- It is generally the role of men to attend the burial. Women are discouraged from following the funeral procession to the cemetery, though the prohibition was described as "not made absolute" (Bukhārī 1278, Muslim 938 — ḥadīth of Umm ʿAṭiyyah).
- The deceased's male relatives are expected to lower the body into the grave.
- For a female deceased: her husband, sons, father, brothers, or uncle lower her into the grave.
- It is preferred (mustaḥabb) that those who lower the body have not been intimate with their wives that night, based on the ḥadīth of Abū Ṭalḥah (Bukhārī 1285). This is a preference, not a requirement.
- All present should keep quiet, remember death and the hereafter, and reflect.
دَفْن الميّت
Burial
— Dafn al-Mayyit
The body is returned to the earth without delay after the prayer. The grave is dug facing the Qibla; the body is lowered on its right side; and the community makes duʿāʾ, then disperses in quiet remembrance.
From the Sunnah
أَسْرِعُوا بِالْجَنَازَةِ، فَإِنْ تَكُ صَالِحَةً فَخَيْرٌ تُقَدِّمُونَهَا إِلَيْهِ
"Hasten with the funeral. If the deceased was righteous, you are sending them forward to good. If otherwise, it
is an evil you are putting down from your necks."
Grave type
Laḥd
Side niche · preferred where soil allows
Orientation
Facing Qibla
Body on its right side
After burial
Stand and duʿāʾ
Ask for firmness under questioning
Prohibited times for burial
It is not permissible at these times:
- At sunrise — until the sun has fully risen
- At zenith (midday) — when the sun is at its highest until it begins to decline
- At sunset — when the sun begins to pale until it has set
Who attends and participates
Types of graves
The type used depends on soil and local conditions. Both main Islamic types are valid. The laḥd is preferred — Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ said on his deathbed: "Make a laḥd for me, and set up bricks, as was done for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ" (Muslim 966).
Al-Laḥd (preferred)
- A vertical hole dug, then a side horizontal niche cut at the bottom
- Body placed in the niche
- Timber sleepers cover the niche
- Preferred when ground is solid
Al-Shaqq
- A vertical hole with a central trench at the bottom
- Body placed in the trench
- Timber sleepers placed on top
- Used when soil is too soft for a laḥd
In Australia
A timber box grave is common — a box with four sides constructed inside the grave, with timber sleepers on top. Used
where soil conditions or regulations require it. The grave must be deep enough to fully conceal the body (approximately
1.7m). The grave is dug perpendicular (horizontal) to the direction of the Qibla.
1
Preparation
Before you depart for the cemetery
- Confirm paperwork, permits, and cemetery plot details.
- Coordinate transport from the masjid to the cemetery.
- Ensure the shroud is secure with no exposed areas.
- Bring gloves, shovels if permitted, step ladders for entering the grave.
- Assign clear roles: who lowers, who spots, who leads the duʿāʾ.
2
Transport
Transport and arrival
- Load gently; keep the head elevated if possible.
- Drive steadily; avoid abrupt stops.
- Park as directed by cemetery staff; keep access paths clear.
- Carry the bier with dignity — head first, with coordinated, calm steps.
3
Arrival
At the graveside
- Verify the Qibla orientation of the grave with cemetery staff.
- Confirm who is lowering, who is spotting, and who is leading the duʿāʾ.
- Review any equipment: boards, straps, step ladders.
- Ensure attendees stand back from the edge for safety.
4
Lowering
Place the body on its right side, facing the Qibla
- The body enters the grave from the feet side (rear of the grave).
- Those lowering say: "Bismillāh wa ʿalā millati rasūlillāh"
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ
"In the name of Allah, and upon the religion of the Messenger of Allah."
- Lower gently and steadily on the count of the lead.
- Place the body on its right side, facing the Qibla. Support the body so it does not fall back.
- Untie the shroud bands.
- Place timber sleepers or boards above the body before filling, so soil does not fall directly on it.
5
Filling
Three handfuls of earth · then fill
Those present each throw three handfuls of soil into the grave. Some recite a portion of the following verse with each handful:
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى
"From it We created you, and into it We return you, and from it We shall bring you forth once again."
Qurʾān — Ṭā Hā 20:55
Scholarly note
This practice is based on a report that the Prophet ﷺ recited this verse at the burial of his daughter Umm Kulthūm
(Musnad Aḥmad; al-Bayhaqī). Imām Aḥmad graded the hadith weak, but the practice was still considered recommended by
Abū Ḥanīfah, al-Shāfiʿī, and Aḥmad himself — and it remains widely observed.
- Fill carefully; avoid stepping on the grave.
- Form a gentle convex mound — Sufyān al-Tammār reported that the Prophet's ﷺ grave was elevated and convex (Bukhārī 1390b).
