Question:
In a community, is it permissible to pray multiple Janazah prayers over the same person? In my current community, a beloved member and former Imam passed away. They are planning to perform multiple Janazah prayers after each Jumu’ah Salah. Is that allowed?
Answer:
According to the Shafi’i school of thought, it is permissible to perform multiple Janazah prayers over the same deceased person, especially if different groups of people are involved. Other schools of thought, like the Hanafi and Maliki, generally discourage repeating the Janazah prayer once it has been performed, unless there is a specific reason.
In this situation, where the deceased is a well-known and respected community member and former Imam, and multiple groups are wishing to offer the prayer at different times, it is considered acceptable, even if it is not the usual practice.
Evidence (Dalīl) from the Shafi’i Madhhab:
There is a narration in Sahih Muslim about a woman who used to clean the Prophet’s ﷺ mosque. She passed away at night, and the companions prayed Janazah for her and buried her without informing the Prophet ﷺ. Later, when the Prophet ﷺ noticed she was missing and learned what happened, he asked to be shown her grave. He then went and prayed the Janazah over her again at her grave.
This incident supports the permissibility of repeating the Janazah prayer, particularly when someone missed it the first time.