A Muslim funeral in the UK, and burial abroad

When a Muslim dies, those who hear the news say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un, from the Quran: surely to Allah we belong, and to Him we will all return. What follows is meant to be simple and quick. Islam asks for burial as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours, and forbids cremation. In the UK that wish meets a system of certificates and permissions, and most of the practical worry in the first day is about fitting one to the other.

The first hours

If the death happens at home, the family gently closes the eyes and mouth and straightens the arms and legs. Where it is easy to do, some families turn their loved one to face the Qibla. Then the doctor, the hospital or the police are called, depending on the circumstances, because nothing else can happen until the death has been confirmed. Telling your mosque early helps, because its funeral committee will know the local cemetery, the washing facilities and who to call at the council.

Ghusl, kafan and the janazah

The washing, ghusl, is done by family members or members of the community of the same sex, in three washes, privately and with care. Many mosques and Muslim funeral directors have a washing room and people trained to lead it, and relatives can take part. Your loved one is then wrapped in a plain white shroud, the kafan: three sheets for a man, and five pieces for a woman, including a head scarf.

The funeral prayer, salat al-janazah, is said by the community at a mosque, at the cemetery or in an open space. Anyone who knows of it is encouraged to come, whether or not they knew the person. After the prayer comes the burial.

Burial in the UK

In the grave, your loved one is laid on the right side, facing the Qibla. Many council cemeteries have a Muslim section, and there are Muslim cemeteries such as Gardens of Peace in east London. Some allow burial in the shroud without a coffin; others require a coffin, or a lined grave where the ground is wet, so ask the cemetery before the day. Family and friends often help to fill the grave.

We do not arrange burials in the UK. Your mosque or a Muslim funeral director is the right place to start.

What can slow a burial, and how to ask for speed

Two things must happen before any funeral in England and Wales. A doctor’s cause of death is reviewed by a medical examiner, which since September 2024 applies to every death the coroner does not investigate, and the death is registered, or the coroner gives permission. Most coroner offices and many register offices work office hours only, so a death on a Friday evening is the hardest case.

The Chief Coroner’s guidance tells coroners to give due regard to a family’s request for a quick decision on religious grounds, while balancing it fairly against other urgent cases. In 2018 the High Court ruled that a coroner could not refuse ever to prioritise religious requests. So ask, clearly and early, and explain why. A coroner cannot promise a time, so make the request as early as you can.

If there has to be a post-mortem

An invasive post-mortem is distressing for many Muslim families. Where the coroner needs to establish the cause of death, you can ask whether a scan, a CT or MRI post-mortem, would be enough instead. The Chief Coroner’s guidance recognises it as an alternative. It is not available everywhere, and in most areas the family pays for it, often around £650, although some areas fund it for everyone. Payment is never made through the coroner’s office. Ask the coroner’s officer on the first call whether it is possible in your area.

Burial in another country

Many families want their loved one buried at home, beside their parents. That changes the order of things. The coroner must be told before anyone leaves England and Wales, and signs an out of England form; where the coroner is not investigating the death, this usually takes one to two working days. The destination’s consulate issues its own permission, and the airline asks for a sealed coffin with a metal lining and a certificate of embalming.

Embalming is the hardest part for many families, because Islam asks that the dead be left as they are. It is a requirement of the carriers and of most destination countries, not a choice made in the UK. The ghusl and the shroud can still be done here, by the family or the community, before the coffin is sealed. The janazah can be prayed here before departure, at home after arrival, or both. From the UK, a burial abroad usually takes 2 to 7 days.

What each tradition asks of a repatriation goes further into embalming and timing, and repatriation, step by step sets out the papers.

Mourning

Islam sets a period of three days for mourning, when relatives and neighbours visit, bring food and sit with the family; a widow observes a longer period. Consoling the bereaved, taziyah, is a shared duty, and the prayers for the person who has died continue long after the burial.