Learn Dua For Someone Who Passed Away

quranmualim
October 9, 2026
Supplications

Many Muslims learn the dua for someone who passed away only when they urgently need it. The phone rings, a family member is gone, and the words will not come. That blank moment is common. A few simple supplications, learned ahead of time, can carry you through it.

If you also want a gentle book on the stages after death, you could read one of the Islamic books on death, the grave and the afterlife.

What Is the Dua For Someone Who Died?

There is no single dua. The Prophet ﷺ taught several, for different moments. You say one when you hear the news, another during the janazah prayer, and another at the graveyard.

The first words, always, are the ones Allah taught us in the Qur’an: Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we return. It reminds us that no one is lost. They have only gone ahead.

Dua For Someone Who Passed Away

This is a comprehensive dua often recited in the janazah prayer. It covers everyone, not just one person.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ

Transliteration:

Allāhummaghfir li-ḥayyinā wa mayyitinā, wa shāhidinā wa ghā’ibinā, wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā, wa dhakarinā wa unthānā. Allāhumma man aḥyaytahu minnā fa-aḥyihi ʿalal-Islām, wa man tawaffaytahu minnā fa-tawaffahu ʿalal-Īmān.

English Translation

“O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present 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 take, take him in faith.”

Urdu Translation

“اے اللہ! ہمارے زندوں اور مُردوں، حاضر اور غائب، چھوٹوں اور بڑوں، مردوں اور عورتوں کو بخش دے۔ اے اللہ! ہم میں سے جسے تو زندہ رکھے اسے اسلام پر زندہ رکھ، اور جسے وفات دے اسے ایمان پر وفات دے۔”

Saying Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji’un

Say Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un when you first hear the news. Say it again when you feel a wave of sadness. It is not only for death. Muslims say it for any hardship.

Transliteration: Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn.

Meaning: “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”

Also Read: Prayer For Forgiveness of Others – Islamic Guide

Practical Table: Moment and Dua

Moment	What to do
Hearing the news	Say Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un
Janazah prayer	Recite the dua for the living and the dead
After burial	Ask for steadfastness and forgiveness
Daily life	Pray for them after salah
Special days	Give charity on their behalf

To understand the Islamic idea of the interval between death and resurrection, Wikipedia’s article on Barzakh is a good start. Britannica’s overview of the afterlife offers wider context. For personal questions, search IslamQA or ask on the Islamic Teachings Forum.

Categories: Namaz ,Prayer , Hadith & Supplications