The most important thing we can do for our loved ones who passed away is to make dua for them. It is our continual prayer, dua, and remembrance that will benefit them the most. Allahās Messenger (ļ·ŗ) said: “When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased).”[Sahih Muslim].
Death can be difficult, and we all handle it differently. There are no right or wrong ways. However, out of His mercy, Allah SWT has made a prescribed dua in the Quran that we can use to bring some Sakinah. Also through our Prophet (ļ·ŗ), we learned guidance on how to handle our grief and how to help our loved ones by giving them the following Dua.
Table of content
Dua for Death
Allah reminds us in Surah Baqrah that we will go through tests and those of us who are patient will receive the blessing and mercy of Allah. At the time of a disaster (including death) we should say :
Pronunciation
The following video we have made will help you learn the proper pronunciation of the Dua word by word:
Transliteration
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiāun
in Arabic
Ų„ŁŁŁŁŲ§ ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŁŁŲ„ŁŁŁŁŁŲ§ Ų„ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ų±ŁŲ§Ų¬ŁŲ¹ŁŁŁ
Meaning
Verily we belong to Allah, and verily to Him do we return. [Quran 2:156]
Dua for Dead person
Transliteration
Allaahum-maghfir lahu warhamhu, wa ‘aafihi, wa’fu ‘anhu, wa ‘akrim nuzulahu, wa wassi’ mudkhalahu, waghsilhu bilmaa’i waththalji walbaradi, wa naqqihi minal-khataayaa kamaa naqqaytath-thawbal-‘abyadha minad-danasi, wa ‘abdilhu daaran khayran min daarihi, wa ‘ahlan khayran min ‘ahlihi, wa zawjan khayran min zawjihi, wa ‘adkhilhul-jannata, wa. ‘a’ithhu min ‘athaabil-qabri[wa ‘athaabin-naar]
in Arabic
Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŁŁ Ų§ŲŗŁŁŁŁŲ±Ł ŁŁŁŁ ŁŁŲ§Ų±ŁŲŁŁ ŁŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲ¹Ų§ŁŁŁŁ ŁŁŲ§Ų¹ŁŁŁ Ų¹ŁŁŁŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲ£ŁŁŁŁŲ±ŁŁ Ł ŁŁŲ²ŁŁŁŁŁ Ų ŁŁŁŁŲ³ŁŁŁŲ¹Ł Ł ŁŲÆŁŲ®ŁŁŁŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲ§ŲŗŁŲ³ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŲØŁŲ§ŁŁŁ ŁŲ§Ų”Ł ŁŁŲ§ŁŲ«ŁŁŁŁŁŲ¬Ł ŁŁŲ§ŁŁŲØŁŁŲ±ŁŲÆŁ Ų ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ł ŁŁŁ Ų§ŁŁŲ®Ų·ŁŲ§ŁŲ§ ŁŁŁ Ų§ ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŲŖŁ Ų§ŁŁŲ«ŁŁŁŁŲØŁ Ų§ŁŲ£ŁŲØŁŁŁŁŲ¶Ł Ł ŁŁŁ Ų§ŁŲÆŁŁŁŁŁŲ³Ł Ų ŁŁŲ£ŁŲØŁŁŲÆŁŁŁŁŁ ŲÆŲ§Ų±Ų§Ł Ų®ŁŁŁŁŲ±Ų§Ł Ł ŁŁŁ ŲÆŲ§Ų±ŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲ£ŁŁŁŁŲ§Ł Ų®ŁŁŁŁŲ±Ų§Ł Ł ŁŁŁ Ų£ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲ²ŁŁŁŲ¬ŁŁŲ§Ł Ų®ŁŁŁŁŲ±Ų§Ł Ł ŁŁŁ Ų²ŁŁŁŲ¬ŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲ£ŁŲÆŁŲ®ŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ų§ŁŁŲ¬ŁŁŁŁŁŲ© Ų ŁŁŲ£ŁŲ¹ŁŁŲ°ŁŁŁ Ł ŁŁŁ Ų¹ŁŲ°Ų§ŲØŁ Ų§ŁŁŁŁŲØŁŲ± [ŁŁŲ¹ŁŲ°Ų§ŲØŁ Ų§ŁŁŁŁŲ§Ų±]
Meaning
O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, and give him strength and pardon him. Be generous to him, and cause his entrance to be wide, and wash him with water and snow and hail. Cleanse him of his transgressions as white cloth is cleansed of stains. Give him an abode better than his home, and a family better than his family, and a wife better than his wife. Take him into Paradise, and protect him from the punishment of the grave [and from the punishment of Hell-fire].
