—namely those who are not legally accountable: children, and anyone who reached puberty while insane and remained in that condition until death.
11- His words, “Allahumma, forgive our living and our dead …,” comprise a plea for forgiveness that embraces every Muslim, living or deceased, echoing the verse, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith” (al-Hashr 59:10).
12- His words, “cause him to live upon Islam and to die upon faith,” show that when Islam is mentioned on its own it subsumes faith, and vice-versa. When the two terms appear together—as in the ḥadīth of ʿUmar when Gabriel came to the Prophet ﷺ—“Islam” denotes the outward practical ordinances, whereas “faith” refers to belief in the six articles. Here each term is used separately: Islam relates to one’s state while alive, and faith to one’s state at death. Faith is singled out for the moment of death because it is more complete and more fitting at life’s conclusion.
13- His words, “and do not lead us astray after him,” reflect fear of trials while alive—whether the trial of doubtful misconceptions or that of sinful desires, for a person is exposed to both during his life. Among the Prophet’s supplications was, “O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.” A person may fall into tribulation without realizing it, and may even assume he is upon the truth, as Allah says, “…while they think they are rightly guided” (al-Aʿrāf 7:30). One should therefore take himself to account, obey Allah, and display his need before Him; these are among the means of protection.
14- His words, “Allahumma, do not deprive us of his reward,” refer to the reward we earn by preparing the body, performing the funeral prayer, and accompanying the cortege, as well as the reward gained through patience at the calamity. The recompense for his own deeds, however, belongs to him alone; we have no share in it, and asking for it would constitute overstepping the bounds in supplication.
15- The unrestricted command to devote the prayer sincerely to the deceased means that it must be offered with the same sincerity for the sinner as for anyone else, for the one entangled in sin is in even greater need of his fellow Muslims’ prayers.