Which comes first: the emphasized sunna or the funeral prayer

Question

On Wednesday, the third of July, someone died. The funeral prayer was performed after the maghrib prayer. The imam of the mosque, having performed the individual obligation (fard ‘ayn), went outside for the funeral prayer, but some began to object that the janaza is prayed only after the sunna prayer has been prayed. A few days later the imam of the mosque announced that the communal obligation (fard kifaya) should be performed right after the fard ‘ayn. The dispute over this grew.

Answer

The basic rule is that after the fard ‘ayn, before the emphasized sunna, the fard kifaya — the funeral prayer — is performed. But if there is a fear that the emphasized sunna will thereby be abandoned altogether, then let them pray the emphasized sunna first and then the funeral prayer. There should be no dispute over this; the matter should be smoothed over and settled gently.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.