blowing up [Alamgiri] however, ensure it is not heavier than necessary so that it may cause inconvenience [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

Rule: Wrap a cloth around the whole body and then lift it onto something with four legs so that the body is not stuck to the floor [Alamgiri]. Rule: You should ensure that the bathing, Kafan and burial is done quickly because there has been strong emphasis on this in the Hadith Sharif [Johra, Fatahul Qadir].

The dead person's debts

Rule: If the deceased has any debt or anything owing then it should be cleared as soon as possible because it is quoted in the Hadith that the deceased is worried about their debt and in one narration it is stated that the soul remains stuck until the debt is cleared.

Rule: If a woman has died and a child is moving in her stomach then the stomach should be cut from the left side and the child taken out.

Rule: A woman is alive and her child in her stomach has died and it is going to be fatal for the mother then the stomach should be cut and the child taken out, however, if the child is also alive then regardless of the difficulty the stomach should not be cut [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

Method of bathing the deceased

Bathing the deceased is Farz-e-Kifaya and that is if some people gave the body a bath then all are no longer responsible [Alamgiri]. The method of bathing is that first of all where the body is going to be bathed i.e. table, stool or four legged furniture should be made sweet smelling by walking around it three, five or seven times with incense or nice smelling smoke and then lay the body on the furniture and cover the naval to the knees with a cloth. Then the person washing the body should wrap some material around his hands and first of all wash the body's private parts. Then he should perform Wuzu on the body as in Namaz and that is wash the face, then the hands upto the elbows then perform a Masah of the head and wash the body's feet. Do not first wash the hands upto the wrists or wash the inside of the mouth or the nostrils as this is not necessary when washing the deceased. However, get some cotton or a small piece of cloth and wet it and then wipe the teeth and gums and lips with it. Then if the deceased has hair or a beard then wash them with a sweet smelling flower called 'Gull Khairo' and if this is not available then wash it with clean soap which is made from Halal products and if this is not available then just with water. Then turn the body on it's right side and wash the side with water from 'Beri' leaves and then repeat the process on the left side and if this sort of water is not available then clean warm water is sufficient. Then sit the body upright and gently wash the lower part of the stomach and if something is excreted then wash it away but do not perform Wuzu or bath again, then finally wash the whole body with Kafoor water and then slowly slowly wipe the body with a dry piece of cloth.

Rule: It is obligatory to flow the water over the body once and it is Sunnat to flow it three times. Wherever you are performing the bathing, it is Mustahhab to section the part so that except for the one bathing the body and his helpers no other person can see. Whilst bathing then lay the body as per laving it in it's grave i.e. facing the Qibla and if this is difficult then lay it whichever way is easiest [Alamgiri].

Rule: A male should be bathed by a male and a female should be bathed by a female, if the dead is a small boy then women can bathe him and if the dead is a small girl then men can bathe her as long as their age is not of adolescence (approx. twelve years for boys and nine for girls) [Alamgiri, Bshar].

Rule: If a wife dies then her husband cannot bathe her nor touch her but there is no harm in looking at her [Durr-e-Mukhtar].

Rule: A husband can lift the coffin of his wife and he can lower her into the grave and he can see her face but he cannot touch her body or bathe her as this is forbidden [Bahar-e-Shariat].

Rule: If a man dies and there are no males present nor'his wife then the woman present should perform Tayammum for the deceased and if the woman is a permissible female (Mahram) or his slave then they can perform Tayammum without wrapping their hands in material and if they are strangers then she must wrap her hands in material before performing Tayammum [Alamgiri].

Rule: If a person dies where there is no water available then perform Tayammum and pray Namaz-e-Janaza and if water becomes available before burying the body then bathe the body and pray the Namaz of Janaza again [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar].

Order for a dead Infidel

Rule: There is no bathing or Kafan (shroud) for an infidel but wrap it in a large piece of cloth and bury it in a hole and only do this if there is no-one of their religion present, otherwise do not take the body nor should a Muslim touch it nor go to it's funeral [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].

