The service

Following the dead body to the grave and taking part in the Divine service held over it is regarded as a duty which a Muslim owes to a Muslim, and so is also the visiting of the sick (Bu. 23:2). Technically, taking part in Divine service is called fardz kifāyah, which means that it is sufficient that some Muslims should take part in it. Women are not prohibited from going with the bier, though their presence is not considered desirable, because being more emotional and tender-hearted than men they may break down. The service may be held anywhere, in a mosque or in an open space or even in the graveyard if sufficient ground is available there. All those who take part in the service must perform wudzū’. The bier is placed in front; the Imām stands facing the middle of the bier whether the body be of a male or a female (Bu. 23:64),64 and the people form themselves into lines according to the number of those who take part, facing the Qiblah. The general practice is to have three rows at least, but Bukhārī is expressly of opinion that there may be two rows or three or more (Bu. 23:54). If the number of people is very small, there is no harm if they form only a single line. The service starts with the takbīr, with the pronouncement of which hands are raised to the ears and placed in the same position as in prayer. Four takbīrs in all are pronounced loudly by the Imām (Bu. 23:65). After the first takbīr, the same dhikr relating to the praise and glory of God is repeated in a low voice by the Imām as well as those who follow, as in the first rak‘ah of the daily service, followed by the Opening chapter of the Holy Qur’ān (Fātiḥah), but without adding any portion of the Holy Qur’ān (Bu. 23:66). The second takbīr is then pronounced without raising the hands to the ears, and the dhikr known as al-ṣalā ‘ala-l-Nabiyy is recited in a low voice as in the qa‘dah (see p. 313). After the third takbīr, a prayer for the forgiveness of the deceased is addressed to God. Different forms of this prayer are reported as having been offered by the Holy Prophet, and it seems that prayer in any form is permissible. The following are the most well-known: