✿ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori ✿
❀ Janazah Prayer Must Be Performed for One Who Was Given a Shari‘ah Punishment
It is permissible and prescribed to offer the Janazah (funeral) prayer for a Muslim who has been subjected to a prescribed punishment (ḥadd) under Islamic law.
➊ Narration from Hazrat Jabir (رضي الله عنه):
A man confessed to committing zina (fornication), and he was stoned to death. It is narrated:
فقال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم خيرا وصلى عليه
“The Prophet (ﷺ) spoke good words about him and then led his Janazah prayer.”
📚 [Bukhari: 6820, Kitab al-Hudud: Chapter on mercy for the one punished; Muslim: 2691; Abu Dawud: 4430; Tirmidhi: 1429; Al-Nasa’i: 4/62; Al-Daraqutni: 3/127]
➋ The Prophet (ﷺ) also ordered the stoning of the Ghamidiyyah woman, and when she passed away:
ثم صلى عليها
“Then he (ﷺ) offered her Janazah prayer.”
📚 [Muslim: 1695, Kitab al-Hudud: Chapter on one who confesses to zina; Abu Dawud: 2/233; Al-Nasa’i: 1/278; Tirmidhi: 2/325; Al-Darimi: 2/180; Ibn Majah: 2/116]
✔ Scholarly Consensus
❖ Shaykh Al-Shawkani (رحمه الله) states:
There is consensus (ijma‘) on the permissibility of performing Janazah prayer for a person who has been stoned (rajm).
📚 [Nayl al-Awtar: 2/702]
❖ Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله) quotes Qadi ‘Iyad:
“All scholars are agreed that every Muslim—whether he was subjected to ḥadd, stoned, committed suicide, or was born out of wedlock—his Janazah prayer is to be performed.”
📚 [Sharh Muslim: 4/543]
✔ Summary of the Ruling:
❶ Janazah prayer is valid and must be offered for a Muslim punished by Islamic law.
❷ The Prophet (ﷺ) himself prayed Janazah over those who were stoned due to zina.
❸ There is ijma‘ (consensus) of the scholars on the permissibility and obligation of this.
❹ Even those with grave sins—so long as they died upon Islam—are entitled to funeral rites.
