What To Do When A Muslim Dies
What To Do When A Muslim Dies
What To Do When A Muslim Dies
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................3
When the end nears, the dying person's breath quickens, the knees
become so weak that they cannot move, the nose becomes bent and
the temples subside. By these signs understand that the person is
nearing his end.
The talqin should be read before the dying person takes his last
breaths, the muhtadar must not be asked or ordered to read the
kalimah, but must be helped to recall it. i.e. those present should
continually repeat it aloud, in front of the dying.
Once the departing person utters the kalimah, all who are present
should remain silent. The dying person should not be drawn into any
worldly discussions, but if he discusses any worldly affair, then the
talqin should be repeated.
WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES
Procedure for Funeral Arrangements
A) Certificate Of Disposal
(Green certificate) This certificate should be given to the
undertaker as an authorization for burial.
During the winter months the latest time for burial is 3.00 p.m. and
during the summer months the latest time for burial is 4.00 p.m. (Time
vary from town to town)
1. If the deceased person was not attended by a doctor during his last
illness or within 14 days of death.
2. If the case of death is uncertain.
3. If death is sudden, violent or caused by an accident.
4. If death was caused by industrial disease.
THE CORONER
1. The CORONER will probably arrange for a post-mortem
examination of the body. The consent of the relatives is not
needed for this but they can choose a doctor to be present. The
main purpose for carrying out the post-mortem is to ascertain the
cause of death.
2. The CORONER'S office will issue a PINK form if the post-mortem
shows that death was due to natural causes. You must take the
PINK notice to the Registrar of Deaths to obtain a Certificate of
disposal and a Certificate of Registration of Death.
3. The rest of the procedures are exactly the same for burial
arrangements (as on page 5 & 6).
4. If after the post-mortem examination, the cause of death is
uncertain or was due to an accident, violence, or industrial disease
then an inquest will be held.
AN INQUEST
2. Normally they would transfer the body from the Ward to the
hospital mortuary. But if arrangements are made swiftly then the
body can be collected by the undertaker from the ward and taken
to the Mosque Mortuary.
Once the doctor has issued the Medical Certificate and the
undertaker has confirmed the time of burial, arrangements should be
made for bathing of the body. The undertaker will transport the body
from the hospital to the place of washing. If burial is to take place the
next day, most undertakers do have facilities to keep the body
overnight in the mortuary. At present a number of mosques
throughout the country do have facilities for a mortuary.
DEATH OCCURS IN HOSPITAL AND THE CAUSE OF DEATH IS
UNKNOWN
When the doctor is unable to certify the cause of death he will report to
the CORONER. The same procedures as outlined above will apply
see (death occurs at home - cause of death unknown).
ALLHUMMA’JURN F MUSBAT
WA KHLUF L KHAYRAM MINH.
! One person should hold the head of the deceased firmly but gently
from each side, for the rest of the process, to avoid the possibility of
breaking the neck. (This job should be given to a relative who may
not feel confident to assist in the washing).
! Then the washer should begin by covering the body from the neck
to the ankles with one of the thick sheets.
! Four people should hold the sheet slightly raised from the body, in
order to allow the washer and his/her assistants to work
unhampered.
! Intravenous drips or catheters etc should be removed. If the tubes
cannot be fully removed then cut as near to the skin as possible.
This is likely to cause bleeding, so place a small pad of cotton wool
over the wound or tube and secure it with masking tape. Also
remove any dentures.
! Remove any nail polish with cotton wool and nail polish remover.
! Cut away any hospital clothes and discard.
! Make sure all the equipment is ready and that the water in the
shower is warm, or if using a jug, mix the water to the correct
temperature in a large bucket.
! The person washing should then press the stomach of the
deceased firmly but gently and clean the excreta with wet cotton
wool.
! If the person died recently, the head and shoulders can be slightly
raised while the stomach is pressed to assist the evacuation of any
waste materials. However extreme caution should be taken,
especially in the cases of death during childbirth or during an
operation, as this can cause excessive bleeding from the mouth. If
the body has been in cold storage then there is no point in carrying
out this procedure.
