Du'aas & Ahadith
Supplications, Prophetic traditions, and Quranic verses for times of death and bereavement
Du'a for ease during the agonies of death
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى سَكَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ
Allāhumma aʿinnī ʿalā sakarāt al-mawt
O Allah, help me through the agonies of death
— al-Tirmidhi, 3564
Encourage the dying person to say the Shahadah
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever's last words are La ilaha illallah will enter Paradise." (Abu Dawud, 3116)
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
Lā ilāha illallāh
There is no god but Allah
— Sahih Muslim, 917
Upon hearing of someone's passing
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn
Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.
— Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:156
Du'a when closing the eyes of the deceased
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِفُلَانٍ وَارْفَعْ دَرَجَتَهُ فِي الْمَهْدِيِّينَ وَاخْلُفْهُ فِي عَقِبِهِ فِي الْغَابِرِينَ وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَافْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَنَوِّرْ لَهُ فِيهِ
Allāhumma ighfir li-fulān warfaʿ darajatahu fil-mahdiyyīn, wakhlufhu fī ʿaqibihi fil-ghābirīn, waghfir lanā wa lahu yā Rabbal-ʿālamīn, wafsaḥ lahu fī qabrihī wa nawwir lahu fīh.
O Allah, forgive [name], elevate their rank among the guided, and be a successor for them among those who remain. Forgive us and them, O Lord of the Worlds, and make their grave spacious and fill it with light.
— Sahih Muslim, 920
Replace "fulān" (فُلَانٍ) with the name of the deceased.
Du'a after the third takbeer
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا
Allāhumma ighfir liḥayyinā wa mayyitinā, wa shāhidinā wa ghāʾibinā, wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā, wa dhakarinā wa unthānā
O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females.
— Abu Dawud, 3201; al-Tirmidhi, 1024
For the complete janazah prayer guide, visit our Janazah Prayer page.
When lowering the deceased into the grave
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ
Bismillāhi wa ʿalā millati Rasūlillāh
In the name of Allah and upon the way of the Messenger of Allah.
— Abu Dawud, 3213; al-Tirmidhi, 1046
After burial: du'a for steadfastness
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged making this du'a for the deceased after burial.
اللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْهُ عِنْدَ السُّؤَالِ
Allāhumma thabbithu ʿinda al-suʾāl
O Allah, keep them steadfast at the questioning.
— Abu Dawud, 3221
Du'a for forgiveness and mercy
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ
Allāhumma ighfir lahu warḥamhu wa ʿāfihi waʿfu ʿanhu
O Allah, forgive them, have mercy on them, grant them wellbeing, and pardon them.
— Sahih Muslim, 963
When visiting the graveyard
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ لَنَا وَلَكُمُ الْعَافِيَةَ
Al-salāmu ʿalaykum ahl al-diyāri min al-muʾminīna wal-muslimīn, wa innā in shāʾa Allāhu bikum lāḥiqūn, nasʾalu Allāha lanā wa lakum al-ʿāfiyah
Peace be upon you, O people of this abode, from among the believers and Muslims. Indeed, if Allah wills, we shall be joining you. We ask Allah for wellbeing for us and for you.
— Sahih Muslim, 975
Reminder of Allah's decree
The Prophet ﷺ said this when consoling those who lost a loved one.
إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى
Inna lillāhi mā akhadh, wa lahu mā aʿṭā, wa kullu shayʾin ʿindahu bi-ajalin musammā
Indeed, to Allah belongs what He has taken and to Him belongs what He has given, and everything has an appointed term.
— al-Bukhari, 1284; Muslim, 923
Du'a for good in both worlds
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbanā ātinā fi al-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fi al-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāb al-nār
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
— Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:201
The Reward of a Qirat
Whoever attends the janazah until he offers the prayer will have one Qirat of reward, and whoever attends until the burial will have two Qirats. It was asked, "What are the two Qirats?" He said, "Like two great mountains."
— al-Bukhari, 1325; Muslim, 945
Forty People Attending
No Muslim dies and forty people who do not associate anything with Allah pray over him, but Allah will accept their intercession for him.
— Muslim, 948
Following the Janazah to Burial
Whoever follows the funeral of a Muslim out of faith and seeking reward, and stays with it until the prayer is offered and the burial is done, will return with two Qirats of reward, each one like Mount Uhud. And whoever offers the prayer and then leaves before the burial will return with one Qirat.
— al-Bukhari, 47
Al-Baqarah 2:156: Returning to Allah
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Alladhīna idhā aṣābathum muṣībatun qālū innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn
Those who, when a calamity befalls them, say: "Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return."
— Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:156
Al-Imran 3:185: Every Soul Shall Taste Death
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Kullu nafsin dhāʾiqatul-mawt, wa innamā tuwaffawna ujūrakum yawmal-qiyāmah
Every soul shall taste death. And you will only be given your full compensation on the Day of Resurrection.
— Surah Al-Imran, 3:185
Al-Fajr 89:27-30: The Reassured Soul
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي
Yā ayyatuha al-nafsu al-muṭmaʾinnah, irjiʿī ilā rabbiki rāḍiyatan marḍiyyah, fadkhulī fī ʿibādī wadkhulī jannatī
O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing to Him. Enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.
— Surah Al-Fajr, 89:27-30
Az-Zumar 39:53: Do Not Despair
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا
Qul yā ʿibādiya alladhīna asrafū ʿalā anfusihim lā taqnaṭū min raḥmatillāh, innallāha yaghfiru al-dhunūba jamīʿā
Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.
— Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53
Al-Anbiya 21:35: Tested with Good and Evil
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
Kullu nafsin dhāʾiqatul-mawt, wa nablūkum bil-sharri wal-khayri fitnah, wa ilaynā turjaʿūn
Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as a trial, and to Us you will be returned.
— Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:35
Saying Inna lillahi When Struck by Calamity
No Muslim is struck with a calamity and says 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Allahumma ajirni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha' (Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. O Allah, reward me in my calamity and replace it with something better for me), but Allah will reward him in his calamity and replace it with something better.
— Muslim, 918
The House of Praise in Paradise
When a person's child dies, Allah says to His angels, 'You have taken the child of My servant?' They say, 'Yes.' He says, 'You have taken the fruit of his heart?' They say, 'Yes.' He says, 'What did My servant say?' They say, 'He praised You and said Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.' Allah says, 'Build for My servant a house in Paradise and call it the House of Praise.'
— al-Tirmidhi, 1021