Praying Salatul Janāzah for COVID-19 victims

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Many have recently asked me questions related to gathering for Janaazah prayer in New York City while not breaching the current restrictions placed by the state government.

Based on what I was told, it is currently not allowed for groups of more than 10 to gather in NYC. So how can a community gather to pray Janaazah over a recently deceased Muslim/a? This will be a long post with its evidences. 

The following are the summary points: 

⚪️ 1. It is permissible to hold multiple Janaazah prayers for the deceased. For example, in the case of NYC, 10 people can pray & then leave. Then another 10 can arrive, pray & leave. So on and so forth.

⚫️ 2. For those who missed the Jazaanah prayer at the Masjid, it can be performed at the graveyard, even after he/she is buried.

🔷 3. This can be done up to 1 month.

🔶 4. There is an option to pray Salah al-Ghaa’ib (Absentee funeral prayer) over him/her. 

⚪️⚫️ Evidence for Points #1 & #2: multiple Jazaanahs, making up missed Jazaanah, & Janaazah at the graveyard:  https://sunnah.com/muslim/11/93

In this Hadith we see that the Companions رضي الله عنهم had already buried and prayed over the deceased. Once the Prophet knew of the situation, he went to the grave & prayed over the deceased again. 

🖋 Sh. Muhammad Ali Aadam al-Ityoobi حفظه الله extracted from this Hadith many benefits & among them were:

#1 Permissibility of praying at the grave. 

(Imam Ahmad said, 

ومن يشك في الصلاة على القبر

“Who is doubtful of (the permissibility of) Salah on the grave?” [al-Mughni 3/447, Checking by Sh. Abdullah at-Turkee & Abdul-Fattaah al-Hulu])

#6. Lawfulness of praying Jazaanah over the deceased at the grave for those who did not pray it previously.

#9. Lawfulness of announcing the death of someone in order for the Muslims to gather and pray over them. This is based on the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم statement “Why did you not tell me?” #10 & a rebuttal against those who dislike it…

#11. Lawfulness of repeating the Janaazah prayer for the deceased, even if the prayer was already performed. The Sahaabah had already prayed over her before she was buried, then they prayed over her again with Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم after she was buried. (al-Haafidh al-Iraaqee mentioned there is nothing to specify that they didn’t pray it a second time.)

(Exp. of Sahih Muslim 18/478-479)

🖋 Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi رحمه الله said in al-Mughni 3/444 (at-Turkee & al-Hulu)

“Issue: (370) Whoever misses the (Janaazah) prayer can pray over the grave. The summary of the issue is that whoever misses the prayer for Janaazah can make it up so long as the deceased is not buried.” 

🔷 Evidence for Point #3: This can be done up to 1 month*.

Imam Ahmad رحمه الله said,

 يصلي عليه إلى شهر ولا يصلي عليه بعد ذلك

“Prayer is done for the deceased up to a month, and not after.” (al-Muhallaa: 5/139-142)

This view is based on the Hadith in Tirmidhi (https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/10/74)

🖋 Ibn Qudaamah رحمه الله wrote in al-Mughnee 3/444, 

“If the deceased is buried, one can (still) pray over him/her at the grave for the extent of a month**. This is the view of most of the people of knowledge among the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Companions and other than them. That has been transmitted by way of Abu Musaa (al-Ashari), Ibn Umar, and ‘Aaisha رضي الله عنهم. This was (also) the view held by al-Awzaa’ee and ash-Shaafi’ee…” (Please note that Ibn Qudaamah related that there is a difference of opinion regarding this issue in the other Madhaahib)

*This is also the view of our Sh. Muhammad Ali Aadam al-Ityoobi حفظه الله (Exp. of Jaami at-Tirmdhi 14/326)

**This starts from the time the deceased is buried as affirmed by al-Mardaawi & the majority of Hanbali scholars. See Tasheeh al-Furoo’ of ibn Muflih (3/351, at-Turkee)

🔶 4. There is an option to pray Salah al-Ghaa’ib (Absentee funeral prayer) over him/her.

The evidence for this is the action of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for Najaashi in Bukhari & Muslim (https://sunnah.com/bukhari/23/9)

🖋 Ibn Qudaamah رحمه الله said,

“The (Janaazah) prayer is allowed for the absentee in another land with the intention. One faces the Qiblah and prays in the same manner as if the deceased was present. The prayer is done regardless if the deceased is in the direction of the Qiblah or not (for example, the one in Makkah will still face the Ka’bah when performing this prayer for the deceased in New York City)and regardless of whether there is between the two lands the distance of shortening of prayer or not. This is what Shaafi’ee said…” (al-Mughnee: 3/446)

🗓 The time limit for this is also 1 month. 

🖋 Ibn Qudaamah رحمه الله said,

“Salah (Janaazah) for the absentee stops at a month, just like the Salah (Janaazah that is performed) at the grave because it is not known if the remains are still present after that time period.” (al-Mughnee: 3/337)

🗣 I asked Sh. Ali at-Tuwayjaree حفظه الله (teacher at Masjid Nabawee) about the issue of entering 10 by 10 to pray the Janaazah for a recently deceased sister in NYC رحمها الله وأدخلها في الفردوس and he replied,  “Yes, yes. It permissible to pray 10 by 10 or 5 by 5 (or any other number based on the need), because it has been relayed that when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم passed away, the Companions entered upon him and prayed one by one. A man would enter, pray, then leave. Then another would enter, pray and leave. Also, if it is difficult for her relatives to pray upon her because they are in another place, it is permissible to pray the Absentee Prayer on her. And all praises are due to Allah.” 

Allah knows best.

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✍️ Abu Awzaa’ee Abdus-Salaam al-Makki al-Hanbali

🕋 Makkah al-Mukarramah حرسها الله

🗓 4th of Sha’baan, 1441 (3/28/2020 CE)

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