Prayer Reading for The Deceased, Complete with Meaning

Often we hear news or statuses on our social media friends about the death of someone we may know or not know at all.

Reciting prayers for the dead is a practice that is recommended by the Prophet Muhammad. A Muslim is encouraged to read prayers for relatives or family who have died.

Prayer Reading for The Deceased

Rasulullah SAW recommends Muslims to do takziah if they hear sad news. Prayer for someone who dies aims to make Allah SWT facilitate his path to the afterlife and get forgiveness for his sins.

In the Master Book of Prayer and Zikr written by Imam Nawawi, it is explained that people who perform takziah and pray for their dead brothers will be rewarded.

Takziah or condolence is to advise patience and tell things that comfort the heart of the person who died, alleviate his grief, and make it easier to refute his calamity.

In the book of Imam Tirmidzi and the book of Sunanul Kubra Imam Baihaqi through Abdullah ibnu Mas’ud, the Messenger of Allah SAW said,

“Whoever condoles with a person who is afflicted with a calamity, he will have the same reward as the person who is afflicted.”

People who condole and pray for the dead will get the virtue of the reward of heaven. As narrated in the book of Imam Tirmidhi through Abu Barazah, the Prophet said,

“Whoever condoles with a woman whose child dies, he will be given a burdah garment in Paradise.”

In another hadith, the Prophet said,

“Never does a believer condole with his brother who is afflicted with calamity, but Allah SWT will dress him in some of the ornaments of honor on the Day of Judgment.”

When performing takziah, a Muslim can say the sentence istirja as a prayer for the corpse.

Narrated from Abu Musa RA in the hadith of At-Tirmidhi, it is recommended to say Istirja when hearing of a dead son of Adam.

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

Arabic Latin: Innalillahi wa innaa ilaihi raajiuun

Meaning: “Verily we came from Allah and will return to Him.”

There are several supplications that can be recited for the deceased. Here are the details:

1. Supplication Upon Hearing The Sad News

إنَّا ِللهِ وإنَّا إلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْن وَإِنَّا إليَ رَبِّنِا َلمُنْقَلِبُون الَلهُمَّ اكْتُبْهُ عِنْدَكَ ِفي اُلمحِسنِينِ وِاجْعَلْ ِكتابَهُ ِفي ِعلّيِّين وَاْخلُفْهُ في أَهْلِهِ في الغَابِرين وَلا تحَرِْمْنا أَجْرَهُ وَلاَ تَفْتِنَّا بَعْدَهُ

Arabic Latin: Innalillahi wa inna ilahi raji’un, wa inna ila rabbina lamunqalibun, allahummaktubhu indaka fil muhsinin, waj’al kitabahu fi’illiyyin, wakhlufhu fi ahlihi fil ghabirin, wa la tahrimnaa ajrahu wala taftinna ba’dahu.

Meaning: “Verily you belong to Allah and to Him we return. And verily to our Lord we return. O Allah, write him down in Your sight among the good ones. Make his record in the illiyyin. Replace him in his family from those who left. Do not forbid to us his reward and do not give us a trial after him.”

2. Prayer for The Deceased

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ القُبُورِ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَنَا وَلَكُمْ، أَنْتُمْ سَلَفْنَا وَنَحْنُ بِالْأَثَرِ أَنْتُمْ سَلَفْنَا وَنَحْنُ بِالْأَثَرِ.

Arabic Latin: Assalaamu ‘alaikum yaa ahlal qubuur yaghfirullaahu lanaa wa lakum antum salafnaa wa nahnu bil atsar

Meaning: “May salvation be upon you, O people of the grave. May Allah forgive us and you, you are our predecessors and we will follow you.” (HR Tirmidhi, from Ibn Abbas)

3. Prayer for a Female Deceased

للَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْلَهَا وَارْحَمْهَا وَعَافِهَا وَاعْفُ عَنْهَا، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مَدْخَلَه،ُ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ اْلأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلاً خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ

Arabic Latin: Allaahummaghfir lahaa warhamhaa wa’aafi haa wa’fu anha wa akrim nuzula hu wa wassi’madkhola hu wahgsil hu bilmaai wats- tsalji walbarodi wanaqqi hu minal khothooyaa kamaa yunaqqots tsaubul abyadlu minaddanasi wa abdil hu daaron khoiron min daari hi wa ahlan khoiron min ahli hi wazaujan khoiron min zaoji hi wa adkhil hul jannata wa’aidz hu min’adzaabil qobri wa fitnati hi wa min’adzaabin naar.

Meaning: “O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, deliver him, and let him go. And, honor his dwelling place, make it spacious for him. And, glorify his dwelling place, widen his entrance, wash him with clear, cool water, and cleanse him from all faults like a white shirt clean from dirt.

And replace her house with a better house than the one she left, and a better family than the one she left, and a better husband than the one she left. Enter her into Paradise and protect her from the punishment of the grave and its trials, and from the punishment of the fire of Hell.”

4. Prayer for a Man Deceased

لَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مَدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ اْلأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلاً خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ

Arabic Latin: Allaahummaghfir lahu warham hu wa’aafi hii wa’fu anhu wa akrim nuzula hu wa wassi’madkhola hu wahgsil hu bilmaai wats- tsalji walbarodi wanaqqi hu minal khothooyaa kamaa yunaqqots tsaubul abyadlu minaddanasi wa abdil hu daaron khoiron min daari hi wa ahlan khoiron min ahli hi wazaujan khoiron min zaoji hi wa adkhil hul jannata wa’aidz hu min’adzaabil qobri wa fitnati hi wa min’adzaabin naar.

Meaning: “O Allah, forgive, have mercy, free and deliver him. And honor his dwelling place, make it spacious for him. And glorify his dwelling place, make wide his entrance, wash him with clear, cool water, and cleanse him from all faults like a white shirt clean from dirt.

And replace his house with a better house than the one he left, and a better family than the one he left, and a better wife than the one he left. Enter him into Paradise, and protect him from the torment of the grave and its trials, and from the torment of the fire of Hell.”

5. Prayer During Takziah

أَعْظَمَ اللهُ أَجْرَكَ وَأَحْسَنَ عَزَاءَكَ وَغَفَرَ لمَيِّتِكَ

Arabic Latin: A’dlamallahu ajraka wa ahsana aza’aka wa ghafaraka li mayyitika

Meaning: “May Allah increase your reward, and make good your calamity, and forgive your dead.”

إِنَّ لِلهِ تَعَالى مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمَّى فمُرْهَا فَلْتَصْبرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ

Arabic Latin: Inna lillahi taala ma akhadza wa lahu ma a’tha wa kullu syai-in ‘indahu bi ajalin musamma famurha faltashbir wa tahtasib

Meaning: “Verily, Allah owns all that He takes and gives. All things have their appointed times with Him. Be patient and seek reward from Allah.” (HR Bukhari and Muslim).