- It is permissible to place a simple stone or marker to identify the grave. The Prophet ﷺ placed a stone at the head of ʿUthmān ibn Maẓʿūn's grave, saying: "I am marking my brother's grave" (Abū Dāwūd 3206, graded ḥasan).
6
After burial
Stand, ask firmness for them, disperse
Once the grave is closed, stand beside it for a moment. The Prophet ﷺ would stand and instruct:
اسْتَغْفِرُوا لِأَخِيكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوا لَهُ التَّثْبِيتَ، فَإِنَّهُ الآنَ يُسْأَلُ
"Seek forgiveness for your brother, and ask firmness for him — for he is now being questioned."
- It is recommended to stay at the graveside and make duʿāʾ for the deceased.
- Offer condolences; encourage continued duʿāʾ and ṣadaqah jāriyah on behalf of the deceased.
- Ensure the area is clean; return tools and thank the cemetery staff.
- Return home with quiet remembrance — and continue to make duʿāʾ for the deceased in the days that follow.
Important rules in the cemetery
- It is prohibited to step over, lean on, or sit on any grave — "It is better that one of you sit on live coals which burn his clothing and reach his skin than that he sit on a grave" (Muslim 971).
- It is prohibited to build any form of construction on a grave, erect domes or mausoleums, or plaster graves (Muslim 970).
- It is prohibited to pray facing toward graves — "Do not sit on graves and do not pray facing towards them" (Muslim 972).
- Muslims should ideally be buried in Muslim cemeteries, or at minimum in a dedicated Muslim section. In non-Muslim countries, burial in a non-Muslim cemetery is permitted out of necessity.
- The deceased should be buried in the locality where they lived. It is undesirable to transport the body to another city.
- It is prohibited to cremate a Muslim, even if the deceased requested it.
- Autopsy is prohibited unless ordered by a court or required for medico-legal reasons.
Special Cases
Martyr (Shaheed)
A battlefield martyr is buried in the clothes they died in, without being washed or re-shrouded in kafan. Weapons and armor are removed. The majority (Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, Ḥanbalī) hold that the funeral prayer is not performed; the Ḥanafīs hold it is still obligatory. Consult your local imam.
Widow's waiting period (ʿIdda)
A widow observes a mourning period of four months and ten days after her husband's death (Qurʾān 2:234). If she is pregnant, her ʿIdda ends when she delivers (Qurʾān 65:4).
- She should remain at home and only leave when necessary.
- She should not wear fancy or brightly colored clothes, jewelry, makeup, perfume, or henna (Abū Dāwūd 2304).
- This is a time to remember her husband, make duʿāʾ for him, and reflect.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5339 — "It is not lawful for a Muslim woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days."
Hadith on Burial
Ṣaḥīḥ — authentic Ḥasan — good
Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever attends the funeral procession till he offers the funeral prayer will get a reward equal to one
qīrāṭ, and whoever accompanies it till burial will get two qīrāṭs." It was asked, "What are two qīrāṭs?" He ﷺ replied: "Like two huge mountains."
Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) reported that when the Prophet ﷺ placed a body in the grave, he would say: "Bismillāh wa ʿalā millati rasūlillāh" — "In the name of Allah, and upon the religion of the Messenger of Allah."
Graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī. Also in Tirmidhī 1046 and Ibn Mājah 1550.
ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (رضي الله عنه) reported: "The Prophet ﷺ, when he had finished burying someone, would stand at the grave and say: 'Seek forgiveness for
your brother and ask firmness for him, for he is now being questioned.'"
Graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī.
Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ (رضي الله عنه) said during his final illness: "Make a laḥd for me, and set up bricks, as was done for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."
The primary authentic evidence for preferring the laḥd (side niche) grave.
Sufyān al-Tammār reported that he saw the grave of the Prophet ﷺ "elevated and convex" (musannaman).
The basis for forming a convex mound over the grave.
The Prophet ﷺ placed a stone at the head of ʿUthmān ibn Maẓʿūn's grave, saying: "I am marking my brother's grave with it, and I shall bury beside him those of my family who die."
Graded ḥasan by al-Albānī. The basis for permitting simple grave markers.
Jābir (رضي الله عنه) reported: "The Prophet ﷺ forbade that graves should be plastered, used as sitting places, or that buildings should be
built over them."
Scholarly References
- al-Durar al-Saniyyah — Rulings on Burial · Madhab-by-madhab rulings with scholarly consensus
- Fiqh us-Sunnah by Sayyid Sābiq, Vol. 4 — Burial
- IslamQA 83133 — Form of the Grave in Islam · Convex mound, one handspan height
- IslamQA 103880 — Laḥd vs. Shaqq · Evidence for the two grave types
- IslamQA 8991 — Permissibility of Grave Markers