To: The Respected Chief Mufti (May Allah preserve him)
Subject: Regarding the Funeral Prayer (Salat al-Janazah).
Issue: A person was performing a voluntary prayer (Salat al-Nafl) when some people arrived with a deceased body for the funeral prayer (Janazah).
Query: What I wish to know from the respected Chief Mufti is: What should that person do in the aforementioned situation? Should he continue and complete his Nafl prayer, or should he discontinue (break) the Nafl prayer to join the funeral prayer? I would be grateful if you kindly provide the ruling with Islamic legal evidence (Dalil). May Allah be your helper.
Ruling: If the person in question is confident that he can complete his ongoing voluntary (Nafl) prayer and still catch the funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah), he should complete his Nafl prayer first and then join the funeral prayer. However, if he is uncertain and fears that the funeral prayer will be missed before he finishes, he should discontinue (break) his Nafl prayer and join the funeral prayer immediately. This is because a discontinued Nafl prayer can be made up later (Qada'), whereas there is no make-up (Qada') for a missed funeral prayer. Subsequently, it will be necessary for him to perform the make-up (Qada') of the discontinued Nafl prayer.
Al-Bahr al-Ra'iq (2/125), Al-Binayah (3/514).
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