What du'a do I make for someone who has died?

The du'a the Prophet ﷺ taught

This is the one reported from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه, who said the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed over a funeral and said:

"O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present among us and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whoever You keep alive among us, keep him alive upon Islam, and whoever You cause to die among us, cause him to die upon faith. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him."— Sunan Abu Dawud 3201, from Abu Hurayrah; also Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1024

The same du'a is narrated in Sunan an-Nasa'i, Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami' at-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih (good and authentic).

What the words are asking

Each phrase carries its own weight, and understanding them changes how you pray it.

• "Forgive our living and our dead" — the du'a begins with forgiveness, because that is the first thing the deceased needs. You are asking Allah to wipe away their sins.
• "Those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females" — it covers everyone, so no one is left out. This is why scholars loved it: it is a comprehensive supplication for the whole community.
• "Keep him alive upon Islam... cause him to die upon faith" — the wording distinguishes between islam (outward submission) in life and iman (inward faith) at death. Al-Qari explained that Islam is holding to the outward pillars, which only applies while alive, while iman is the inward belief, and that is what one hopes to die upon.
• "Do not deprive us of his reward" — the believer's death is a loss to the community, and you ask Allah for the reward of bearing it patiently.
• "Do not let us go astray after him" — you ask that his death not become a trial that turns you away from the religion.

Other du'as for the deceased

The Prophet ﷺ also taught a longer du'a, reported from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa' رضي الله عنه, which begins by naming the person:

"O Allah, so-and-so son of so-and-so is under Your protection and in the rope of Your security, so save him from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the Fire. You are the One who fulfils and deserves praise. Forgive him and have mercy on him, for You are the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful."— Sunan Ibn Majah 1499, from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa'

And a shorter one, also reported for the funeral prayer:

"O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, grant him safety and pardon him, honour his resting place and make his entrance wide, wash him with water, snow and hail, cleanse him of his sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt, give him a home better than his home, a family better than his family and a spouse better than his spouse, admit him to Paradise and protect him from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Fire."— Sahih Muslim 963, from 'Awf ibn Malik

At the grave, after burial

After the burial, the Sunnah is to ask for steadfastness, since the questioning in the grave has begun. The du'a given for this occasion is:

"O Allah, forgive him. O Allah, make him firm."— based on Sunan Abu Dawud 3221, from 'Uthman ibn 'Affan

If the deceased is a child

The scholars mention a different wording when the one being prayed over is a child. Al-Bayhaqi reported from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that one should say: "O Allah, make him a predecessor, a forerunner and a source of reward for us."

Key takeaways

• The most complete du'a for the deceased is "O Allah, forgive our living and our dead..." — it is authentic and covers every category of person.
• You may make du'a for the deceased at the funeral prayer, at the grave, or at any time; the scholars encouraged sincerity and devotion in it.
• The Prophet ﷺ said: "When you pray over the deceased, be sincere in your du'a for him" — meaning do not mix it with other things.
• After burial, ask Allah to forgive the deceased and to make them firm, because the questioning of the grave has begun.
• If the deceased is a child, the wording changes: ask that they be a forerunner and a source of reward for the parents.

Further reading

• Hisn al-Muslim, by Sa'id ibn 'Ali ibn Wahf al-Qahtani
• Sahih al-Bukhari, by Imam al-Bukhari
• Sunan Abu Dawud, by Imam Abu Dawud

And Allah knows best.