Mayyat Ki Dua is the special prayer offered for a Muslim who has left this world. It is a sincere request to Allah for forgiveness mercy purification and a peaceful resting place for the departed soul. This supplication is a central part of the funeral prayer known as Salat al Janazah and continues to benefit the deceased long after burial.
The fullest and most complete version comes from the practice of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It was narrated by Awf ibn Malik may Allah be pleased with him and is recorded in Sahih Muslim. The words cover every essential need of the soul after death. They ask for pardon of sins comfort in the grave a better home in the hereafter entry into Paradise and protection from the punishment of the grave and the Fire.
This prayer is not limited to the funeral itself. Family members and fellow Muslims continue to recite Mayyat Ki Dua at the graveside during later visits and in private moments of remembrance. In this way the living keep a continuous link of care and mercy with those who have passed on.
Mayyat Ki Dua in Arabic
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 وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ
When the deceased is a woman:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهَا وَارْحَمْهَا وَعَافِهَا وَاعْفُ عَنْهَا وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهَا وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهَا وَاغْسِلْهَا بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ وَنَقِّهَا مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ وَأَبْدِلْهَا دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهَا وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهَا وَأَدْخِلْهَا الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعِذْهَا مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ
Mayyat Ki Dua in English Transliteration
Allahumma ighfir lahu warhamhu wa afihi wa fu anhu wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi mudkhalahu waghsilhu bil mai wath thalji wal barad wa naqqihi minal khataya kama naqqaytath thawbal abyada minad danas wa abdilhu daran khayran min darihi wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi wa zawjan khayran min zawjihi wa adkhilhul jannah wa aidhhu min adhabil qabri wa min adhabin nar.
Female version:
Allahumma ighfir laha warhamha wa afiha wa fu anha wa akrim nuzulaha wa wassi mudkhalaha waghsilha bil mai wath thalji wal barad wa naqqiha minal khataya kama naqqaytath thawbal abyada minad danas wa abdilha daran khayran min dariha wa ahlan khayran min ahliha wa zawjan khayran min zawjiha wa adkhilhal jannah wa aidhha min adhabil qabri wa min adhabin nar.
Mayyat Ki Dua in English Meaning
O Allah forgive him have mercy on him grant him well being and pardon him. Honour his place of rest and make his entrance spacious. Wash him with water snow and hail. 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 into Paradise and protect him from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Fire.
Mayyat Ki Dua in Hindi (Devanagari)
अल्लाहुम्म इग़फ़िर लहू वरहमहू व आफ़िही व अफ़ु अन्हु व अkrim नुज़ुलहू व वस्सि मुदख़लहू वग़सिलहू बिल माई वस्सल्जि वल बरद व नक़्क़िही मिनल खताया कमा नक़्क़यतस्सौबल अबयद मिनद्दनस व अब्दिलहू दारन खैरन मिन दारिही व अहलन खैरन मिन अहलिही व ज़ौजन खैरन मिन ज़ौजिही व अदख़िलहुल जन्नह व अईज़हू मिन अज़ाबिल क़ब्रि व मिन अज़ाबिन नार।
महिला मय्यत के लिए:
अल्लाहुम्म इग़फ़िर लहा वरहमहा व आफ़िहा व अफ़ु अन्हा व अkrim नुज़ुलहा व वस्सि मुदख़लहा वग़सिलहा बिल माई वस्सल्जि वल बरद व नक़्क़िहा मिनल खताया कमा नक़्क़यतस्सौबल अबयद मिनद्दनस व अब्दिलहा दारन खैरन मिन दारिहा व अहलन खैरन मिन अहलिहा व ज़ौजन खैरन मिन ज़ौजिहा व अदख़िलहल जन्नह व अईज़हा मिन अज़ाबिल क़ब्रि व मिन अज़ाबिन नार।
Mayyat Ki Dua in Hindi Meaning
ऐ अल्लाह उसे माफ़ कर दे उस पर रहम फरमा उसे आफ़ियत अता कर और उसे माफ़ कर दे। उसके ठहरने की जगह को इज़्ज़त दे और उसके प्रवेश को कुशादा (चौड़ा) कर दे। उसे पानी बर्फ़ और ओलों से धो दे। उसके गुनाहों को ऐसे साफ़ कर दे जैसे सफ़ेद कपड़े को मैल से साफ़ किया जाता है। उसे उसके घर से बेहतर घर उसके परिवार से बेहतर परिवार और उसके साथी से बेहतर साथी अता फरमा। उसे जन्नत में दाख़िल कर दे और कब्र के अज़ाब तथा आग के अज़ाब से बचा ले।
Explanation of the Words
The opening words seek four related blessings: forgiveness mercy well being and pardon. Forgiveness removes the burden of sins. Mercy brings kindness and favour. Well being asks for safety and ease. Pardon asks Allah to overlook any remaining faults.
