Summary of Yasir Qadhi's Position
In a 2022 video (Ask Shaykh YQ #258), Yasir Qadhi covers the procedure for salat al-janazah, dua differences, and whether women may pray and/or attend the burial.
Salat al-Janazah is Fard Kifayah
The funeral prayer is a communal obligation — if enough Muslims in a community perform it, the obligation is lifted for all. If no one performs it, the entire community is sinful. Even a stranger who dies in a Muslim community must have janazah performed over them.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: whoever prays janazah gets a mountain of reward; whoever accompanies it to the burial gets another mountain. Whoever has three rows of people pray janazah over them — their intercession will be accepted.
A Note on "Quran and Sunnah" vs. Schools of Law
Before answering the procedural questions, Yasir Qadhi addresses the questioner's framing ("I want the answer from Quran and Sunnah, not the schools of law"). He explains that this dichotomy is false: the schools are the systematic methodology for deriving what Quran and Sunnah say. A scholar who says "this is the answer from Quran and Sunnah" is still giving you their interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah — that is not a direct revelation. Different well-qualified scholars have differed on these issues since the time of the Companions themselves.
Requirements for Salat al-Janazah
All four schools agree:
- Wudu is required
- Face the qibla
- Proper covering (awrah)
- No ruku or sujud
- The prayer consists of takbirāt and tasleem
The Four Takbirāt — What to Do at Each
After the 1st Takbira
- Hanbali and Shafi'i: recite Surat al-Fatiha
- Hanafi and Maliki: do not recite Fatiha; instead make general praise of Allah (thana')
After the 2nd Takbira
- All four schools: recite Salat Ibrahimiyya (the same durood said in the last sitting of regular prayer).
After the 3rd Takbira
- All four schools: make dua for the deceased.
- The sunna dua is the well-known one found in all books of fiqh; it is recommended to memorize it.
- One may also make general duas: "O Allah expand his/her grave," "O Allah give firmness at the questioning," etc.
- If one does not know Arabic, Yasir Qadhi's position (supported by some Shafi'i and Hanbali scholars): you may make dua in your own language rather than stand silently.
After the 4th Takbira
- Hanbali and Hanafi: remain silent, then make tasleem
- Shafi'i and Maliki: may make additional dua
Tasleem
- Shafi'i and Hanafi: two tesleems (right and left)
- Hanbali and Maliki: one tesleem only
Raising Hands at Takbirs
- Hanbali and Shafi'i and most scholars: raise hands at every takbira
- Hanafi and Maliki: raise hands only at the first takbira
Where to Stand
- Majority position: stand at the head of the male deceased, and at the middle (wasat) of the female deceased. (Minor differences exist.)
Can Women Pray Salat al-Janazah?
Yes — by unanimous consensus of all four schools. Women may and should pray salat al-janazah, especially for their relatives.
Can Women Follow the Janazah to the Graveyard / Attend the Burial?
This is the point of scholarly disagreement:
Yasir Qadhi holds the third position. The prohibition on women following the janazah was directed at the pre-Islamic practice of women wailing loudly — a cultural norm the sharia sought to eliminate. If a woman maintains her composure and does not engage in wailing, the prohibition does not apply. She may attend the burial.