Guidance
A plain guide to a Muslim funeral
Written for families arranging a funeral for the first time in this country: what happens, in what order, and what is expected of you at each stage.
Answered 24 hours a day.
Before anything else
Islam teaches that burial should not be delayed. In practice, that means the arrangements begin with a telephone call, and everything else follows from it: the collection of your loved one, the ghusl, the kafan, the janazah prayer and the burial.
You do not need to know the terms, the paperwork or the rulings to make that call. Explaining them is part of our work. If you are in the first hours after a death, read what to do when someone dies first.
The six stages of the funeral
Collection
From home, hospital, mortuary or the coroner, in a private ambulance.
Ghusl
The washing of the deceased, with water, camphor and sidr, as taught in the Sunnah.
Kafan
Shrouding in plain white cloth, simply and without extravagance.
Janazah
The funeral prayer, arranged with a mosque near the family.
Cemetery
The plot and the grave arranged, and the burial paperwork completed.
Dafn
The burial itself, facing the qiblah, with the family present.
The janazah prayer
Where it is prayed
At a mosque near the family, or at the cemetery where there is a prayer facility. We arrange the time with the imam.
Who attends
Anyone may attend. The prayer is short, said standing, without bowing or prostration, and takes only a few minutes.
How it is announced
We prepare a notice with the name, the mosque, the time of the prayer and the cemetery, ready to share with relatives and friends.
Timing
The prayer is usually joined to one of the daily congregations, so the burial can follow immediately afterwards.
The burial itself
The body is carried to the grave and lowered on its right side, facing the qiblah. Those present may help to fill the grave, and du'a is made for the deceased. There is no requirement for a coffin in Islam, although most cemeteries in this country ask for one, and we will explain what the chosen cemetery requires.
Women may attend the burial. Extravagance, loud lamentation and display are discouraged; presence, patience and du'a are what the occasion asks for.
After the burial
The three days
Family and friends visit to offer condolences and to make du'a. Simple food, quiet company and patience are what is asked for.
Mourning
Close relatives mourn for three days. A widow observes the iddah of four months and ten days.
Visiting the grave
Visiting is encouraged, to make du'a for the deceased and to remember one's own return. The cemetery will give the grave reference.
The memorial
Islam favours simplicity. Each cemetery has its own rules about the size and type of stone permitted in a Muslim section.
Words families ask about
- Ghusl
- The ritual washing of the deceased with water, sidr and camphor.
- Kafan
- The plain white shroud: three pieces for a man, five for a woman.
- Janazah
- The funeral prayer, said standing and without bowing or prostration.
- Dafn
- The burial itself.
- Qiblah
- The direction of the Kaaba in Makkah, which the body faces in the grave.
- Iddah
- The waiting period observed by a widow, four months and ten days.
- Lawaaris
- Someone who dies without family to arrange their funeral. Our community fund is named for them.
- Repatriation
- Sending the deceased to another country for burial.
If someone has passed away, call us now.
We answer day and night, and will guide you through each step in accordance with Islam.
