Muslim Funeral Songs
About Muslim Funeral Songs Funeral Songs
Muslim funeral songs centre on Quran recitation, nasheeds (Islamic vocal songs), and devotional poetry rather than conventional music with instruments. Traditional Islamic funeral practice prioritises Quran recitation — particularly Surah Yasin, known as "the heart of the Quran" and believed to bring mercy to the deceased and comfort to the living. The Salat al-Janazah (funeral prayer) itself is performed in silence, but nasheeds and recitations are common before and after the prayer, during condolence gatherings, and at memorial events. The nasheed tradition offers a rich body of vocal music — from the ancient "Tala'al Badru Alayna" (dating to the Prophet Muhammad's arrival in Medina) to contemporary artists like Maher Zain and Sami Yusuf who create accessible Islamic music about loss, hope, and the afterlife. Sufi traditions add another dimension with devotional qawwali and dhikr (remembrance of God) that can be deeply moving at memorial gatherings. The diversity within Muslim funeral music reflects the global breadth of Islam — Indonesian, Turkish, Arab, South Asian, and African Muslim communities each bring distinct musical traditions to honouring their dead.
Top Muslim Funeral Songs Funeral Songs
Amazing Grace
Traditional
This beloved hymn speaks of salvation and the journey from loss to grace, offering profound comfort to those grieving.
Precious Lord, Take My Hand
Mahalia Jackson
Its heartfelt plea for divine guidance through life's darkness resonates deeply with mourners.
When the Saints Go Marching In
Louis Armstrong
Embodies New Orleans jazz funeral tradition - mourning the loss while celebrating the soul's journey to heaven.
Danny Boy
Traditional Irish
The ultimate Irish funeral song. The promise to sleep in peace until the loved one returns is deeply moving.
Tips for Choosing Muslim Funeral Songs Funeral Songs
Tip 1. Understand Islamic guidelines — Traditional Islamic practice generally discourages musical instruments at funerals. Vocal nasheeds (Islamic songs without instruments) and Quran recitation are preferred.
Tip 2. Prioritise Quran recitation — Surah Yasin (Chapter 36) is the most commonly recited chapter at Muslim funerals, believed to ease the soul's transition. Surah Al-Fatiha and Surah Al-Mulk are also common.
Tip 3. Know the difference between traditions — Sunni funerals tend to be more austere with Quran-only audio, while Sufi traditions may include devotional qawwali and nasheeds. Shia funerals may feature latmiya (elegies).
Tip 4. Respect the Janazah prayer — The formal funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah) is performed in silence with no music or singing. Any nasheeds or recitations happen before or after this prayer.
Tip 5. Consider nasheeds carefully — Nasheeds like "Tala'al Badru Alayna" and works by Maher Zain, Sami Yusuf, or Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) are popular for Muslim memorial gatherings and condolence visits.
Tip 6. Be mindful of timing — Islamic tradition calls for burial as quickly as possible, often within 24 hours. Music planning may need to happen rapidly, or may be more relevant for memorial gatherings held later.
Tip 7. Consult the imam or family — Musical preferences vary widely across Muslim communities. Some are strictly Quran-only, others welcome nasheeds freely. Always ask the family and religious leader.
Complete List of Muslim Funeral Songs Funeral Songs
Amazing Grace
Traditional
A timeless hymn of redemption and hope that has comforted mourners for centuries.
Why it's meaningful: This beloved hymn speaks of salvation and the journey from loss to grace, offering profound comfort to those grieving.
Best moment: Often played during the processional or as a closing hymn.
Taps
Traditional Military
The iconic bugle call played at military funerals, symbolizing final rest and peace.
Why it's meaningful: A deeply reverent tribute that honors military service and sacrifice.
Best moment: Traditionally played during the flag folding ceremony or final farewell.
Precious Lord, Take My Hand
Mahalia Jackson
Written by Thomas Dorsey after losing his wife and infant son, this deeply personal hymn has become the quintessential gospel funeral song.
Why it's meaningful: Its heartfelt plea for divine guidance through life's darkness resonates deeply with mourners.
Best moment: Perfect for processional or during reflection moments.
When the Saints Go Marching In
Louis Armstrong
The quintessential New Orleans jazz funeral song, starting somber then exploding into joyful celebration during the second line.
Why it's meaningful: Embodies New Orleans jazz funeral tradition - mourning the loss while celebrating the soul's journey to heaven.
Best moment: Recessional or second line celebration, especially for New Orleans funerals.
Danny Boy
Traditional Irish
Ireland's most beloved song—a parent's farewell to a child going away, perhaps forever.
Why it's meaningful: The ultimate Irish funeral song. The promise to sleep in peace until the loved one returns is deeply moving.
Best moment: During the service or graveside. No Irish funeral is complete without it.
Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen
A haunting meditation on love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.
