Short answer
A Muslim funeral is called a janazah (also spelled janaza or jenazah). The funeral prayer is salat al-janazah, or namaz-e-janaza in Urdu. The washing is ghusl, the shroud is the kafan, and the burial is dafn.
The janazah prayer is fard kifayah (a communal duty) on the Muslims who know of the death, and so are washing, shrouding and burying the body. If no one does them, all who knew are sinful.
Other madhhabs
- Maliki
- Shrouding and burial are a communal duty; on washing the body and the janazah prayer the school has two views, a communal duty or a communal sunnah.
Explanation
The Arabic word janazah refers to the dead person on the bier, and by extension to the whole funeral. Muslims use it both for the funeral in general and for the funeral prayer in particular. In Urdu and Hindi it is janaza, in Turkish cenaze, and in Malay and Indonesian jenazah.
- Salat al-janazah: the funeral prayer, prayed standing with four takbirs.
- Ghusl al-mayyit: the washing of the dead body.
- Kafan: the white burial shroud.
- Dafn: the burial. The grave is the qabr, and the cemetery is the maqbarah or qabristan.
- Lahd: the niche cut into the side of the grave where the body is laid.
- Ta'ziyah: condolence, visiting and comforting the family.
- Iddah: the waiting period of a widow.
- Marhum and marhumah: polite words for a man or woman who has died, meaning one shown mercy.
The Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools count washing, shrouding, praying over and burying a Muslim as a communal duty. The reward for those who take part is great; see the reward of attending a janazah.
For what happens on the day, see what happens at a Muslim funeral. For the steps of the prayer, see how to pray janazah.
The evidence
Quran, Surah At-Tawba 9:84
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًۭا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ ﴿٨٤﴾
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muhammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.
The Quran mentions the funeral prayer and standing at the grave as known acts, here forbidden for the hypocrites.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1325
Sahih... من شهد الجنازة حتى يصلى عليها فله قيراط ...
"Whoever attends the janazah until the prayer is done has one qirat of reward."
The word janazah is used for the funeral in the hadith.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Bab Ahkam al-Jana'iz. The communal duties owed to a dead Muslim.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.