Excerpt Source: Ā'īnah Tawḥīd wa Sunnat ba-Jawāb “Shirk Kyā Hai?” ma‘a Ḥaqīqat-e-Bid‘at
By: Shaykh Abū Ḥudhayfah Muḥammad Jāwīd Salafī
Some people claim to be from Ahl al-Sunnah, yet completely abandon the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. One such instance is not reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in the funeral prayer, whereas this is established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
"صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ فَقَرَأَ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ، فَقَالَ: لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهَا سُنَّةٌ"
“I prayed a funeral prayer behind Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنه, and he recited Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Then he said: I did this so that you may know that it is Sunnah.”
This narration is a clear and explicit proof that reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in Ṣalāt al-Janāzah is Sunnah.
Both audible and silent performance of the funeral prayer are permissible. However, Sūrah al-Fātiḥah must be recited, even if the recitation is silent.
“The Sunnah is to recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah silently in the funeral prayer.”
This makes it clear that the recitation of Fātiḥah is a legislated act in the Janāzah prayer, whether one does it audibly or silently.
It is truly astonishing that people:
✖ Do not recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah where it is proven Sunnah
✔ Yet insist on reciting it in places where it is not established
This is a strange mindset:
✘ Love for Bid‘ah
✘ Hatred for the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
✘ And animosity towards those who follow the Sunnah
People even mock those who follow this Sunnah, saying things like:
❝"The person died accursed — no Fātiḥah, no Durūd!"❞
Yet the reality is:
The funerals of Ahl al-Ḥaqq (People of Truth) contain both Fātiḥah and Durūd.
✖ While those who mock them — their funerals contain neither.
❝Believe it or not, that is your choice —
We continue to explain right and wrong to your noble selves.❞
By: Shaykh Abū Ḥudhayfah Muḥammad Jāwīd Salafī
❖ Reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in Salāt al-Janāzah
Some people claim to be from Ahl al-Sunnah, yet completely abandon the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. One such instance is not reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in the funeral prayer, whereas this is established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
Narration of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنه
"صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَلَى جَنَازَةٍ فَقَرَأَ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ، فَقَالَ: لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهَا سُنَّةٌ"
“I prayed a funeral prayer behind Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنه, and he recited Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Then he said: I did this so that you may know that it is Sunnah.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Bāb Qirā’at Fātiḥat al-Kitāb ‘alā al-Janāzah, Ḥadīth: 1335
This narration is a clear and explicit proof that reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in Ṣalāt al-Janāzah is Sunnah.
❖ Whether Silent or Loud — Fātiḥah Should Be Recited
Both audible and silent performance of the funeral prayer are permissible. However, Sūrah al-Fātiḥah must be recited, even if the recitation is silent.
Narration of Abū Umāmah رضي الله عنه
“The Sunnah is to recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah silently in the funeral prayer.”
Reference: al-Nasā’ī, Kitāb al-Janā’iz, Bāb al-Du‘ā’, Ḥadīth: 1991
This makes it clear that the recitation of Fātiḥah is a legislated act in the Janāzah prayer, whether one does it audibly or silently.
❖ Where Sunnah Is Proven, It Is Abandoned — Where It Is Not, It Is Insisted Upon
It is truly astonishing that people:
✖ Do not recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah where it is proven Sunnah
✔ Yet insist on reciting it in places where it is not established
This is a strange mindset:
✘ Love for Bid‘ah
✘ Hatred for the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
✘ And animosity towards those who follow the Sunnah
People even mock those who follow this Sunnah, saying things like:
❝"The person died accursed — no Fātiḥah, no Durūd!"❞
Yet the reality is:
The funerals of Ahl al-Ḥaqq (People of Truth) contain both Fātiḥah and Durūd.✖ While those who mock them — their funerals contain neither.
❝Believe it or not, that is your choice —
We continue to explain right and wrong to your noble selves.❞
