Rules

For Muslims, death is one of the most important parts of the life cycle. Although the life of a Muslim is ending, it truly is only the beginning as they make their final, eternal journey to join Allah. As written in the Holy Qur’an, “To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return”. A main focus for a Muslim's life is to have their soul become closer to Allah, and, in Islam, death is what brings a Muslim to this most desired point. There are strict steps that need to be taken promptly after the death of an individual, varying from actions as death approaches to how to prepare the body once death has occurred to specific rules for how family members and friends must act in times of mourning. Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death.