How to pray over the dead : Once he is buried
- Say Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great) Alhumdulillah (All praise belong to Allah)
- Send blessings on Muhammad Salalahu Alehi wasalam
- Then recite following dua
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ
كَانَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُولُكَ
وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ
اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ مُحْسِنًا فَزِدْ فِي إِحْسَانِهِ
وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسِيئًا فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِ
اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ
وَلاَ تَفْتِنَّا بَعْدَهُ
O Allah, he is Your slave and the son of Your male slave
and Your female slave.
He used to testify that there is no god but You
and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your Messenger,
and You know that best.
O Allah, if he acted well, then increase for him his good action,
and if he acted wrongly, then overlook his wrong actions.
O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward,
and do not try us after him
Reference : Muwatta Malik: Arabic : Book 16, Hadith 539
English : Book 16, Hadith 17
Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburi from his father that he had asked Abu Hurayra,
“How do you pray over the dead?” and
Abu Hurayra replied, “By the Life of Allah, I will tell you!
I follow with the family and when the corpse is put down I say ‘Allah is greater’ and praise Allah and ask for blessings on His Prophet.
Then I say, ‘O Allah, he is Your slave and the son of Your male slave and Your female slave. He used to testify that there is no god but You and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your Messenger, and You know that best. O Allah, if he acted well, then increase for him his good action, and if he acted wrongly, then overlook his wrong actions. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not try us after him.'”
حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ كَيْفَ تُصَلِّي عَلَى الْجَنَازَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَا لَعَمْرُ اللَّهِ، أُخْبِرُكَ أَتَّبِعُهَا، مِنْ أَهْلِهَا فَإِذَا وُضِعَتْ كَبَّرْتُ وَحَمِدْتُ اللَّهَ وَصَلَّيْتُ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ثُمَّ أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ كَانَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُولُكَ وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ مُحْسِنًا فَزِدْ فِي إِحْسَانِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسِيئًا فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلاَ تَفْتِنَّا بَعْدَهُ