The next part asks Allah to honour the place where the soul will rest and to make the entrance wide. This refers to the grave becoming a place of honour and comfort rather than restriction.
The request to wash the deceased with water snow and hail is a powerful image of complete purification. Just as these pure elements clean a white cloth of every stain the prayer asks that every sin be removed until the soul is pure.
The exchange of home family and spouse points to the better life of the hereafter. Whatever was good in this world is replaced with something far superior in the next.
Finally the prayer asks for entry into Paradise the eternal home of the believers and protection from the two great dangers that await many souls: the trial of the grave and the Fire of Hell.
When to Read Mayyat Ki Dua
Mayyat Ki Dua is recited at several important moments.
It is said during Salat al Janazah after one of the Takbirs according to the practice followed in each community. It is also recited when the body is placed in the grave. After the burial is complete those present often stand and offer the same prayer.
Later visits to the cemetery provide another opportunity. A person may stand at the grave of a parent relative or friend and recite Mayyat Ki Dua with full attention. It can also be said at home during private prayer or after the five daily prayers.
There is no fixed limit on how often it may be recited. The more sincerely it is offered the greater the benefit for the deceased.
How to Recite Mayyat Ki Dua
Begin by facing the direction of the Qiblah if possible. Raise the hands in the usual manner of dua. Speak the Arabic words slowly and clearly. If the Arabic is still being learned the English transliteration or Hindi (Devanagari) version may be used while the heart remains focused on the meaning.
It is recommended to mention the name of the deceased if it is known. One may say Allahumma ighfir li followed by the name and then continue with the full prayer. When the name is not known the general form is sufficient.
After completing the words say Ameen and ask Allah to accept the prayer. The same process is followed whether the deceased is male or female with only the pronouns adjusted.
Related Supplications from the Sunnah
1. Dua When Closing the Eyes of the Deceased
Arabic
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِفُلَانٍ وَارْفَعْ دَرَجَتَهُ فِي الْمَهْدِيِّينَ وَاخْلُفْهُ فِي عَقِبِهِ فِي الْغَابِرِينَ وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَافْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ وَنَوِّرْ لَهُ فِيهِ
English Transliteration
Allahumma ighfir li fulan warfa darajatahu fil mahdiyyin wakhlufhu fi aqibihi fil ghabirin waghfir lana wa lahu ya Rabbal alamin wafsah lahu fi qabrihi wa nawwir lahu fih.
English Meaning
O Allah forgive so and so raise his rank among the guided take care of those he left behind forgive us and him O Lord of the worlds expand his grave and fill it with light.
Hindi (Devanagari)
अल्लाहुम्म इग़फ़िर लि फ़ुलान वरफ़अ दरजतहू फ़िल महदिय्यीन वख़्लुफ़हू फ़ी अक़िबिही फ़िल ग़ाबिरीन वग़फ़िर लना व लहू या रब्बल आलमीन वफ़्सह लहू फ़ी क़ब्रिही व नव्विर लहू फ़ीहि।
Hindi Meaning
ऐ अल्लाह अमुक व्यक्ति को माफ़ कर दे उसके दर्जे को हिदायत वालों में ऊँचा कर दे उसके पीछे वालों की देखभाल कर हमें और उसे माफ़ कर दे ऐ सारे जहान के पालनहार उसकी कब्र को कुशादा कर दे और उसमें नूर भर दे।
2. Short Dua After Burial
Arabic
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَثَبِّتْهُ
English Transliteration
Allahumma ighfir lahu wa thabbithu.
English Meaning
O Allah forgive him and make him firm in answering the questions of the grave.
Hindi (Devanagari)
अल्लाहुम्म इग़फ़िर लहू व सब्बिसहू।
Hindi Meaning
ऐ अल्लाह उसे माफ़ कर दे और उसे कब्र के सवालों का जवाब देने में मज़बूत रख।
3. General Dua for Living and Dead
Arabic
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلَا تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ
English Transliteration
Allahumma ighfir li hayyina wa mayyitina wa shahidina wa ghaibina wa saghirina wa kabirina wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa ahyihi alal Islam wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa tawaffahu alal iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tudillana ba dahu.
English Meaning
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 let him live upon Islam and whoever You take keep him upon faith. O Allah do not deprive us of his reward and do not lead us astray after him.
