Use of Pronouns in Janāzah Prayer for Male and Female Deceased Together
Question:
If there is one deceased male and one deceased female, how should the pronouns (ḍamāʾir) be modified in the Salāt al-Janāzah (funeral prayer)? Should they be changed to dual form or kept as singular?
Answer by:
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir (ḥafiẓahullāh)
Ruling on Pronoun Modification:
1. Using Dual Pronouns is Correct:
- If the pronouns are changed to dual form, such as:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُمَا، وَارْحَمْهُمَا، وَعَافِهِمَا، وَاعْفُ عَنْهُمَا
(O Allah, forgive both of them, have mercy on both of them...)
– this is permissible and valid.
2. Keeping Singular Pronouns is Also Permissible:
- If one does not change the pronouns and recites the usual singular form (e.g., اللهم اغفر له), the Janāzah prayer remains valid.
- What matters most is the intention (nīyah) of praying for both deceased individuals.
Gender-Specific Pronoun Modification:
- It is not necessary to change masculine and feminine pronouns separately during the prayer.
- The core purpose of the prayer is supplication and seeking forgiveness.
- The acceptance of the prayer does not depend on precise grammatical adjustments.
Conclusion:
- You may use dual pronouns like:
اللهم اغفر لهما، وارحمهما، وعافهما، واعف عنهما
if you wish to be linguistically precise.
- But using singular forms is also sufficient and does not invalidate the Janāzah prayer.
✔ The essence is the sincere duʿā’ and intention.
