Is prayer performed over a deceased person valid if the person praying is in a different part of the same town from the deceased?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Funerals

Book 7 · Issue 1 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If the deceased is in one district of the town, those in the other district should not perform the funeral prayer over him. This view is the preferred position of Abu Hafs al-Barmaki because it is possible for those in the other district to attend the prayer or visit the grave.

Supporting text

Abu Abdullah ibn Hamid prayed over a deceased person who died in one district of Baghdad while he was in the other district, considering himself absent. This was permitted, analogous to being absent in another town. However, this ruling is contradicted if the person praying was present in the same district as the deceased.