Women’s Role in Salat al-Janazah: Leading and Participating in Funeral Prayer
Question: If there is a deceased at home, can women pray Salat al-Janazah, and if the deceased is a male or female relative, should a man lead the prayer, or can a woman lead it? Also, if the funeral has been taken away, can women still perform the Janazah prayer afterward?
Answer: Women can pray the Janazah (funeral) prayer because there is evidence for it. Women can pray the Janazah at home where the deceased is. If women wish to pray the Janazah in congregation, they can do so, and the method is that the deceased should be placed in front of them, as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) requested the Janazah to be brought to the mosque after Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, and the female companions performed the Janazah prayer.
Whether the deceased is male or female, a relative or not, women can pray the Janazah. It is not necessary for a man to lead, and women can also join men in the Janazah prayer if it is conducted in the mosque.
✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi
❪Jeddah Dawah Center – Al-Salamah – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia❫