What is the wisdom behind the imam standing at the head of the man when praying over him (in the funeral prayer) and at the middle of the woman (the navel) when praying over her?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is for the Imam to stand at the head of a man and at the waist of a woman during the funeral prayer, for the sake of covering, as this has been narrated in the Prophetic Sunnah. This is the opinion of the majority. The Hanafis, however, held that one should stand at the chest of both men and women, due to the place of the light of faith. Meanwhile, the Malikis were of the opinion that one should stand at the waist of a man and the shoulder of a woman.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/37660
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 37660
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy