Reward of Multiple Janazah

Answered by: Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Question:

Sometimes Imams pray janaza on two or more deceased bodies. The Hadiths that mention the reward of going to janaza prayer, will the reward be in proportion to the number of deceased bodies prayed upon or the number of janaza Salah’s prayed?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ( رضى الله عنه ) reported that the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

مَن شَهِدَ الجَنازَةَ حَتّى يُصَلِّيَ، فَلَهُ قِيراطٌ، ومَن شَهِدَ حَتّى تُدْفَنَ كانَ لَهُ قِيراطانِ»، قِيلَ: وما القِيراطانِ؟ قالَ: «مِثْلُ الجَبَلَيْنِ العَظِيمَيْنِ

“Whoever attends the funeral procession and offers the Janazah Salah, will get a reward equal to one ‘Qirat’, and whoever accompanies it till burial, will get a reward equal to two ‘Qirats’. It was asked, “What are two Qirats?” He answered, “Like two huge mountains.”¹

Also, Sayyiduna Abu Huraira ( رضى الله عنه ) narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said;

مَن أتى جِنازَةً فِي أهْلِها فَلَهُ قِيراطٌ فَإنْ تَبِعَها فَلَهُ قِيراطٌ فَإنْ صَلّى عَلَيْها فَلَهُ قِيراطٌ فَإنِ انْتَظَرَها حَتّى تُدْفَنَ فَلَهُ قِيراطٌ

“Whoever attends a Janazah will receive a Qirat reward. Therefore, if he follows it then he will receive a reward of Qirat. If he prays the Janazah prayer, he will receive the reward of a Qirat. If he waits for it until it is buried, he will receive the reward of Qirat.”²

This indicates that for every deed related to Janazah, there is a reward of Qirat.³

In the aforementioned case, the reward will be one Qirat for the Janazah irrespective of how many bodies there are.

However, for each burial, you get individually Qirat.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

1 Sahih Bukhari, Hadith Number 1325, 87/2, Dar Tuqin Najah, 1422 H.

Sahih Muslim, Hadith Number 945, 652/2, Dar Ihyat Turath, Beirut, Lebanon. 1412 H.

2 Musnad Bazzar, Hadith 8386, 102/15, Maktabatul Uloom Wal Hikam, Madina Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia, 2009.

3 فَهَذا يَدُلُّ عَلى أنَّ لِكُلِّ عَمَلٍ مِن أعْمالِ الجِنازَةِ قِيراطًا

Fathul Bari, Ibn Hajar, 194/3, Darul Ma’rifah, Beirut, Lebanon. 1379 H.

Hashiyatus Suyuti Ala Sunanin Nasai, 53/4, Maktabatul Matbooat, Hilb (Aleppo), Syria, 1406 H.