599. It is obligatory to offer prayer on the dead body of a Muslim. It is also obligatory to offer prayer on the body of child who is subject to the rulings of a Muslim and has completed six lunar years.
600. There is no harm in offering prayer on a child who has not completed six lunar years, with the intention of rajÁ‘. However, offering prayer on the body of a stillborn child is not canonically prescribed.
601. The prayer for the dead should be offered after giving ghusl, applying ÎunÙÔ and shrouding the body. If it is offered prior to these rites or between them, it will not be adequate, even if it was due to forgetfulness or ignorance of the ruling.
602. It is not necessary for the one who wishes to offer the prayer for the dead to have performed wuÃÙ, ghusl or tayammum. His clothes and body do not have to be ÔÁhir either. In fact, even if he offers the prayer with clothes that are usurped, it will not be problematic.
The recommended precaution is that he should observe all the conditions that have been stipulated for other prayers. However, obligatory precaution dictates he should avoid all the things that are inconsistent with the unspoken agreement between the observant believers with respect to the prayer for the dead.
603. The person offering the prayer should be facing qiblah. It is obligatory that the dead body be placed in front of him, lying on its back, in a manner that its head is situated to his right and its feet to his left.
604. The recommended precaution is that the area on which the one offering the prayer is standing should not be usurped. It should also not be much higher or much lower than the area on which the body is placed. Of course, there is no harm if the height difference between the two is not significant.
605. The person offering the prayer should not be situated very far from the body. However, there is no harm if the one who is offering the prayer in congregation is situated at a distance from the body, as long as the rows (of the congregation) are connected to each other.
606. The person offering the prayer should be situated directly in front of the body. However, if the prayer is offered in congregation, and the rows of the congregation extend beyond the length of the body, the prayers of those who are not situated directly in front of the body will be in order.
607. There should be no curtain, wall or any other barrier between the body and the person offering the prayer. However, there is no harm if the body is placed in a coffin or a similar container.
608. The private parts of the deceased should be covered whilst the prayer is being offered on it. In the event that it is not possible to shroud the body, the private parts should still be covered, even if it be with a slab, or a brick, or any similar item.
609. The person offering the prayer should be a believer , and even though the prayer of a non-bÁligh child is in order, it will not compensate for the prayer of a bÁligh person. He should also pray standing, with the intention of attaining proximity to Allah and with sincerity. He should also specify the deceased when making his intention. For example, he may say, “I am offering prayer on this deceased’s body to attain proximity to Allah.”
610. If no one who can offer the prayer on the deceased while standing is available, it can be offered while sitting.
611. If the deceased has made a will that a particular person should offer prayer on his body, the recommended precaution is that the person should seek permission from the guardian of the deceased, and the guardian too should grant him the permission.
612. It is permissible to offer the prayer multiple times on a single body.
613. If a body is buried without offering the prayer on it, be it intentionally, forgetfully or owing to an excuse, it is obligatory to offer the prayer over his grave with the conditions previously stipulated for the prayer for a dead body, as long as the body has not completely disintegrated. The same will also apply in the case where the offered prayer was invalid.