Hindi (Devanagari)
अल्लाहुम्म इग़फ़िर लि हय्यिना व मय्यितिना व शाहिदिना व ग़ाइबिना व सग़ीरिना व कबीरिना व ज़करिना व उनसाना। अल्लाहुम्म मन अहययतहू मिन्ना फ़ अहयिही अलल इस्लाम व मन तवफ़्फ़यतहू मिन्ना फ़ तवफ़्फ़हू अलल ईमान। अल्लाहुम्म ला तह्रिमना अज्रहू व ला तुज़िल्लना बअदहू।
Hindi Meaning
ऐ अल्लाह हमारे जिंदा और मरे हुए मौजूद और ग़ैरहाज़िर छोटे और बड़े मर्द और औरत सबकी माफ़ी फरमा। ऐ अल्लाह हम में से जिसे तू ज़िंदा रखे उसे इस्लाम पर ज़िंदा रख और जिसे उठा ले उसे ईमान पर उठा। ऐ अल्लाह हमें उसके अज्र से महरूम न कर और उसके बाद हमें गुमराह न कर।
4. Dua When Placing Earth in the Grave
Arabic
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى
English Transliteration
Minha khalaqnakum wa fiha nuidukum wa minha nukhrijukum taratan ukhra.
English Meaning
From it We created you into it We shall return you and from it We shall bring you forth once more.
Hindi (Devanagari)
मिनहा ख़लक़नाकुम व फ़ीहा नुईदुकुम व मिनहा नुख़रिजुकुम तारतन उख़रा।
Hindi Meaning
इसी (मिट्टी) से हमने तुम्हें पैदा किया इसी में तुम्हें वापस करेंगे और इसी से तुम्हें दोबारा निकालेंगे।
Benefits of Mayyat Ki Dua
The Prophet ﷺ taught that when a person dies his deeds come to an end except for three things: ongoing charity knowledge from which others benefit and a righteous child who prays for him. Mayyat Ki Dua belongs to this third category. It is a continuous gift that the living can offer the dead.
The prayer seeks forgiveness that the deceased can no longer earn through his own actions. It asks for light and space in the grave which the grave itself cannot provide. It requests Paradise the ultimate goal of every believer.
Reciting Mayyat Ki Dua also softens the heart of the one who prays. It reminds the living of their own return to Allah and encourages preparation for that day. When family members regularly offer this prayer the bond of love continues beyond the end of worldly life.
The companions themselves valued this prayer highly. Awf ibn Malik reported that after hearing the Prophet ﷺ recite it over a deceased person he wished that he himself could have been the one receiving such a complete supplication.
Practical Guidance for Families
When a death occurs the first response is to say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. Then the practical arrangements of washing shrouding and burial begin. Throughout these steps Mayyat Ki Dua remains the spiritual companion.
Those who cannot attend the funeral can still recite the prayer at home. Those who live far from the grave can continue the practice for years. Children can be taught the words so that the prayer continues across generations.
It is also good to combine the dua with other acts that benefit the deceased such as giving charity on their behalf or supporting knowledge that they left behind. All of these actions work together for the good of the soul.
Conclusion
Mayyat Ki Dua is a precious gift preserved from the Sunnah. Its Arabic words are precise its meaning is full of hope and its practice is simple. Whether recited in the funeral prayer at the graveside or in the quiet of one’s home it carries the plea for mercy that every soul needs after leaving this world.
By offering this prayer with sincerity Muslims continue a chain of kindness that does not end with death. The living become a source of ongoing benefit for the dead and the dead become a reminder for the living to prepare for their own meeting with Allah.
May Allah accept every Mayyat Ki Dua offered for those who have returned to Him. May He forgive them expand their graves fill them with light and grant them the highest ranks in Paradise. And may He grant the same to all of us when our time comes.
? FAQs About Mayyat Ki Dua
What is the source of the full Mayyat Ki Dua?
The complete text is found in Sahih Muslim in the narration of Awf ibn Malik. It is also recorded in Hisnul Muslim the well known collection of authentic supplications.
Can the prayer be recited in languages other than Arabic?
The original Arabic is preferred. When a person does not yet know the Arabic the English transliteration or Hindi (Devanagari) version may be used while the intention remains pure. Learning the Arabic over time is encouraged.
Is it necessary to mention the name of the deceased?
It is better to mention the name when it is known. The general form without the name is also correct and accepted.
How soon after death should this dua begin?
It can begin as soon as the news is received and continues through the funeral prayer burial and all later times of remembrance.
Does this prayer help only the deceased or also the living?
It primarily benefits the deceased. At the same time the one who prays gains reward for fulfilling a right of a fellow Muslim and for remembering death.
Can women recite Mayyat Ki Dua?
Yes both men and women may recite it. The only change needed is the gender of the pronouns when the deceased is female.
Is there a fixed number of times to recite it?
No fixed number is required. It may be said once or repeated according to the time and sincerity available.
What if the deceased was a child?
The same prayer may be used with appropriate pronouns. Special shorter forms also exist for children but the complete form remains valid.
Written by: Ahmad Raza
Credentials: Islamic Studies Content Writer
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