! The body should then be tilted to the left side, and the area of the
back passage should be similarly cleaned with flowing water
! Then the areas washed in WUDHU (ablution) should be washed
i.e. the hands and arms, three times starting with the right. Then
wash the face 3 times, then wipe over the hair from the forehead
backwards. Then finish by washing the right foot to the ankle and
then the left foot to the ankle. The mouth and nose are washed
three times only if the deceased was in a state of ritual impurity that
would have obliged them to make GHUSL (ritual bath) before
praying. (i.e. if the deceased was menstruating)
! This can be done with small pieces of wet cotton wool which are
then discarded.
! At this point, it is a good idea to place thick pads of clean dry wool
over the eyes, mouth, ears and nose. This is to prevent excess
water running in during the main washing.
! Next, wash the hair with water and shampoo. According to the
Sunnah, for females if the hair is braided it should be undone,
washed and then parted into half and brought forward to the front,
If a headrest is available this should be used during the washing of
the hair otherwise two people can support the shoulders.
! It is advisable to wash the neck at the same time. This is to limit the
number of times the body is moved.
! The washer should soap and wash the front of the body. (Excess
movement should be avoided throughout the process).
! This should be done quickly without staring at any exposed part of
the body. Always ensure that the water is flowing away from the
body and is not accumulating underneath it at any point.
! The body should be tilted to the left to soap and wash the right side
of the back and then tilted to the right to soap and wash the left
side of the back.
! While tilting the body, again check for any discharge of excretion,
washing the area thoroughly with plenty of water if any is found.
! If there are any tube or wounds that have been covered with
cotton wool, remove the soiled cotton wool, wash the area quickly
and tape a fresh pad over the wound.
! The whole body should then be rinsed with clear, warm water
leaving no trace of impurities or soap.
! The body should be rinsed an odd number of times, the
preference being given to three, five or seven according to the
Sunnah. There is no harm if members of the family wish to help
with the rinsing.
! The last rinse should be using camphor which may be dissolved in
warm water in a bucket.
! The body should then be dried. One towel should be draped
around the head in order to dry the hair. The second towel should
be used to dry the body on the front sides. At the same time the
wet sheet should be removed and a clean, dry sheet should be
placed over the body. All this should be done without exposing the
private parts of the body. (e.g. two people should hold the wet
sheet slightly raised from the body. The towel is then used to dry
the body. As it is taken down the body, two more people follow
with the rolled up dry sheet, gradually enfolding it as they go).
! The body is tilted to the left side and the towel is placed
underneath and tucked as far under as possible. The body is then
tilted to the right side and the towel drawn through. It is useful at
this point for someone to quickly wipe the table with paper towels
to take up the excess moisture. (This only applies when the table is
not equipped with straps or rollers, which raise the body slightly
from the surface).
! Finally, the body should be perfumed an odd number of times,
preferably three according to the Sunnah. A non-alcoholic form of
perfume should be used. Camphor can also be put on the body.
! The table is then wheeled next to the coffin which should be on a
table of similar height. The shroud should already be laid out in
the correct order in the coffin as mentioned in Section 6 How to
lay the Shroud/Illustration.
! Then everyone present should help to lift the body gently and
carefully as possible into the coffin. One person still remains
holding the head and another should be at the feet. Then several
people stand on the far side of the coffin to receive the body and
several next to the table to lift the body. The body is carefully raised
and passed over, and then lowered into the coffin.
! The towel underneath should be kept in place until the body is in
the coffin and the body should be tilted to side, rolling the towel up
and then sliding it out.
! The body is then shrouded as described in the method for
shrouding.
"The person who bathes the deceased should himself take a bath."
Ibn Majah
The shroud should be pleasant, clean and large enough to cover the
entire body. Twenty-two yards of material will be needed for the
shroud as some wraps need to be double in width to make them wide
enough for wrapping.
The shroud should be 3 wraps for a man and 5 wraps for a woman.
WOMAN'S SHROUD
Fold in half and from the center make a T shaped cut for the neck front
region without sleeves.
5. Orhni / Scarf 4ft by 2 ft
It has a
1. Lifafah outer sheet
2. Qamis / Shirt
3. Izar / loin cloth
NOTE:
If a pilgrim dies, he is to be washed in the same way any non-pilgrim is
washed, but he should be shrouded in his Ihram. His head should not
be covered, nor should any perfume be applied to his body, because
the restrictions of Ihram still apply to him.
1. Place three thin strips of cotton material for tying the shroud tape
them outside the coffin to keep them in position.
