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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
A Guide to the Islamic Funeral Rites

When a Muslim passes away

Four obligations owed to every Muslim — washing, shrouding, the funeral prayer, and burial — fulfilled by the community together.

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ
"Every soul shall taste death."
Qurʾān — Āl ʿImrān 3:185
The Four Rites

What the community must do

Each is a communal obligation (farḍ kifāyah). If enough members of the community fulfill it, the duty is lifted from the rest.

I
غسل الميت

Washing

Ghusl al-Mayyit

The ritual purification of the body with water, performed by trusted members of the same gender with care and dignity.

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II
كفن الميت

Shrouding

Kafan al-Mayyit

Wrapping the body in simple white cloth, returning the deceased to a state of dignity and equality before Allah.

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III
صلاة الجنازة

Funeral Prayer

Ṣalāt al-Janāzah

The congregational prayer performed before burial, asking Allah's mercy and forgiveness for the deceased.

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IV
دفن الميت

Burial

Dafn al-Mayyit

Laying the body to rest in the earth, facing the qiblah, as swiftly as circumstances allow.

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