Questions of An American Muslim/11

Question 11

Does Islam allow such prevailing practices in America with regard to the burial of the dead like use of chemicals etc. to prevent the foul smell, or putting the dead body in a Coffin? Is it necessary that a shroud has to be white cloth? Or any other cloth can be used?

Is it allowed to cremate a dead body? And can the last rites of a Muslim and Qur’an Khwani etc. be performed in a Church? Or it is necessary to perform them in a Masjid? Those Muslims who live far away from Masjids and Muslims societies. What is their duty regarding these matters?

Answer: For a Muslim dead body it is obligatory that it should be buried in the particular way as described In Islamic laws. Therefore it is not allowed to bury the dead in ordinary clothes.

Though it is not necessary that the shroud must be white. According to the view point of Islam cremating the dead is haraam. It is necessary to bury the dead body and the obligatory burial is that it should be such that it is also safe from harm etc.

There is no harm in using chemicals for preventing foul smell provided there is no aspect of disrespect to the body of a Muslim. In the same way if the burial is as per Islamic law and there is also no intention of following the rituals of another religion, then there is no prohibition in keeping the body in a coffin.

It is advisable that the last rites of a Muslim are not performed in a Church. Therefore those Muslims who live far away from the Masjids can perform these rituals in some other centers or their houses. Or they can avoid their performance.

Philosophy of Islamic Laws:Ayatullah Naser Makarem Shirazi, Ayatullah Jafar Subhani