Related:
[Muslim 2/663.]
2nd Dua for a deceased person at the funeral
Transliteration
Allaahumma ‘inna [name the person] fee thimmatika, wa habli jiwaarika, faqihi min fitnatil-qabri wa ‘athaabin-naari, wa ‘Anta ‘ahlul-wafaa’i walhaqqi. Faghfir lahu warhaw.hu ‘innaka ‘Antal-Ghafoorur-Raheem.
in Arabic
Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŁŁ Ų„ŁŁŁŁ ŁŁŁŲ§ŁŁ ŲØŁŁŁ ŁŁŁŲ§ŁŁ ŁŁ Ų°ŁŁ ŁŁŁŲŖŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲŁŲØŁŁŁŁ Ų¬ŁŁŁŲ§Ų±ŁŁ Ų ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ł ŁŁŁ ŁŁŲŖŁŁŁŁŲ©Ł Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŲØŁŲ±Ł ŁŁŲ¹ŁŲ°Ų§ŲØŁ Ų§ŁŁŁŁŲ§Ų± Ų ŁŁŲ£ŁŁŁŲŖŁ Ų£ŁŁŁŁŁ Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŁŲ§Ų”Ł ŁŁŲ§ŁŁŁŲŁŁŁŁ Ų ŁŁŲ§ŲŗŁŁŁŁŲ±Ł ŁŁŁŁ ŁŁŲ§Ų±ŁŲŁŁ ŁŁŁŁ Ų Ų„ŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ų£ŁŁŁŲŖŁ Ų§ŁŲŗŁŁŁŁŲ±Ł Ų§ŁŁŲ±ŁŁŲŁŁ
Meaning
O Allah, surely [name the person] is under Your protection, and in the rope of Your security, so save him from the trial of the grave and from the punishment of the Fire. You fulfill promises and grant rights, so forgive him and have mercy on him. Surely You are Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Hisn al-Muslim]
3rd Dua for who passed Away
Transliteration
Allaahum-maghfir lihayyinaa, wa mayyitinaa, wa shaahidinaa, wa ghaa’ibinaa, wa sagheerinaa wa kabeerinaa, wa thakarinaa wa ‘unthaanaa. Allaahumma man ‘ahyaytahu minnaa fa’ahyihi ‘alal-‘Islaami, wa man tawaffaytahu minnaa fatawaffahu ‘alal-‘eemaani, Allaahumma laa tahrimnaa ‘ajrahu wa laa tudhillanaa ba’dahu.
in Arabic
Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŁŁ Ų§ŲŗŁŁŁŁŲ±Ł ŁŁŲŁŁŁŁŁŁŲ§ ŁŁŁ ŁŁŁŁŲŖŁŁŁŲ§Ų ŁŁŲ“ŁŲ§ŁŁŲÆŁŁŲ§ ŁŁŲŗŲ§Ų¦ŁŲØŁŁŁŲ§ Ų ŁŁŲµŁŲŗŁŁŲ±ŁŁŲ§ ŁŁŁŁŲØŁŁŲ±ŁŁŲ§ Ų ŁŁŲ°ŁŁŁŁŲ±ŁŁŲ§ ŁŁŲ£ŁŁŁŲ«ŁŲ§ŁŲ§ . Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŁŁ Ł ŁŁŁ Ų£ŁŲŁŁŁŁŁŁŲŖŁŁŁ Ł ŁŁŁŲ§ ŁŁŲ£ŁŲŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ų¹ŁŁŁ Ų§ŁŲ„ŁŲ³ŁŁŲ§Ł Ų ŁŁŁ ŁŁŁ ŲŖŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŲŖŁŁŁ Ł ŁŁŁŲ§ ŁŁŲŖŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ų¹ŁŁŁ Ų§ŁŲ„ŁŁŁŁ Ų§Ł Ų Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŁŁ ŁŲ§ ŲŖŁŲŁŁŲ±ŁŁ ŁŁŁŲ§ Ų£ŁŲ¬ŁŁŲ±ŁŁ Ų ŁŁŁŲ§ ŲŖŁŲ¶ŁŁŁŁŁŁŲ§ ŲØŁŲ¹ŁŁŲÆŁŁ
Meaning
O Allah forgive our living and our dead, those who are with us and those who are absent, our young and our old, our menfolk and our womenfolk. O Allah, whomever you give life from among us give him life in Islam, and whomever you take away from us take him away in Faith. O Allah, do not forbid us their reward, and do not send us astray after them.