The stripes must be placed - one near the head, one in the middle
and one near the feet.
2. Spread the Lifafah outer sheet in the coffin.
3. Spread the Sina'band / chest piece from the shoulder position.
4. Spread Izar from the feet and upwards.
5. Spread the back of the Qamis / shirt & roll up the front and keep it
near head end. (From neck down to feet)
6. Leave the Orhni / scarf on one side which will be put on last.
With the completion of the ghusl and the Kafn, the Mayyit (deceased
person) is ready for the Dafn (burial).
Rasulullah r has said, 'If a person passes away, hasten him to his grave
and do not keep him away'. The Janazah salaah must be arranged
quickly and the Mayyit should be buried in the nearest Muslim
graveyard (cemetery).
IMPORTANT
In both cases of the male and female Mayyit, the face of the dead
person should not be kept open after the Kafn is put on. The Quran
may be recited next to the body before the Janazah is carried away.
The Imam should stand level with the head and shoulders of the dead
body of a male, and should stand level with the abdomen of a female
body.
Janazah prayer is very different from other prayers in the sense that
there are no ruku or sujud or Tashahhud in it. There is no fixed time for
offering this prayer but makruh times must be avoided. It has to be
offered standing up.
d) Du`a of Starting: After the Imam has initiated the Prayer, the
person can read one of those Du'a which are recommended in the
first rak’ah of the usual prayer before recitation of Fatihah. For
example:-
SUBNAKAL-LHUMMA WA BIAMDIKA
WA TABRAKAS-MUKA WA TA`L JADDUKA
WA JALLA THANUKA WA L ILHA GHAYRUK.
“Glory be to you, O Lord, and all Praises are due unto you,
and blessed is your name and high is your majesty
and your praises Are elevated and none is
worthy of worship but you."
Then the Imam should say the second takbir and the congregation
should follow. One should not raise the hands.
After the second takbir the person praying Janazah should recite
Durud in his heart. It is preferable to read the Durud, which is recited in
Tashahud.
THIRD TAKBIR
Then the Imam should say the third takbir and the congregation should
follow. One should not raise the hands.
O Allah, forgive our people who are still alive and who have
passed away, forgive those who are present here and those who
are absent, forgive our young and our elderly, forgive our
males and females. O Allah, the one whom you wish to keep
alive from among us make him live according to Islam,
and anyone whom you wish to die from among us,
let him die in the state of Iman (Belief).
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah
B. `Awf bin Malik t said that the Messenger of Allah r prayed a Janazah
and I heard him saying the following du`a and I memorised it.
BOYS:
O Allah, make him a means for our salvation, and make him a
reward and treasure for us in the Hereafter, and him an
intercessor for us, one whose intercession is accepted by you.
GIRLS:
There are also other du`a which are narrated from the Prophet
Muhammad r and they can be found in the various books of ahadith.
Any of them can be read but the above are generally more accepted,
and well known.
Whoever arrives for the Janazah salaah after the Imam has said one or
more Takbir, should wait and join the Imam when he says the next
takbir. After the salaam he should complete the missed takbir by
merely saying Allahu Akbar once for every takbir missed. No du`a
should be read. If the Imam has completed the fourth takbir then too,
the late comer should join and complete all the missed takbir, (before
the Imam says the Salaam).
At the time of burial, when lowering the body into the grave, this Du’a
should be recited:
BISMILHI WA BIL-LHI WA `AL MILLATI
RAS¤LIL-LHI SALLALLHU `ALAYHI WA SALLAM.
1. It is Mustahab to begin closing the recess or trench from the leg side
for males and from the head side for females. All the remaining
little openings should be closed with mud or grass. The use of any
fabric or blankets is unnecessary and wasteful. All those present
should participate to fill the kabr with at least three handfuls of soil.
When throwing the first handful in the grave recite:
WA FH NU`DUKUM
b) THE SHIQ: Where the soft nature of the ground does not
allow a Lahd to be made, then a shallow trench should be
dug in the centre at the bottom of the Kabr to allow the body
to be placed in this trench. Timber may be used to cover
this. The use of any fabrics or blankets etc, is undesirable
and wasteful. The bamboo or planks must be cut to size and
set to fit properly in the grave before burial, to avoid last
minute inconvenience.
Section and View of SHIQ Type Kabr.
