Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
No, you cannot pray Janazah for someone who died in another country (Ghaib) if the body is not present before you?
عَنْ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ مَاتَ النَّجَاشِيُّ: مَاتَ اليَوْمَ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ، فَقُومُوا فَصَلُّوا عَلَى أَخِيكُمْ أَصْحَمَةَ
(Sayidina) Jabir (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated, when the Najashi (King of Abyssinia) died, the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘A pious man has died today. So stand and pray over your brother Ashamah.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 3877).
The Hadith above is authentic by agreement. However, there is a difference of opinion regarding how it is applied. Some scholars felt that it is establishing a general rule. Based on this they deem it permissible to perform Janazah Salah for a deceased whose body is not present.
Other scholars disagreed and felt that the Hadith above is specific to the king of Abyssinia. Therefore, it does not establish a general rule. Thus they confirm the established general rule that it is not valid to pray over someone unless the body is present.
النجاشي رجل مسلم قد آمن برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وصدقه على نبوته إلا أنه كان يكتم إيمانه، والمسلم إذا مات وجب على المسلمين أن يصلوا عليه إلاّ أنه كان بين ظهراني أهل الكفر ولم يكن بحضرته من يقوم بحقه في الصلاة عليه فلزم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يفعل ذلك إذ هو نبيه ووليه وأحق الناس به فهذا والله أعلم هو السبب الذي دعاه إلى الصلاة عليه بظهر الغيب. (معالم السنن)
The Najashi was a Muslim man who believed in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and in the truth of His prophethood, except that he concealed his faith. When a Muslim dies it is incumbent upon the Muslims to pray over him. However, he was amongst the people of disbelief and there was nobody who could fulfil his right to pray for him. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was required to do so. Since he ﷺ is his Prophet, his ally and the one with the greatest right. This, therefore, and Allah (Most High) knows best, is the reason the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed over him whilst he was absent. (Imam Abu Sulaiman al-Khattabi, Ma’alim al-Sunan).
وَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْعُلَمَاءِ إِنَّمَا صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ يَوْمَ مَاتَ مَنْ يُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ فَلِهَذَا صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. (البداية والنهاية)
Some of the scholars said that he ﷺ prayed over him because he was concealing his faith from his people. Therefore, on the day he died, he did not have anyone who could pray over him. Consequently, he (the prophet) ﷺ prayed over him. (Imam Abu al-Fidaa Ibn Katheer, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihaayah).
In the Nusoos above, the Imams explained that the Janazah prayer without the body being present was due to the fact that Ashamah had concealed his faith. Thus there was no Muslim present to offer the funeral prayer (Janazah). For this reason the Prophet ﷺ prayed over him.
Another explanation is that the body of Ashamah was miraculously presented to the Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, he ﷺ prayed over a present body and not an absent body. Thus there is no proof that the Prophet ﷺ prayed over the absent.
عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ، قَالَ: أَنْبَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَنَّ أَخَاكُمْ النَّجَاشِيَّ تُوُفِّيَ، فَقُومُوا فَصَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ، فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَصَفُّوا خَلْفَهُ، وَكَبَّرَ أَرْبَعًا وَهُمْ لَا يَظُنُّونَ إِلَّا أَنَّ جَنَازَتَهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ
Imran ibn Husain (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us saying, ‘Your brother al-Najashi has passed away, so stand and pray over him.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood, whilst they formed rows behind him. He magnified (Takbir) four times. They were convinced that the bier was in front of him ﷺ. (Ibn Hibban 3102, Sahih).
لِأَنَّهُ مَاتَ بِأَرْض لم تقم فِيهَا عَلَيْهِ فَرِيضَة الصَّلَاة، فَتعين فرض الصَّلَاة عَلَيْهِ لعدم من يُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ ثمَّة، وَيدل على ذَلِك أَن النَّبِي، صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم، لم يصل على غَائِب غَيره، وَقد مَاتَ من الصَّحَابَة خلق كثير وهم غائبون عَنهُ، وَسمع بهم فَلم يصل عَلَيْهِم إلاَّ غَائِبا وَاحِدًا ورد أَنه طويت لَهُ الأَرْض حَتَّى حَضَره وَهُوَ: مُعَاوِيَة بن مُعَاوِيَة الْمُزنِيّ، روى حَدِيثه الطَّبَرَانِيّ فِي (مُعْجَمه الْأَوْسَط). (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)
He died in a land, where the obligation of prayer was not carried out. Therefore, the obligation of the prayer was established upon him (the Prophet ﷺ). This was due to the absence of anyone to pray over him there (in Abyssinia). This indicates that the Prophet ﷺ did not pray for an absent person other than him. Indeed many of the companions died whilst they were absent from him ﷺ. He ﷺ had heard about them, but he ﷺ did not pray over any of them except for one. It is narrated that the land was folded such that he was present. This is narrated regarding Mu’awiyah ibn Mu’awiyah al-Muzani, narrated by al-Tabarani (in his Mu’jam al-Awsat). (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni, Umdatu al-Qari).
From the evidence and Nusoos above we can recognize that the Hanafi position of refraining from praying Janazah prayer when the body is not present is substantiated. However, there is a valid difference of opinion regarding this issue amongst the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah. Therefore, the Ikhtilaaf must be respected.
And Allah Most High Knows Best
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen rashid (24.12.2022)
-With special thanks to Sidi Yusuf Asghar for assisting with Nusoos translation
See also:
Do you pray Janazah over a child that is born dead (stillborn)?
See also video:
