Can the funeral of a deceased person be delayed for a long period?
Dear Brother / Sister,
The process from washing the body to burying it is referred to as "tajhiz" (preparation). In Islam, it is required to wash, shroud, and bury the deceased, including the performance of the funeral prayer, as soon as possible. Hastening these procedures is considered recommended (musteḥab).
A hadith states, "Hasten to bury your dead." (Tirmidhi, Sunan, Janaiz, 73). It is not appropriate to delay the burial for days, as is done by non-Muslims. However, if the next of kin is not present, and there is no fear of the body decaying, the burial can be delayed for a short period, such as a day and a night, to allow relatives and friends to attend.
Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) passed away on a Monday around mid-morning and was buried on Wednesday night. The preparation took about two and a half days to complete (Ibn Sa'd, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, II/273; see also: Kabir Hayatı by Prof. Dr. Süleyman Toprak).
Questions on Islam
- Does the deceased person see the one who washes and buries him?
- How should funeral prayer and burial processes be carried out during an epidemic disease?
- If the debtor dies, who has to pay the debt?
- Can women go to the cemetery for a funeral burial?
- I wonder what the real reason behind washing a dead person is.
- What is the wisdom behind washing the dead person?
- janazah salaah twice on mayyit that is present
- The following is stated in the chapter of Yasin: "They will all be brought up before Us with no more than a single blast." How should we understand it?
- From which side is the dead body placed into the grave?
- Is it permissible to cremate the dead body of a person?