Why it's meaningful: Cohen's masterpiece captures the bittersweet nature of life and love, resonating deeply at farewell moments.
Best moment: Perfect for reflection during the service or viewing.
How Great Thou Art
Traditional Hymn
A majestic hymn praising God
Why it's meaningful: Offers hope of reunion in heaven and celebrates faith
Best moment: Powerful as a congregational hymn or solo performance.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
A gentle ukulele version that transforms the classic into a peaceful farewell.
Why it's meaningful: The Hawaiian rendition brings a sense of peace and the promise of a better place.
Best moment: Creates a serene atmosphere during reflection or exit.
Requiem
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart's unfinished masterpiece, a hauntingly beautiful mass for the dead composed in his final days.
Why it's meaningful: Combines the majesty of classical music with the solemnity of the Catholic mass for the dead.
Best moment: Appropriate for formal Catholic services or classical music lovers.
Adagio for Strings
Samuel Barber
One of the most emotionally powerful pieces in classical music.
Why it's meaningful: Expresses grief with such depth that it has become synonymous with mourning and remembrance.
Best moment: Creates a profound atmosphere during the most solemn moments of the service.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon and Garfunkel
A promise of support and comfort through life's troubled waters.
Why it's meaningful: Celebrates those who were sources of strength and refuge for others.
Best moment: Perfect for honoring someone who was always there for others.
The Prayer
Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli
A beautiful duet prayer for guidance and protection in multiple languages.
Why it's meaningful: Combines English and Italian to create a universal prayer for peace and guidance.
Best moment: Creates a transcendent moment during the service.
Going Up Yonder
Walter Hawkins
This uplifting anthem celebrates the promise of heaven and eternal life, transforming grief into hope.
Why it's meaningful: A staple in Black Protestant funeral traditions, it focuses on the glorious reunion awaiting believers in heaven during homegoing services.
Best moment: Powerful as a recessional or celebration of life moment.
Soon and Very Soon
Andraé Crouch
This triumphant song anticipates the joy of seeing Jesus and being reunited with loved ones in heaven.
Why it's meaningful: Based on Revelation 21:3-4, it speaks of no more crying or dying. Performed at Michael Jackson's memorial service.
Best moment: Celebratory recessional or closing hymn.
I'll Fly Away
Albert Brumley
This song uses the metaphor of a bird freed from prison to describe the soul's joyous release into heaven.
Why it's meaningful: The most recorded gospel song of all time with over 1,000 versions, celebrating joyous liberation death brings to believers.
Best moment: Perfect for New Orleans jazz funerals and celebration of life services.
It Is Well With My Soul
Horatio Spafford
Written as Spafford sailed over the spot where his four daughters drowned, this hymn of faith emerged from unimaginable grief.
Why it's meaningful: Despite devastating loss, Spafford declared 'it is well' - a profound statement of faith that inspires mourners.
Best moment: Powerful testimony of faith during the darkest moments.
One Sweet Day
Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
A powerful duet about missing someone and looking forward to reunion, expressing all the things left unsaid.
Why it's meaningful: The soaring harmonies and emotional vocals create a cathartic release while offering hope of eventual reunion and expressing unspoken love.
Best moment: Emotional peak moment during service, allows congregants to fully feel their grief.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's folk-rock classic about preparing for death, originally written for the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
Why it's meaningful: The tired resignation in the lyrics honors those ready to rest after life's long journey.
Best moment: For honoring lives of struggle or those ready to lay down burdens.
A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke's civil rights anthem about hope and perseverance through struggle.
Why it's meaningful: Written shortly before Cooke's death, it carries prophetic weight about change and justice.
Best moment: Powerful for activists, civil rights advocates, or those who persevered through injustice.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
The Carter Family
Classic American folk hymn about family reunion in heaven, with the Carter Family's iconic harmonies.
Why it's meaningful: The promise of reuniting in an unbroken circle offers hope that families separated by death will be together again.
Best moment: Perfect for family patriarchs/matriarchs or emphasizing heavenly reunion.
Georgia on My Mind
Ray Charles
Ray Charles' iconic soul interpretation of the Hoagy Carmichael classic, full of longing for home.
Why it's meaningful: The longing for Georgia represents nostalgia for home and better times, honoring those who cherished their roots.
Best moment: Perfect for Georgia natives or honoring homesick souls.
We'll Meet Again
Vera Lynn
Iconic WWII-era song promising reunion, embodying hope during separation and loss.
Why it's meaningful: Offers comfort through the belief that loved ones will be reunited beyond this life.
Best moment: Perfect for honoring the Greatest Generation or those who lived through WWII.
You'll Never Walk Alone
From Carousel (1945)
Powerful anthem of hope and companionship through life's darkest storms.
Why it's meaningful: Reassures mourners they are not alone in their grief journey.
