Is Facing the Qiblah Necessary for the Funeral Prayer?
Source: Fatawa Ameen Puri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameen Puri
Question:
Is it necessary to face the Qiblah while performing the funeral prayer?
Answer:
The funeral prayer (ṣalāt al-janāzah) is a farḍ kifāyah, and just like every obligatory prayer, it must be performed facing the Qiblah.
❀ Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله, 728 AH) states:
أجمعوا أنها لا تصلى إلا إلى القبلة .
“There is consensus that the funeral prayer is not performed except while facing the Qiblah.”
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 21/272)
