When making funeral dua for a deceased woman, you can use the supplications reported from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and change the masculine pronouns that refer specifically to her into feminine forms. The first supplication below is a general prayer for the living and the dead, so its wording remains unchanged; the second names the deceased and is adapted to a woman.
The funeral dua reported from Abu Hurayrah
This supplication was said during a funeral prayer and includes prayers for Muslims who are alive and deceased, male and female, present and absent. Because it already includes both genders, recite it as reported without changing its wording: “O Allah, forgive those of us who are living and those of us who are dead, those of us who are young and those who are old, those of us who are males and those of us who are females, and those of us who are present and those of us who are absent. O Allah, whoever of us You give life, let him live upon Islam, and whoever of us You take in death, let him die in a state of faith. O Allah, deprive us not of his reward, and subject us not to temptation after his death.” (Hadith reported by Ibn Majah and Ahmad)
In this general supplication, the words “males” and “females” already include women. Its final phrases use “whoever” and “his” as part of the transmitted wording for the group; they are not a personal description of the deceased woman. The meaning is: ask Allah to forgive the whole community, keep those given life upon Islam, grant the deceased faith, preserve the reward of the funeral prayer, and protect the living from trials after a death.
The funeral dua reported from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’
This second supplication refers directly to one deceased person, so its masculine pronouns are changed when praying for a woman. The hadith wording is: “O Allah, so-and-so the son of so-and-so is under Your protection and mercy. So, protect him from the trial of the grave and the torture of Hellfire. You are worthy of fulfilling promises and worthy of praise. O Allah, forgive him and have mercy upon him, as You are the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful.” (Hadith reported by Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad)
For a deceased woman, say: “Allāhumma inna fulānah binta fulān fī dhimmatika wa ḥabli jiwarika, fa-qihā fitnatal-qabri wa ʿadhāban-nār. Wa anta ahlul-wafā’i wal-ḥaqq. Allāhumma faghfir lahā warḥamhā, innaka antal-ghafūrur-raḥīm.” Here, “fulānah bint fulān” means “so-and-so, daughter of so-and-so”; “him” becomes “her,” and “forgive him and have mercy upon him” becomes “forgive her and have mercy upon her.” The meaning is a request for Allah’s protection, forgiveness, and mercy for the deceased woman.
How to use the feminine wording correctly
In the second dua, use feminine forms for the deceased: “lahā” means “for her,” “-hā” means “her,” and “faqihā” means “protect her.” The name placeholder is not a fixed phrase: replace “fulānah” with the woman’s name and “fulān” with her father’s name if you know them. If you do not, you can say “a deceased Muslim woman” in your own words and keep the rest of the supplication directed to her.
Do not change the first dua simply because the deceased is female: it is a general supplication that explicitly mentions both males and females. If you are learning the Arabic, take it phrase by phrase and focus on who each pronoun refers to. You can also find a dua for the situation you have in mind to explore other supplications suited to a particular moment.
Dua when you hear that someone has died
The funeral supplications above ask Allah to forgive and show mercy to the deceased. When you first hear news of a death, the response is different: it expresses that we belong to Allah and will return to Him. A hadith reports the words, “We belong to Allah, and to Him we will return” (Hadith reported by Muslim). This is a response to a calamity, not a substitute for asking forgiveness for the deceased.
You may say those words on hearing of the death, then make a separate dua for the woman who died. To learn about the verse connected with this response, read the Quranic verse in Surah At-Takwir. Keep the two moments distinct: acknowledge the loss with the words of return, and ask Allah directly to forgive and have mercy on the deceased.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make dua for a deceased woman in English?
Yes. You can ask Allah in English to forgive her, have mercy on her, and grant her protection. If you know the Arabic supplication, you may use it too; the meaning and sincerity of the prayer matter.
Can I say the dua for a deceased woman if I do not know her name?
Yes. You do not need her name to make dua for her. You can intend the woman you are praying for and use the feminine wording, or simply ask Allah to forgive and have mercy on the deceased Muslim woman.
The Abu Hurayrah supplication is general and stays in its reported wording; the Wathilah supplication is directed to one person, so use feminine pronouns for a woman. You can replace the name placeholder if you know her name, or make the prayer in English. When you hear of a death, say the words of return and make a separate dua for the deceased.
Sources quoted
Every quotation was checked word for word against the Quran and hadith texts in our database.
- Hadith narrated by Ibn Majah and Ahmad — authentic
- Hadith narrated by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Ahmad — authentic
- Hadith narrated by Muslim — authentic
The Al Muslim Plus editorial team · reviewed on October 19, 2026