Among the supplications recited in the funeral prayer is the report narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Mājah, and others from Abu Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: “The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—performed the funeral prayer over a deceased person and said: ‘O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, our young and our old, our males and our females, those of us who are present and those who are absent. O Allah, whomever of us You keep alive, keep him alive upon Islam; and whomever of us You cause to die, cause him to die upon faith. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him.’”1

This is a magnificent supplication encompassing both the deceased person over whom the prayer is performed and all other Muslims: the living and the dead, the young and the old, males and females, and those present and absent. This is because they all share the need—indeed, the dire necessity—for Allah’s forgiveness, pardon, and mercy. Whoever makes this supplication will receive one good deed for every Muslim man and woman of earlier and later generations. This is established in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabīr by al-Tabarānī, with an acceptable chain of transmission, from Ubādah ibn al-Sāmit—may Allah be pleased with him—who reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and women, Allah will record for him one good deed for every believing man and woman.”2

His words, “O Allah, whomever of us You keep alive, keep him alive upon Islam; and whomever of us You cause to die, cause him to die upon faith,” mention Islam in connection with life and faith in connection with death. This is because when Islam and faith are mentioned together, Islam refers to the outward practical laws, while faith refers to inward beliefs. It was therefore fitting to mention Islam in connection with life, because as long as a person remains alive, he has the opportunity and scope to perform deeds and worship. At the time of death, however, there is no longer any opportunity for that; all that remains is to die upon correct belief and sound faith, through Allah’s enabling grace. Hence he said, “And whomever of us You cause to die, cause him to die upon faith.”