[bn Majah 1/480]
4th Dua for the Dead
Transliteration
Allaahumma ‘abduka wabnu ‘amatika ihtaaja ‘ilaa rahmatika, wa ‘Anta ghaniyyun ‘an ‘athaabihi, ‘in kaana muhsinan fazid fee hasanaatihi, wa ‘in kaana musee’an fatajaawaz ‘anhu.
in Arabic
Ų§ŁŁŁŁŁŁ ŁŁ Ų¹ŁŲØŁŁŲÆŁŁŁ ŁŁŲ§ŲØŁŁŁ Ų£ŁŁ ŁŁŲŖŁŁŲ Ų§ŲŁŲŖŁŲ§Ų¬Ł Ų„ŁŁŁ Ų±ŁŲŁŁ ŁŁŲŖŁŁŲ ŁŁŲ£ŁŁŁŲŖŁ ŲŗŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ Ų¹ŁŁŁ Ų¹ŁŲ°Ų§ŲØŁŁŁŲ Ų„ŁŁŁ ŁŲ§ŁŁ Ł ŁŲŁŁŲ³ŁŁŲ§Ł ŁŁŲ²ŁŲÆŁ ŁŁ ŲŁŲ³ŁŁŁŲ§ŲŖŁŁŲ ŁŁŲ„ŁŁŁ ŁŲ§ŁŁ Ł ŁŲ³ŁŁŲ¦Ų§Ł ŁŁŲŖŁŁŲ¬Ų§ŁŁŲ²Ł Ų¹ŁŁŁŁŁ
Meaning
O Allah, Your male slave and the child of Your female slave are in need of Your mercy, and You are not in need of his torment. If he was pious then increase his rewards and if he was a transgressor then pardon him.
[Hisn al-Muslim 159]
How to help a deceased person
There are certain practices that can be followed to help those who passed away when meeting with Allah. Here are some important things that can be done after the death of a person in alignment with Islam:
- Give Charity on Behalf of the Deceased: Engage in acts of charity and donate in the name of the deceased. This can include giving to the poor, supporting humanitarian causes, or contributing to ongoing charitable projects. These acts can benefit the deceased and earn them rewards even after their passing.
- Perform Hajj or Umrah on Behalf of the Deceased: It is allowed to perform them on their behalf as fulfilling their unfulfilled intentions can bring blessings to the deceased.
- Recite the Quran: Recite the Quran and make intentions to dedicate the rewards to the deceased. Additionally, you can organize Quran recitation sessions or sponsor the distribution of copies of the Quran in the name of the deceased.
- Perform Voluntary Acts of Worship: Engage in additional voluntary acts of worship, such as performing Voluntary prayers (Nafl), fasting, giving Sadaqah (voluntary charity), or seeking beneficial knowledge. Dedicate the rewards of these acts to the deceased.
- Make Dua for the Deceased: Lastly offer sincere prayers and dua like what we have mentioned above for the deceased or by asking Allah to have mercy on them, forgive their sins, and grant them Jannah in your own words as praying for the deceased is considered an act that can benefit them in the afterlife.
Remember that All The previous actions are acts of worship and supplication seeking His mercy and blessings and in the end, it is Allah who grants mercy and forgiveness to the deceased.
