Salah (Prayer) for a Believer’s Dead Body, Takbir and Du’a

تُكَبِّرُ ثُمَّ تُصَلِّي عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ص ثُمَّ تَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ عَبْدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ لَا أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إِلَّا خَيْراً وَ أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ مُحْسِناً فَزِدْ فِي إِحْسَانِهِ وَ تَقَبَّلْ مِنْهُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ مُسِيئاً فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ ذَنْبَهُ وَ ارْحَمْهُ وَ افْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَ اجْعَلْهُ مِنْ رُفَقَاءِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص ثُمَّ تُكَبِّرُ الثَّانِيَةَ وَ تَقُولُ- ا

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘In Salah (prayer) for a deceased say Takbir (Allah is great beyond description), then say, “O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause,” then say, “O Lord, this is Your servant the son of Your male and a female servant. I do not know

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ التَّكْبِيرِ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ فَقَالَ خَمْسٌ تَقُولُ فِي أُولَيهُنَّ- أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ثُمَّ تَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ هَذَا الْمُسَجَّى قُدَّامَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَ قَدْ قَبَضْتَ رُوحَهُ إِلَيْكَ وَ قَدِ احْتَاجَ إِلَى رَحْمَتِكَ وَ أَنْتَ غَنِيٌّ عَنْ عَذَابِهِ اللَّهُم

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about Takbir over a deceased person. He (the Imam) said, ‘There are five Takbir. In the first one say, “I testify that only Allah deserves worship, He is one and has no partners and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, I pray to You to grant compensation to

تُكَبِّرُ ثُمَّ تَشَهَّدُ ثُمَّ تَقُولُ‌ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ‌- ... الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ* رَبِّ الْمَوْتِ وَ الْحَيَاةِ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ جَزَى اللَّهُ عَنَّا- مُحَمَّداً خَيْرَ الْجَزَاءِ بِمَا صَنَعَ بِأُمَّتِهِ وَ بِمَا بَلَّغَ مِنْ رِسَالاتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ تَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ عَبْدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتُهُ بِيَدِكَ خَلَا مِنَ الدُّنْي

Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘In Salah (prayer) for a deceased say Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) and the testimony and say, “We are from Allah and to Allah we return. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds, Lord of death and life. O Allah, I pray to You to grant compensation to Muhammad and hi

سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا ع قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَرْفَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِي التَّكْبِيرِ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ فِي التَّكْبِيرَةِ الْأُولَى وَ لَا يَرْفَعُونَ فِيمَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَقْتَصِرُ عَلَى التَّكْبِيرَةِ الْأُولَى كَمَا يَفْعَلُونَ أَوْ أَرْفَعُ يَدَيَّ فِي كُلِّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ فَقَالَ ارْفَعْ يَدَكَ فِي كُلِّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ.

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. People raise their hands during the first Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) in Salah (prayer) for a deceased but not in the rest of Takbir and if should I raise my hand in the first Takbir only or in all Takbir.

فِي الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْجَنَائِزِ تَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَ هَذِهِ النَّفْسَ وَ أَنْتَ أَمَتَّهَا تَعْلَمُ سِرَّهَا وَ عَلَانِيَتَهَا أَتَيْنَاكَ شَافِعِينَ فِيهَا فَشَفِّعْنَا[2] اللَّهُمَّ وَلِّهَا مَنْ تَوَلَّتْ وَ احْشُرْهَا مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّتْ.

‘In Salah (prayer) for a deceased say, ‘O Lord, You have created this soul and You have caused it to die. You know all of its secret and public matters. We have come to You to mediate before You in his favor, so accept our intercession. O Lord, entrust it with those whom it took as supreme power and raise it with those