ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾
Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return."
Life, death and the afterlife
What happens when a Muslim dies? How are funerals done?
Short answer
A Muslim is washed, wrapped in plain white cloth (kafan), prayed over by the community in the funeral prayer and buried as soon as possible, facing Mecca, in a simple grave. Muslims do not cremate.
The fuller answer
The funeral prayer (janazah) is said standing, with no bowing or prostration, asking God to forgive the dead person. Mourners are encouraged to be patient, to say 'to God we belong and to Him we return', and to support the family. The family is visited and fed for three days.
Islam teaches simple funerals and graves, with no show of wealth. Wailing and beating the face are discouraged, but crying is natural, as the Prophet ﷺ wept at his son's death. Muslims believe that the dead person benefits from charity given in their name, from prayers and from a righteous child.
From the Quran
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥﴾
Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.
Sources
The hadith and reports behind this answer. Open a number to read it on sunnah.com.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1303 Authentic, agreed by the scholars of hadith
- Sahih Muslim 1631 Authentic, agreed by the scholars of hadith
Please note
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.