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Fatwa CenterAl-Ahnaaf's evidence for not reciting Al-Faatihah in funeral prayer
Question
Salam, According to Hanafi Madhab, it is makrooh to recite Surah Fathihah in janazah prayer. They quote the below hadith. Sa’eed bin Abi Sa’eed al-Maqbari narrates from his father that he asked Abu Hurairah (Radiyallaahu Anhu), “How do you offer salaat over the deceased?” Abu Hurairah (Radiyallaahu Anhu) replied, “By Allah! I shall inform you. I follow it (the funeral procession) from the (house of the) family of the deceased (where the body is). When it (the body) is placed (for Salatul Janaza), I say the takbeer (Allahu Akbar) then I praise Allah then I send salutations to His Prophet (i.e. recite the darood). Then I say (the following dua): ‘Oh Allah! Indeed he is your servant and the son of your servant. He used to bear testimony that there is no God but You and that Muhammad is your servant and messenger. And you are most knowing of him. Oh Allah! If he was a doer of good then increase his good. And if he was a wrongdoer then overlook his wrong doings. Oh Allah, do not deprive us of his reward (i.e. the reward of patiently bearing his loss) and do not put us to trial after him’” (Muwatta Malik; I’laa’us Sunan: 8/254) "Besides Abu Huraira (Radiyallahu Anhu), Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu), Abdullah Ibn Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) and Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu) also did not consider Surah Fatiha to be an integral part of Salatul Janaza". Is the above hadith and narrations authentic?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
As for the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah 
its chain of narration is authentic and it is Mawqoof (a Hadeeth narrated by a Companion in which the chain of narration does not reach the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), in the sense that it is not attributed to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Shaykh Al-Albaani 
said about it in his book Ahkaam Al-Janaa'iz: "Its chain of narration as Mawqoof is very authentic."
Besides, the narrations that our dear questioner mentioned from the Companions he named are authentic. It was also proved that Ibn ‘Umar did not recite Al-Faatihah in Funeral prayer. It was narrated from Naafi’ that ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar did not recite Quran in the Funeral prayer. [Maalik; Al-Muwatta']
Ibn Battaal said in Sharh Al-Bukhari: "Amongst those who did not recite Quran in the funeral prayer and denounced that were ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah 
." [End quote]
Although Hanafi scholars viewed that it dislike to recite Al-Faatihah in funeral prayer, they allowed reciting it as a form of supplication and praise (to Allaah). In this way, they interpreted the authentic narrations mentioned regarding reciting it. Al-Kaasaan'i Al-Hanafi said in Badaai' As-Sanaai': "Nothing of the Quran should be recited in the Funeral prayer and according to us, if Al-Faatihah was recited as a kind of supplication and praise, then this will not be disliked." [End quote]
In Al-Mabsoot, As-Sarakhsi said: "To interpret the Hadeeth of Jaabir we say that he recited it as a kind of praise and not as reciting Quran." [End quote]
To get more benefit, kindly refer to Fatwa 81201.
Allaah Knows best.
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