Issue No.570- There are five takbīrs (saying Allahu Akbar) in the prayer for the dead individual and it is sufficient if one recites those five takbīrs in the following order: After making intention to offer the prayer and pronouncing the first takbīr one should say:اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لا إلهَ إلاَّ اللهُ وَ اَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللهِ(I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger).After the second takbīr he should say:اللهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلي مُحَمَّد وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد(O’ Lord! Bestow peace and blessing upon Muhammad and his progeny).After the third takbīr he should say:اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤمِنينَ وَ الْمُؤمِناتِ(O’ Lord! forgive all believers -- men as well as women).After the fourth takbīr he should say:اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِهذَا الْمَيِّتِ(O’ Lord! Forgive this dead individual)If the deceased is a woman, he should say:اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِهذِهِ الْمَيِّتِThereafter he should pronounce the fifth takbīr.It is, however, better that he pronounces the following supplications after the takbīrs respectively:After the first takbīr:اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لا إلهَ إلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيکَ لَهُ وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ اَرْسَلَهُ بِالْحَقِّ بَشيراً وَ نَذيراً بَيْنَ يَدَىِ الساعَةِ“I testify that there is no deity but Allah who is One and has no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, sent by Him on a righteous mission to warn His servants about the Resurrection and the Judgment Day and to give them glad tidings.”After the second takbīr:اَللهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلي مُحَمَّد وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد وَ بارِکْ عَلي مُحَمَّد وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد وَ ارْحَمْ مُحَمَّداً وَ آلَ مُحَمَّد کَاَفْضَلِ مَا صَلَّيْتَ وَ بارَکْتَ وَ تَرَحَّمْتَ عَلي إبْراهيمَ وَ آلِ اِبْراهيمَ إنَّکَ حَميدٌ مَجيدٌ وَ صَلِّ عَلي جَميعِ الاْنْبِياءِ وَ الْمُرْسَلينَ وَ الشُّهَداءِ وَ الصِّديقينَ وَ جَميعِ عِبادِ اللهِ الصالِحينَ“O’ Lord! Bestow your peace, blessings, and mercy on Muhammad and his progeny just as you blessed Ibrahim and his progeny with your peace, blessings, and grace, for you are the most exalted and high, and bless all divine Prophets, Messengers, the Witnesses, the Truthfuls and all the righteous slaves of Allah.”After the third takbīr:اَللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤمِنينَ وَ الْمُؤمِناتِ وَ الْمُسْلِمينَ وَ الْمُسْلِماتِ الاْحْياءِ مِنْهُمْ وَ الاْمْواتِ تابِعْ بَيْنَنا وَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْخَيْراتِ إنَّکَ مُجيبُ الدَّعَواتِ إنَّکَ عَلي کُلِّ شَىْء قَديرٌ“O’ Lord! Forgive all male and female believers, both those who have passed away and those who still live, and accept our prayers and charitable gifts for them all, for you are He who accepts prayers and you are He who is able to do whatever He wills.”After the fourth takbīr if the deceased is male:اَللهُمَّ إنَّ هذا عَبْدُکَ وَ ابْنُ عَبْدِکَ وَ ابْنُ اَمَتِکَ نَزَلَ بِکَ وَ اَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْزُول بِهِ اَللهُمَّ اِنا لا نَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إلا خَيْراً وَ اَنْتَ اَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنا اَللهُمَّ اِنْ کانَ مُحْسِناً فَزِدْ في اِحْسانِهِ وَ اِنْ کانَ مُسيئاً فَتَجاوَزْ عَنْهُ وَ اغْفِرْ لَهُ اَللهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ عِنْدَکَ في اَعْلي عِلِّيينَ وَاخْلُفْ عَلَي اَهْلِهِ فِي الْغابِرينَ وَ ارْحَمْهُ بِرَحْمَتِکَ يا اَرْحَمَ الراحِمينَ“O’ Lord! This is your servant, son of your servant and that of your bondwoman, who has come before You, and You are the best of hosts. O’ Lord! We know him not but with goodness and You know best how he is. O’ Lord! If he is a righteous servant of yours, then add more to his reward, and if he is an evildoer, forgive him his sins and pardon him and let him rest in peace in the highest of ranks and be a guardian over his family who live among the living, and have mercy on him, O’ most merciful of those who show mercy.”And then recite the fifth takbīr.If the deceased is female, one should say:اَللهُمَّ اِنَّ هذِهِ اَمَتُکَ وَ ابْنَةُ عَبْدِکَ وَ ابْنَةُ اَمَتِکَ نَزَلَتْ بِکَ وَ اَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْزُول بِهِ اَللهُمَّ اِنا لا نَعْلَمُ مِنْها إلا خَيْراً وَ اَنْتَ اَعْلَمُ بِها مِنا اَللهُمَّ اِنْ کانَتْ مُحْسِنَةً فَزِدْ في اِحْسَانِها وَ اِنْ کَانَتْ مُسيئَةً فَتَجاوَزْ عَنْها وَ اغْفِرْ لَها اَللهُمَّ اجْعَلْها عِنْدَکَ في اَعْلي عِلِّيينَ وَ اخْلُفْ عَلي اَهْلِها فِي الْغابِرينَ وَ ارْحَمْها بِرَحْمَتِکَ يا اَرْحَمَ الراحِمينَ“O’ Lord! This is your bondwoman, daughter of your servant and that of your bondwoman, who has come before You now and You are the best of hosts. O’ Lord! We know her but with goodness and You know best how she is. O’ Lord! If she is a righteous servant of yours, then add more to her reward, and if she is an evildoer, forgive her, her sins and pardon her and let her rest in peace in the highest of ranks and be a guardian over her family who live among the living, and have mercy on her, O’ most merciful of those who show mercy.”Thereafter, he should pronounce the fifth takbīr.In case one is performing prayer for several men, he should say:اَللهُمَّ اِنَّ هوُلاءِ عَبيدُکَ وَ اَبْناءُ عَبيدِکَ وَ اَبْناءُ اِمائِکَ نَزَلُوا بِکَ وَ اَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْزُول بِهْ...And use plural and masculine pronouns instead of other relevant pronouns and in case the prayer is offered for several women, one should use pronouns and demonstratives in feminine and plural form. The same rule must be followed if there are two dead bodies (dual form).