The graveyard can be visited on any day. Friday is preferred for this visit
and if possible it should be on a weekly basis.
It has been related in a Hadith that, "Whoever will visit his parents grave
every Friday will be granted Maghfirah and he will be recorded as an
obedient son of his parents."
There are many supplications that may be read at the graveside, the
best being the recital of the Holy Qur'an. Stand facing the grave (back
towards the Qiblah) and recite as much of the Qur'an as possible and
make Du`a for the Maghfirah (forgiveness) of the departed.
A few ways of praying for the dead, as related in the ahadith, are given
hereunder: Recite Surah Al Ikhlas 11 times.
It has been reported in a Hadith that whoever visits the graveyard and
recites the following chapters of Al Fatihah, Al Ikhlas and At Takathur
and then prays for the dead, the people of the grave will also ask
Allah I for such a person's forgiveness.
SURAH AL FATIHAH
BISMILLHIR-RAMNIR-RAM
3. MLIKI YAWMID-DN.
5. IHDINAS-SIR£AL-MUSTAQM.
SURAH AL IKHLAS
BISMILLHIR-RAMNIR-RAM
1. QUL HUWAL-LHU AAD.
2. ALL-HUS-SAMAD.
3. LAM YALID WA LAM Y¤LAD.
4. WA LAM YAKUL-LAH¤ KUFU-WAN AAD.
SURATUH AT TAKATHUR
BISMILLHIR-RAMNIR-RAM
1. ALHKUMUT-TAKTHUR.
2. ATT ZURTUMUL MAQBIR.
3. KALL SAWFA TA`LAM¤N.
4. THUMMA KALL SAWFA TA`LAM¤N.
5. KALL LAW TA`LAM¤NA `ILMAL YAQN.
6. LATARAWUNNAL JAM.
7. THUMMA LATARAWUNNAH `AYNAL YAQN.
8. THUMMA LATUS’ALUNNA YAWMA’IDHIN `ANIN NA`M.
SURAH YASIN
In a Hadith it is reported that if a person recites Surah Yasin in the
graveyard, the punishment of the dead will be eased and the reciter
will be rewarded just as much as the dead.
PERIOD OF IDDAH
1. The period of waiting after one's husband dies is called iddah. This
period is of four months and ten days.
2. During this period she should remain in the dwelling that they
occupied at the time of the death of her husband. She is not
allowed to leave this house if she has sufficient provision. If she is
the sole bread winner with no other means of income, then only is
she permitted to leave her house during the day. At night she
should return to his house.
3. The widow that is expecting a child at the time of the death of her
husband, her Iddah will be until the birth of that child. The four
month and ten days should not be reckoned in this instance.
4. If a woman is not at home at the time of her husband's death, she
should return as soon as possible and pass the period of Iddah at
home. The days of Iddah will be calculated from the time of the
demise.
5. A woman in Iddah should abstain from using fancy clothing, make-
up or jewellery.
The above Masa'il are not a form of suppressing the women, rather
they are there to avoid long term problems, e.g if a woman got
married immediately upon her husbands death and unbeknown to
her she was pregnant then there would be a problem with
ascertaining the child’s parentage and the new husband may not be
willing to father the child.
A FEW NOTEWORTHY MASA'IL
The trustee of the deceased should pay all debts as soon as possible.
Isaluth-thawab for the deceased should be made by feeding the
poor, giving sadaqah, istighfar etc. No specific dates or days such as
the third, seventh, eleventh or fortieth are mentioned in Shari'ah for
such devotions.
A Mayyit is one who was born alive and then passed away. It must be
named and Ghusl, Kafn and Janazah must be performed.
STILLBORN CHILDREN
MISCARRIAGES
If any one of the parents of a still born child is a Muslim, then that child
will be regarded as a Muslim. Janazah Salaah should be performed for
that child.
Janazah Salaah shall be offered for that person who has committed
suicide or has died because of a major sin (e.g. drugs). It is desirable
that someone other than the appointed Imam or reputable person of
the community lead this prayer. Janazah Salaah must be performed for
all Muslims, pious or sinful.
F If Multiple Mayyits
They Are Placed In Line.
One Salaah Is Sufficient For All.
M
Say (to them): “Verily, the death from which you flee
will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to (Allah),
the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen,
and He will tell you what you used to do.”
Al Jumua 8
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