Best moment: Inspiring as a closing hymn or recessional.
Spirit in the Sky
Norman Greenbaum
Psychedelic rock-gospel fusion with a gritty fuzz guitar riff. The most direct funeral instruction in rock history.
Why it's meaningful: Reframes death as preparation for the 'place that's the best.' The stomping beat forces a march-like exit, turning the recessional into a parade.
Best moment: Recessional. The definitive choice for the 'cool dad' or rock-and-roll enthusiast.
Here Comes the Sun
The Beatles
George Harrison's gentle acoustic anthem about darkness giving way to light. One of the most hopeful songs ever written.
Why it's meaningful: Frames grief as a long winter that will eventually end. The simple melody and warm acoustic guitar provide genuine comfort.
Best moment: Recessional or end of service. Universally appropriate and deeply comforting.
The Lord's My Shepherd
Traditional (Psalm 23, Crimond tune)
The metrical Psalm 23 set to the 'Crimond' tune, famous for its soaring descant. The bedrock of Presbyterian hymnody and the most requested funeral psalm worldwide.
Why it's meaningful: Frames death as walking through a 'valley of shadow' with a divine protector. The familiar words provide muscle-memory comfort even for those who haven't attended church in decades.
Best moment: After the Old Testament reading or during reflection. The congregation knows the words instinctively.
Jerusalem
William Blake / Hubert Parry
Blake's visionary poem set to Parry's majestic march. A secondary national anthem in England evoking fierce resilience and the triumph of building heaven on earth.
Why it's meaningful: Less about personal grief, more about collective resilience and victory. Sends the congregation out on a triumphant, defiant note.
Best moment: Almost exclusively a recessional. The rousing march requires a strong organ and confident congregation.
Air on the G String
J.S. Bach
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. The 'walking bass' line is steady and heartbeat-like, providing order and calm. Written for exactly this kind of solemn occasion.
Why it's meaningful: The bass line acts as a metronome for pallbearers. It brings structure when emotions are chaotic — literally organizing grief into rhythm.
Best moment: Entrance processional. The steady tempo (~60 BPM) matches a dignified walking pace. Duration: ~4-5 minutes.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
A secular hymn of support. Dignified, grand, and speaks to the endurance of care. The 'silver girl' verse is often associated with aging gracefully.
Why it's meaningful: Functions as a non-religious hymn of unconditional support. The gospel-influenced piano builds to a cathartic climax.
Best moment: Reflection. Universally known and respected across all demographics.
Las Golondrinas
Traditional / Narciso Serradell Sevilla
Mexico's ritualized farewell — migrating swallows symbolize the soul's departure. Played at the precise moment the coffin is lifted.
Why it's meaningful: So culturally embedded that hearing the opening notes induces immediate tears in older generations. A Pavlovian trigger for finality.
Best moment: The moment of departure — coffin lifted from home/church, or crypt sealed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is music allowed at a Muslim funeral?
Islamic scholars differ on this. Traditional Sunni practice generally discourages musical instruments at funerals, favouring Quran recitation and a cappella nasheeds. Sufi traditions are more permissive, sometimes including drums (daf) and devotional singing. Many modern Muslim families, especially in Western countries, incorporate instrumental nasheeds or even secular songs at memorial gatherings held separately from the formal Janazah prayer. The key is that the Salat al-Janazah itself has no music — any musical elements happen around it.
What Quran chapters are recited at Muslim funerals?
Surah Yasin (Chapter 36) is the most commonly recited chapter, often called "the heart of the Quran" and traditionally read at bedsides and funerals. Surah Al-Fatiha (Chapter 1) is recited in the Janazah prayer. Other common chapters include Surah Al-Mulk (Chapter 67), Surah Ar-Rahman (Chapter 55), and portions of Surah Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2, especially the final two verses). Many families arrange for the entire Quran to be recited over the mourning period.
What nasheeds are appropriate for a Muslim funeral?
"Tala'al Badru Alayna" is among the oldest and most universally accepted nasheeds. Modern nasheeds for funerals include "Insha Allah" by Maher Zain, "The Way of the Tears" by Muhammad al-Muqit, "You Came to Me" by Sami Yusuf, and "I Look, I See" by Yusuf Islam. For Sufi gatherings, "Allah Hu" and traditional Sufi poetry set to music are common. The most appropriate nasheed depends on the family's cultural background and level of religious observance.
How long is a Muslim funeral service?
The formal Janazah prayer takes only 5-10 minutes and includes no music. However, the broader funeral process — washing (ghusl), shrouding (kafan), prayer, and burial — may span several hours. Condolence gatherings (ta'ziya) often extend over three days, providing more opportunity for Quran recitation, nasheeds, and remembrance. Islamic tradition emphasises swift burial, ideally within 24 hours, so the formal service is deliberately brief.