Obligatory Partواجبات

It is obligatory to perform Namaz-e-Mayyit for a Muslim who has died, and for every child who is considered to be a Muslim and who has completed six years of age.

Based on obligatory precaution, it is necessary to perform Namaz-e-Mayyit for a child who has not completed six years of age but who could understand prayers; and if the child could not understand prayers, there is no problem in performing the prayer with the intention of raja (ie. with the intention of performing it in the hope that it is desired by Allah). There is no recommendation to perform the prayer for a stillborn (dead born) child.

Namaz-e-Mayyit must be performed after giving ghusl, camphorating, and shrouding; and if it is performed before or while performing these albeit forgetfully or on account of not knowing the ruling it will not suffice.

It is not necessary for someone who wants to perform Namaz-e-Mayyit to have Wuzu, Ghusl or Tayammum, or for his body and clothes to be pure. In fact, even if his clothes are usurped there is no problem, although it is better that he observes all the rules that apply to other namaz.

The person who performs Namaz-e-Mayyit must face qibla. It is also obligatory to place the corpse in a way that it lies on its back in front of the person performing the prayer with its head on the person’s right-hand side and its feet on his left.

The place where one performs the prayers must not be higher or lower than the corpse; being a little higher or lower, however, is not a problem. The recommended precaution is that the place where the prayers are being performed should not be usurped.

The person performing the prayer must not be far away from the corpse. However, there is no problem in him being far away if the prayer is performed in congregation and the rows are connected to one another.

The person performing the prayer must stand with the corpse in front of him. However, if the prayer is being performed in congregation, there is no problem if some of the people do not stand in front of the corpse.

There must not be a curtain, wall, or a similar thing between the corpse and the person performing the prayer. However, there is no problem if the corpse is in a coffin or something similar.

Namaz-e-Mayyit must be performed while standing and with the intention of attaining proximity to Allah; and at the time of making the intention the corpse must be specified; for example, one makes the intention: ‘I am performing the prayer for this corpse qurbatan Elallah (to attain proximity to Allah)’. If there is no one who can perform Namaz-e-Mayyit while standing, it can be performed while sitting.

If the deceased person had made a will stipulating that a particular person must perform the prayer for him, it is not necessary for that nominated person to get the consent of the guardian of the deceased, although it is better that he does.

It is disapproved to perform Namaz-e-Mayyit a number of times. However, this matter is not established, and if the deceased is a learned and God-wary person, there is no problem in considering it as not being disapproved.

If a corpse is intentionally, forgetfully, or for some other reason buried without the prayer being performed for it, or, if after burying a corpse it becomes known that the prayer performed for it was invalid, it is not permitted to exhume the body in order to perform the prayer for it. However, there is no problem if before the body decomposes the prayer is performed at the grave-side with the intention of raja.

Someone who performs Namaz-e-Mayyit in congregation must also perform the Takbeers and recite the Duas even if he is a follower in the prayer (as opposed to being the imam of the prayer).