Ruling 582. It is obligatory to perform ṣalāt al‑mayyit for a Muslim who has died, and for every child who is considered a Muslim and has completed six years of age.

Ruling 583. Based on obligatory precaution, it is necessary to perform ṣalāt al‑mayyit for a child who has not completed six years of age but could understand prayers. If the child could not understand prayers, there is no problem in performing the prayer with the intention of rajāʾ [i.e. with the intention of performing it in the hope that it is desired by Allah]. There is no recommendation to perform the prayer for a stillborn child.

Ruling 584. Ṣalāt al‑mayyit must be performed after giving ghusl, camphorating, and shrouding. If it is performed before or while performing these – albeit forgetfully or on account of not knowing the ruling – it is not sufficient.

Ruling 585.* It is not necessary for someone who wants to perform ṣalāt al‑mayyit to have wuḍūʾ, ghusl, or tayammum, or for his body and clothes to be pure. In fact, even if his clothes are usurped there is no problem, although it is better that he observe all the rules that apply to other prayers. One must refrain from doing anything that breaks the form of ṣalāt al‑mayyit, and based on obligatory precaution, one must abstain from talking, laughing, and turning their back to the qibla.

Ruling 586. The person who performs ṣalāt al‑mayyit must face qibla. It is also obligatory to place the corpse in a way that it lies on its back in front of the person performing the prayer with its head on the person’s right-hand side and its feet on his left.

Ruling 587. The place where one performs the prayers must not be higher or lower than the corpse; however, being a little higher or lower is not a problem. The recommended precaution is that the place where the prayers are being performed should not be usurped.

Ruling 588. The person performing the prayer must not be far away from the corpse. However, there is no problem in him being far away if the prayer is performed in congregation and the rows are connected to one another.

Ruling 589. The person performing the prayer must stand with the corpse in front of him. However, if the prayer is being performed in congregation, there is no problem if some of the people do not stand in front of the corpse.

Ruling 590. There must not be a curtain, wall, or a similar thing between the corpse and the person performing the prayer. However, there is no problem if the corpse is in a coffin or something similar.

Ruling 591. During the prayer, the private parts of the corpse must be covered. If it has not been possible to shroud the corpse, the private parts must still be covered, albeit with a board, brick, or something similar.

Ruling 592. Ṣalāt al‑mayyit must be performed while standing and with the intention of attaining proximity to Allah. At the time of making the intention, the corpse must be specified; for example, one may make the intention: ‘I am performing the prayer for this corpse qurbatan ilal lāh (to attain proximity to Allah)’. And the obligatory precaution is that the type of stillness of body required in the daily prayers must be observed [in this prayer as well].

Ruling 593. If there is no one who can perform ṣalāt al‑mayyit while standing, it can be performed while sitting.

Ruling 594. If the deceased person had made a will stipulating that a particular person must perform the prayer for him, it is not necessary for that nominated person to get the consent of the guardian of the deceased, although it is better that he does.

Ruling 595. The opinion of some jurists is that it is disapproved to perform ṣalāt al‑mayyit a number of times. However, this matter is not established, and if the deceased is a learned and God-wary person, there is no problem in considering it not disapproved.

Ruling 596. If a corpse is intentionally, forgetfully, or for some other reason buried without the prayer being performed for it, or if after burying a corpse it becomes known that the prayer performed for it was invalid, it is not permitted to exhume the body to perform the prayer for it. However, there is no problem if, before the body decomposes, the prayer is performed at the grave-side with the intention of rajāʾ while observing the conditions mentioned earlier for this prayer.