Is it permissible for a Muslim who is quarantined at home for health reasons to follow his prescribed prayers with a "Salat al-Gha'ib" (funeral prayer in absentia) for Muslims who have died, whether from the coronavirus pandemic or other causes, and upon whom no prayer was offered in the mosque, or only a small number of people prayed over them? And will he be rewarded for this, and will it be considered a good Sunnah and a source of reassurance for their families, or is it not permissible in Islamic law for fear that it might be a reprehensible innovation or an Islamic transgression?
The absentee funeral prayer (Salat al-Gha'ib) is prescribed for a Muslim who has died and upon whom the funeral prayer has not been performed. However, for someone upon whom the funeral prayer has already been performed, it is not prescribed. So, if it is known that a Muslim has died and been buried without the funeral prayer having been performed, then the absentee prayer is to be offered for them. As for performing the prayer with the intention of finding someone who died without the prayer, this has not been legislated by the Shari'ah.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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