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What is the ruling on saying: "O Allah, forgive him and sanctify his soul" when supplicating for the deceased?

2 min readAlso available in العربية

Praying for the deceased for forgiveness is legislated by the Qur'an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus, and it is among the best deeds by which the deceased benefits. As for praying for the deceased to sanctify their soul, there is no known origin for this in the Sunnah. However, it is permissible to use it in the sense of purification and blessing. It is better for a Muslim to pray with what is authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, such as what is established from him in the funeral prayer: "O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, grant him well-being, pardon him, honor his reception, make his entrance spacious, wash him with water, snow, and hail, and cleanse him from sins as a white garment is cleansed from 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." Also, from these supplications: "O Allah, so-and-so, son of so-and-so, is in Your care and under Your protection. Protect him from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the Fire. You are the Lord of faithfulness and truth, so forgive him and have mercy on him. Indeed, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful." And from these: "O Allah, Your servant and the son of Your female servant has sought Your mercy, and You are free from needing to punish him. If he was a doer of good, then increase his good deeds. If he was a doer of evil, then overlook his sins." These supplications are permissible to be made for the deceased at any time, and they are preferable to the supplications that a person invents.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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