Rule: Keep both hands of the deceased to their side as to put them on the chest is the method if infidels [Durr-e-Mukhtar], and on some occasions people put the hands below the navel like in Namaz and this is also not correct [Bahar-e-Shariat].

Rule: For the bathing of the body new empty containers are not necessary but normal household utensils are sufficient and in some houses people then destroy the utensils after bathing the body, this is also not allowed and Haram as it is wasting money and should either be given to the poor or used again by yourself. If they have become impure then wash them clean and if you think that it is impure to keep them in the home then this is also illiteracy and stupidity. Some people throw away the water remaining in the utensil, this is also Haram [Bahar-e-Shariat].

Three grades of Kafan (Shroud)

To give the deceased a shroud (Kafan) is Farz-e-Kifaya [Fatahul Qadir]. There are three grades of a Kafan,

Necessity

Sufficient

Sunnat

For a male it is Sunnat to have three pieces, cover, top and bottom. For females the Sunnat is five pieces, cover, top, bottom, veil and chest-piece.

What is the Sunnat Kafan

The sufficient Kafan for males is two pieces of cloth, the cover and bottom piece. The sufficient Kafan for females are three pieces of cloth, the cover, bottom piece and the veil or the cover, top piece and veil. The necessary Kafan (Farz) is a piece of cloth for both males and females whichever covers the entire body [Hidaya, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri, Qazi Khan].

Rule: The cover should be bigger than the height of the body so that it can be tied at both ends. The Bottom should be so long that it covers from the hair to the feet, meaning only the extra bits that are used on the cover to tie at both ends are longer than the bottom. The top is to cover from the throat to below the knees and is the same back and front. The tradition used in illiterate people is that the back is shorter than the front, this is wrong. The top does not have sleeves or the open collar (used for buttons). The difference between the top of males and females is that the male top is ripped at the collars and the females is ripped at the chest part. The veil is to be three arms length in size meaning one and half yards. The chest part for women is from the breasts to below the naval and it is better to have it upto the thighs [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

Rule: Without cause having the Kafan less than sufficient is Makrooh and not allowed [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

When can one beg for a Kafan

Rule: If there is the Kafan that is necessary available then it is not allowed to beg for more, because without necessity begging is not allowed. However, if there is not even the necessary amount of Kafan available then you can beg for the amount to fulfil the necessary required not more, and if a Muslim fulfils the necessary amount without the need to beg then Insha Allah the reward for full Kafan will be obtained [Fatawa-e-Razvia].

Material for the Kafan

Rule: The quality of the Kafan should be good meaning the same quality as the clothing the male wore on Fridays, Eid days and special days and the female wore when she went to visit her parent's home. It is quoted in the Hadith Sharif that give the dead good Kafan because they meet other dead people and they obtain happiness by looking at their good quality Kafan. It is better to have the Kafan white in colour because the Holy Prophet has stated that wrap your dead in white Kafan [Alamgiri, Guniya, Radd-ul-Mohtar].

Rule: To have saffron or silk material Kafan is not allowed for males and is allowed for females, meaning, whatever they were allowed to wear in their lifetime, then that material is allowed and whatever was forbidden to wear in the lifetime is also forbidden to be used as Kafan [Alamgiri, Bahar].

Rule: It is allowed to use Kafan from used material [Alamgiri, Johra].

Kafan for Children

For a girl the age of nine and over, a full woman's Kafan will be given, and for a boy the age of twelve and over a full Kafan of a man will be given. For a girl the age of less than nine then the Kafan of two pieces can be given and for a boy the age of less than twelve a Kafan of one piece can be given but it is better to give two pieces and it is actually best if the full Kafan is given for both even if the child is one day's old [Qazi Khan, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

From who's property should the Kafan be?

Rule: If the deceased has left some property then the Kafan should be bought from this [Radd-ul-Mohtar].

Rule: Debt, will, inheritance etc. are all superseded by the Kafan, meaning first the Kafan will be bought then the debts etc. will be fulfilled. Then whatever is left a third will be used to fulfil the will and then the remainder will be given to inheriting relatives [Johra].

Rule: If the deceased has not left any property then whoever is responsible for the deceased and was responsible for the deceased during their life will provide the Kafan and there is no-one available like this then the Kafan will be given from Bait-ul-Maal (deposit of funds used for Muslims). If there is no funds for Bait-ul-Maal then it is the responsibility of the Muslims there to give the Kafan and if they didn't then they would all be sinners. If the Muslims do not have the material then they can beg for one piece of material for the deceased [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Johra].

Rule: If a woman died and left some property but still the responsibility of the Kafan is on her husband. The only condition is that no such thing was said before dying which would take the responsibility away from the husband. If the husband died and the woman had some of her own property she would still not be responsible for her husband's Kafan [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar].

Rule: When it is referred that the Kafan is Wajib on such a person, this means Kafan as per Shariat. In the same way the rest of the goods such as perfume, bathing, taking the body to the burial place is all as per Shariat. As for the rest of the goods then if all the relatives gave the person in charge the permission then it is allowed otherwise the onus is on the person who wants to spend the money [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].

Method of putting the Kafan on

The method is first bathe the body then dry it gently with a cloth so that the Kafan does not get wet. Then incense the Kafan once, three, five or seven times but no more than seven. Then lay the Kafan as follows, first the big sheet (cover) then the bottom the top and then lay the body on top of this and put the top on properly then put perfume on the body and the beard and then put Kafoor on the head, nose, hands, knees and feet. Then wrap the bottom round first left then right side then wrap the cover round, first left side then the right side so that the right side remains on top and then tie from the top and the bottom so that it would not blow open. For a woman, put on the top then part her hair into two and put them over the top on the chest. Then lay the veil from half way down the back and bring it over the head and cover the face like a Naqab and the end is on the chest, so it's length is from the half way down the back to the chest and the width is from one earlobe to the earlobe. Some people put the veil on like they wear it on a day to day basis and this wrong and against the Sunnat. Then wrap the bottom of the cover then on top of it all wrap the chest cover from the breast to the thighs and tie it [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

Method of taking the Janaza (coffin)

Rule: To lift the Janaza on the shoulder is a form of worship and every person should attempt to perform this worship. The Holy Prophet lifted the Janaza of 'Sa'ad Bin Ma'az' Radi Allahu Anho's Janaza [Johra, Bahar].

Rule: It is Sunnat to lift each side one by one and then walk ten steps at a time. The proper Sunnat is to first lift the right top side then the right bottom side then the left top side and the left bottom side and then walk ten steps, which means that the total amount of steps taken is forty steps. It is quoted in the Hadith Sharif that those who take the Janaza for forty steps will have forty of their large sins forgiven and those who lift all four sides of the Janaza will definitely be forgiven [Johra, Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar].

Rule: When lifting the Janaza, lift it with the hands and place the sides on your shoulders. To put the sides on your neck or back is Makrooh, whichever side you misplace will remain Makrooh.

Rule: For a small child, if one person walks alone then there is no harm and people should transfer the body one by one.

Rule: The Janaza should be taken quickly but not so that it would jerk the Janaza [Mujma'ul Anhaar, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar, Qazi Khan, Hidaya, Waqiya, Fatahul Qadir, Alamgiri].

Rule: Those who walk with the Janaza should walk behind it. You should not walk on the right or left side. If someone is walking in front then they should stay that far so that they would not be counted in the group that are walking with the Janaza, and if all the people are in front then this is Makrooh [Alamgiri, Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].

Rule: It is better to walk with the Janaza on foot and if you are on an animal or in a vehicle then to be in front is Makrooh, otherwise remain a distance ahead [Alamgiri, Sagiri]. Rule: It is forbidden to take fire with the Janaza [Alamgiri, Hijr].

Reward for going to the Janaza

Rule: If the deceased is a neighbour or a relative or a pious person then to go to their Janaza is better than praying a Nafl [Alamgiri, Hijr].

Rule: Those who are with the Janaza should not return home before praying the Namaz and after the Namaz he can return after gaining consent from the friends of the deceased and it is not necessary to gain consent to leave after the burial has taken place [Alamgiri].

Rule: It is forbidden to talk about worldly affairs or laugh when walking with the Janaza [Durr-e-Mukhtar].