How to Pray Janazah (Funeral Prayer) Step by Step
The funeral prayer is a communal obligation (fard kifayah). It has no ruku‘ or sujud; it is four takbirs said while standing. "Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer is offered gets one qirat, and whoever attends until the burial gets two qirats," and a qirat is like two great mountains (al-Bukhari 1325, Muslim 945).
Where the imam stands
For a man, at the level of his head; for a woman, at the middle of her body (al-Bukhari 1332, Abu Dawud 3194).
The four takbirs
First takbir: al-Fatihah
Say Allahu Akbar, raising the hands, then seek refuge in Allah and recite al-Fatihah silently. Ibn ‘Abbas recited it and said, "So that you know it is the Sunnah" (al-Bukhari 1335).
Second takbir: salawat on the Prophet ﷺ
Say the Ibrahimiyyah salawat, as in the tashahhud of the prayer: "Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad…" (see how to pray).
Third takbir: dua for the deceased
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ، وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ
"O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and pardon him, honour his place and make his entrance wide, wash him with water, snow and hail, and cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt…" (Muslim 963). For a woman say لَهَا instead of لَهُ.
Fourth takbir and salam
Say the takbir, pause briefly, then give one salam to the right.
If you join late, follow the imam and complete what you missed after he finishes, if the body has not been taken away.