Attending the funeral (janāzah) and offering condolences are noble acts of worship in Islam. They demonstrate respect for the deceased, support for the grieving, and remind us of the reality of death.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"مَنْ شَهِدَ الْجَنَازَةَ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ فَلَهُ قِيرَاطٌ، وَمَنْ شَهِدَهَا حَتَّى تُدْفَنَ فَلَهُ قِيرَاطَانِ"
"Whoever attends the funeral prayer will have one qīrāṭ of reward, and whoever stays until the burial will have two qīrāṭs."
It was said: "What is a qīrāṭ?" He said: "Like the size of Mount Uhud."
— Sahih al-Bukhārī (1325), Sahih Muslim (945)
Islam encourages us to support the bereaved with duʿā, food, and gentle words. The Qur'an commands:
وَصَابِرِينَ فِي ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ
"(The righteous are) those who are patient in poverty, hardship, and during battle."
— Surah Al-Baqarah (2:177)
A Sunnah duʿā for condolence:
"إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، أَعْظَمَ اللَّهُ أَجْرَك، وَأَحْسَنَ عَزَاءَكَ، وَغَفَرَ لِمَيِّتِكَ"
"Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we return. May Allah magnify your reward, improve your consolation, and forgive your deceased."
The Prophet ﷺ and his companions always honored the dead with simplicity, respect, and heartfelt prayer.