Question
Could you please let us know the method of offering Janazah, Eid prayers? Many Muslims finish Janazah prayer with one Salam just turning to the right. Are they doing it right?. Please let us know if Khutba can be delivered before the Eid prayer? Should Adan, Iqamah be pronounced for Eid prayer? Should Muslims pray Eid and Jumah prayer if the Eid falls on Friday. Also let us know how a person should draw attention to the Imam if he makes mistakes while praying?
Answer
The Janaazah (Funeral) Prayer
The essential parts of the Janazah prayer are:
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The Janazah prayer shall be offered after bathing and shrouding the corpse.
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The deceased person should be placed horizontally between the imam (i.e. leader of the prayer) and the Ka`bah (i.e. direction of prayer).
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There is no Ruk’u (i.e. bowing) or Sujjood (i.e. prostration) in this prayer; the congregation must remain standing for the duration of the prayer.
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Extra Takbeers (i.e. aggrandize God with words) are to be offered in this prayer.
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Tasleem would be offered as an indication of the end of the prayer.
In between the takbeers, one may recite Du’aahul Istiftah (i.e. opening supplication) then proceed with Suratal Fatiha or just begin with Al Fatiha without reciting Du’aahul Istiftah or offer supplications for the Prophet (pbuh) and/or offer supplications for the forgiveness and for God’s mercy on the deceased. A number of supplications have been reported in books of Hadith in this connection.
The Eid Prayer
The essential elements of Eid prayers are as under:
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There is no Athan (i.e. call to prayer) or Iqamaah (i.e. call to stand for prayer).
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There are only two Rak’ats (i.e. prayer cycles) to be performed in the Eid prayers and in both these Rak`ats the leader of the prayer shall make audible recitations of Surah Al-Faatihah and a selected portion of the Qur’an.
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While standing (in the state of Qiyaam) those offering the prayer shall offer a few extra Takbeers1.
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Two Khutbahs (i.e. addresses) are made after the prayer is complete. The imam shall deliver these addresses while standing and shall sit for a few moments between the two Khutbahs. The Khutbah cannot be made before the prayer.
Finally, although you should find answers to your questions in the above explanation I will recap to satisfy your questions.
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Those who say the Tasleem only to their right are correct, however, doing it to the left is also fine and not objected to.
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The Khutbah cannot be made before the Eid prayer; it has to be made after.
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The Athan and Iqamaah are not to be recited for the Eid prayers.
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The Eid prayer should be prayed independent of the Friday congregational prayer. The two should not be mixed together.
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If an imam makes a mistake a person from the congregation may bring it to his attention by saying “subhanulah” (i.e. glory to God). If the imam continues with the error or does not correct or has forgotten a verse one may help him by reciting the part he made a mistake in or forgot.
I hope I have clarified the issue
God knows best.
- These additional Takbeers may be offered before or after the recitation of Faatihah and a selected part of the Qur’an. The number of these additional Takbeers is also not fixed. It is reported that at times the Prophet offered seven additional takbeers in the first Rak`at and five in the second, while at other times, he offered four additional takbeers each in both the Rak`ats. [↩]