Women Performing Funeral Prayer
Question
As-Salamu `Alaykum. What is the Islamic ruling concerning Muslim women praying Funeral Prayer?
Answer
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we hope our efforts, which are purely for Allah's Sake, meet your expectations. In his response to the question, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), states the following:
“Some people think that Muslim women are not allowed to perform the Funeral Prayer or Salatul Janazah. There is no basis for this belief. Both Muslim men and women are urged to perform Funeral Prayer for those who die among them. It is the right of the deceased Muslim upon those who are living that they take good care of him. The Funeral Prayer is a collective obligation or Fard Kifayah for men. If a person dies in a community and some people among them perform the Janazah Prayer for the deceased, then all others have no blame. But if no one in the community performs it then the sin of this negligence will fall on the whole community.
Islam does not insist that women must come out for the Janazah Prayer, but if they are available then they should join other Muslims in the prayers. Of course, like other prayers, this Janazah Prayer also requires purification or Taharah and ablution. Women during their menses are not allowed to perform the Janazah Prayer. When we perform the Janazah Prayers we do not only seek Allah’s Blessings and Forgiveness for the Muslim male or female who passed away, but we also receive the Blessings of Allah for our own selves. It is important that more and more Muslims attend the Janazah Prayers of other Muslims. Abu-Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, quoted the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as saying:"(A believer) who accompanies the funeral procession of a Muslim out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's reward and remains with it till the funeral prayer is offered and the burial ceremonies are over, he will return with a reward of two Qirats. Each Qirat is like the size of the (Mount) Uhud. He who offers the funeral prayer only and returns before the burial, will return with the reward of one Qirat only.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)” If you have any further comments, please don't hesitate to write back! May Allah guide you to the straight path, and guide you to that which pleases Him, Amen.
