Understanding the First Steps in Islamic Funeral Practice

Death is a reality that Islam encourages believers to reflect upon regularly. Muslims are taught that life in this world is temporary, and that death marks a return to the Creator. Although faith provides comfort and meaning, losing someone we love remains emotionally difficult.

In Islamic belief, when a person dies, their soul returns to God and awaits the Day of Judgment. Death is therefore not seen as annihilation, but as the beginning of a new stage of existence. Muslims find hope in the belief that they will ultimately be reunited with their loved ones in the hereafter.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught:

“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.”

This teaching offers hope. Even after death, a person may continue receiving reward through lasting good deeds and sincere prayers made on their behalf. (Sahih Muslim)

1. Acknowledging Death with Faith and Patience

When Muslims hear of someone’s passing, they recite:

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un”
“Surely we belong to God, and to Him we will return.”

This short phrase captures the Islamic worldview of life and death: we originate from God, and we ultimately return to Him. It is both an expression of grief and a declaration of faith.

Islam encourages patience (sabr) in times of loss. Grief is natural, even the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ wept when loved ones passed away. However, despair or protest against divine decree is discouraged. Mourning is meant to be dignified, anchored in trust in God.

2. Gently Closing the Eyes and Praying for the Deceased

Islam teaches that the body should be treated with dignity immediately after death.

It is recommended to gently close the eyes of the deceased. This practice is based on a narration in Sunan Ibn Majah (no. 1454), in which the Prophet ﷺ closed the eyes of Abu Salamah after his passing and said:

“When the soul is taken, the sight follows it.”

After closing the eyes, prayers are made for the deceased. The Prophet ﷺ supplicated:

“O Allah, forgive Abu Salamah, raise his rank among those who are guided, grant goodness to his family after him, forgive us and him, O Lord of the worlds, expand his grave and illuminate it for him.” (Sahih Muslim)

This moment is treated with calm reverence. Instead of panic or chaos, the emphasis is on prayer, mercy, and dignity.

3. Covering the Body and Preparing for Burial Promptly

The body is respectfully covered with a cloth to preserve modesty and dignity.

Islam strongly encourages that funeral arrangements and burial not be unnecessarily delayed. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Hasten the funeral. If the deceased was righteous, you are bringing him forward to goodness; and if he was otherwise, you are relieving yourselves of a burden.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1315)

Classical scholars such as Ibn Qudamah note that there is scholarly agreement that hastening burial is recommended. Contemporary scholars like Ibn ‘Uthaymeen also warned against delaying burial merely to wait for distant relatives if it causes unnecessary postponement.

The emphasis on prompt burial reflects respect for the deceased and trust in God’s decree.

4. Settling Debts and Fulfilling Obligations

One of the most serious responsibilities after death is ensuring that the deceased person’s debts are repaid.

In Islamic teaching, debts are not erased by death. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The soul of the believer remains suspended because of his debt until it is paid.”
(Authenticated in Mishkat al-Masabih 2915)

Debts may include:

Financial loans
Unpaid wages
Business obligations
Religious dues such as zakat (obligatory charity), vows, or expiations

A powerful narration describes how the Prophet ﷺ initially refrained from leading a funeral prayer because the deceased had outstanding debt. Only after a companion guaranteed repayment did he proceed. The next day, he asked whether the debt had been settled. When it was finally paid, he said that relief had now reached the deceased (authenticated in Ahkam al-Jana’iz by al-Albani).

This illustrates how seriously Islam treats financial responsibility and justice toward others.

At the same time, scholars such as al-Shawkani explain that if a person sincerely intended to repay debts but lacked the means, God’s mercy encompasses them. Intention matters greatly in Islamic theology.

Grief in Islam: Allowed, But Guided by Faith

Islam does not forbid sadness. It does not demand emotional suppression. In fact, when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ lost his son Ibrāhīm, he cried. Yet he said:

“The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, but we do not say except what pleases our Lord.”
Recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

This hadith establishes a foundational principle:
Grief is human. Faith controls how it is expressed.

Islam then sets a healthy boundary. Mourning is not meant to continue indefinitely. The Prophet ﷺ taught that mourning should not exceed three days, except for a widow mourning her husband, which is four months and ten days. This ruling is also found in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

The purpose is not to minimize pain, but to prevent a believer from becoming consumed by it.

What Islam Does Not Allow in Mourning

While grief itself is permitted, certain actions are clearly prohibited because they reflect objection to divine decree or self-destructive behavior.

Among them:

Wailing and excessive lamentation (niyāhah), described by the Prophet ﷺ as a practice of pre-Islamic ignorance, recorded in Sahih Muslim.
Slapping the face, tearing clothes, shouting in hysteria, condemned in a hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Shaving the head or symbolic self-harm due to calamity, also prohibited in authentic narrations.

These actions were common in Jāhiliyyah culture. Islam replaced them with patience (ṣabr) and trust (tawakkul).

The Balance Islam Teaches

In summary, Islam teaches a balanced response to death:

Cry, but do not protest Allah’s decree.
Feel pain, but do not harm yourself.
Remember the deceased, but do not live in endless despair.

The believer says, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we return.” This statement frames death not as annihilation, but as return.

As a closing reflection to the discussion of what happens after a Muslim dies: the body is treated with dignity, the soul begins its journey in the unseen realm, and the living are guided in how to respond. Grief is acknowledged, but it is shaped by faith, discipline, and hope in Allah’s mercy.

Sources

Al-Bukhari, M. ibn Isma‘il. Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 1315).

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim (Hadith on ongoing charity; supplication for Abu Salamah).

Ibn Majah, Muhammad ibn Yazid. Sunan Ibn Majah (1454).

Al-Tabrizi, Wali al-Din. Mishkat al-Masabih (2915).

Al-Albani, Muhammad Nasir al-Din. Ahkam al-Jana’iz.

Al-Shawkani, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali. Nayl al-Awtar.

Abu Qushaiy, Z. (2015, March 26). Fikih jenazah (3): Hal-hal yang disyari’atkan terhadap orang yang baru meninggal dunia. Muslim.or.id. https://muslim.or.id/25051-fikih-jenazah-3-hal-hal-yang-disyariatkan-terhadap-orang-yang-baru-meninggal-dunia.html

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Islamic Relief UK. (2022, August 31). When someone dies in Islam. https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/giving/islamic-giving/islamic-inheritance/when-someone-dies-in-islam/

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