Immediate help
Someone has died. What should I do now?
Call us first. There is nothing else you need to decide in this moment, and nothing you need to prepare before you telephone.
Answered 24 hours a day.
The first four steps
Call us
Speak to Muslims Funeral Services on 07852 268014. We answer at any hour of the day or night.
We guide you
We explain the paperwork and the next steps, depending on whether the death happened at home, in hospital or elsewhere.
We collect your loved one
Our team arranges collection and transport from home, the hospital or the coroner, in a private ambulance.
We arrange the funeral
Ghusl, kafan, the janazah prayer, cemetery arrangements, burial and the administration that goes with them.
The phone is answered at any hour: 07852 268014
Where the death happened
What happens first depends on where your loved one died. In every case, we do the arranging.
At home
Call a doctor or 111 so the death can be verified, then call us. We collect at any hour, in a private ambulance.
In hospital
Speak to the bereavement office and tell them we are acting for the family. We collect from the mortuary once the paperwork allows.
In a care home
The home will call a doctor to verify the death. Call us at the same time and we will arrange collection.
With the coroner
Where a death is sudden or unexplained, the coroner must release your loved one. We deal with that office and keep you informed.
Away from home in the UK
We collect from anywhere in the UK and bring your loved one back to London for ghusl and burial.
Abroad
We arrange repatriation to and from other countries, including the documentation and airport transport.
The paperwork, in order
We complete or guide you through each of these.
Verification of the death
A doctor or paramedic confirms the death. Nothing can proceed until this has happened.
Medical certificate of cause of death
Issued by the doctor or the hospital, and now checked by a medical examiner before registration.
Registering the death
The death is registered with the register office for the district. We tell you where to go and what to take.
The green form
The registrar issues the certificate for burial. The cemetery cannot open a grave without it.
Islam encourages that burial is not delayed, so we begin the arrangements while the paperwork is being completed rather than afterwards. Where the coroner is involved, or a death happened abroad, timings are outside anyone's control, and we will always tell you plainly what stage things are at.
Questions families ask in the first hours
Who do I call first?
Call Muslims Funeral Services on 07852 268014. If the death was expected and at home, also call the GP or the out-of-hours service so the death can be verified.
What do I do if the death happened at home?
A doctor or paramedic must verify the death. Once that has happened, call us and we will collect your loved one and explain the paperwork.
What if the death happened in hospital?
The hospital bereavement office will hold the paperwork. Tell them Muslims Funeral Services is acting for the family, and we will deal with the mortuary directly.
What if the coroner is involved?
The coroner investigates a death that was sudden, unexpected or unexplained. Your loved one stays in their care until they are released, and we deal with that office for you.
How soon can the burial take place?
Often within a day or two, and sometimes the same day, where the paperwork is complete and a grave is available. We tell you honestly what to expect.
What papers do I need to bring?
Any identification for the deceased, the medical certificate of cause of death if it has been issued, and a passport if repatriation is being considered.
If someone has passed away, call us now.
We answer day and night, and will guide you through each step in accordance with Islam.
