Dua for the Deceased (Janazah Prayer Dua)
“Allahummaghfir lahu warhamhu wa 'afihi wa'fu 'anh” is an authentic dua from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, recorded in Sahih Muslim 963. Read it below in Arabic with transliteration and an English translation, and learn when to say it.
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ، وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، أَوْ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ
Transliteration: Allahummaghfir lahu warhamhu, wa 'afihi wa'fu 'anh, wa akrim nuzulah, wa wassi' mudkhalah, waghsilhu bil-ma'i wath-thalji wal-barad, wa naqqihi minal-khataya kama naqqaytath-thawbal-abyada minad-danas, wa abdilhu daran khayran min darih, wa ahlan khayran min ahlih, wa zawjan khayran min zawjih, wa adkhilhul-jannah, wa a'idhhu min 'adhabil-qabr, aw min 'adhabin-nar.
Translation: O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and pardon him. Honour his resting place and make his entrance wide. Wash him with water, snow and hail, and cleanse him of 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 — or from the punishment of the Fire.
Source: Sahih Muslim 963
When to recite
In the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah), where scholars say it is recited after the third takbir, and at any time for a deceased Muslim.
About this dua
Narrated by ‘Awf ibn Malik, who heard the Prophet ﷺ say this in a funeral prayer and said he wished he had been that deceased person because of the beauty of the dua. The narrator was unsure whether the final words were “the punishment of the grave” or “the punishment of the Fire”. For a deceased woman, the pronouns change to “-ha” (e.g. Allahummaghfir laha warhamha).
Source and authenticity
- Reference: Sahih Muslim 963
- Grading: Recorded in the Sahih collections of al-Bukhari and/or Muslim, the most authentic books of hadith.
- Read the source: Sahih Muslim 963
The English translation is our own, kept close to the Arabic. Hadith numbers follow the standard numbering used on sunnah.com.
Related duas
More in Duas for the Deceased, Janazah and Condolence · All duas