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Rituals for the Deceased Muslim

Question

What are the rituals (Fard and Sunnah) for attending the dead Muslim according to Islamic Sharia? please send the answer according to the Qur'an and Hadiths mentioning Hadiths No and Qur'anic verses.Can we recite Qur'an on their behalf?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

The Sunnah and Fard Islamic rituals concerning the dead person, start from the Ihtidhar (death struggle) until after his burial. During his sickness, he should be reminded of The Last Day and advised to repent. When he begins the death struggle, a person should tell him to repeat: “La Ilaaha Illa Allah” (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah), because if it is his last word he will go to Paradise.

All the scholars are agreed that when a person dies it is recommended to close his jaws with a wide bandage, so his mouth is not left open. His eyes should be closed.
Um Salamah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her narrated: “The Messenger of Allah entered upon Abu Salamah (after he had died), and his eyes were wide open. He closed his eyes, then he said: ‘When the soul is taken away, the sight follows it.’

When people are present at those persons who have just died, they should close their eyes. The right of a dead person is also to inform the relatives and neighbors so that they can come to perform the funeral prayer on him and supplicate for him. It is also recommended to hasten in paying off the debts of the deceased for the Hadeeth reported from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “A believer's soul remain in suspense until all his debts are paid off.” [At-Tirmithi, who classified it as a sound Hadeeth]

It is also the dead person’s right on Muslims that his body should be prepared for burial without any delay as soon as death is confirmed for the saying of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ): “A corpse of a Muslim should not be left long within his family's home after his death; (i.e. should be buried as soon as possible).” [Abu Daawood]

Shrouding the body of a deceased is a collective obligation of the Muslims. All the Muslim scholars also agreed that carrying a coffin and accompanying it to the graveyard is also a collective obligation of the Muslims, for the Hadeeth of Al-Baraa’, may Allaah be please with him, who said: “The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) ordered us to follow the funeral procession.” [Al-Bukhari] Performing prayer on a deceased person and burying him is also a communal obligation on Muslim community. There are many other rights and rulings of a dead person; we can not mention all of them here.

As for offering the reward of recitation of the Quran to a dead person, please refer to Fataawa 82593 and 82681.

Allah knows best.

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