What Happens When a Muslim Person Dies?

Death is a natural part of life, and it can come at any moment, whether you expect it or not. But what exactly happens after death, according to the Islamic religion? Knowing this is important if you’re mourning a recently deceased Muslim person, so read on to find out more.

According to Islamic belief, when a Muslim’s time has come, God sends his angel, Azrael, to retrieve his or her soul. Once the soul leaves the body, the Muslim will now be declared dead. 

When that happens, the deceased’s family will take the body and cleanse it as soon as possible. Then, it’ll be wrapped in white cloth and taken to a mosque for the Janazah (funerary) prayer. 

During this prayer, the family and the Muslim community pray for God to forgive the deceased, as well as all the Muslims who’ve passed away. And when the prayer is done, the body will be transported to the burial site, where it’ll be directly buried in the soil. 

During the burial, more prayers are said, and Quran verses are recited. Once everything is over, the family returns to their home and starts their 3-day mourning period. 

After some time in the grave, the deceased Muslim is visited by two angels named Munkar and Nakir. These angels are tasked with testing the faith of any Muslim after death. If they’re found faithful, they’ll rest peacefully in their grave until judgement day comes along. If not, they’ll be severely punished until God determines otherwise. 

When the wait is over and Judgment day comes, the deceased body will be resurrected from the grave to be judged by God for all he’s done in his time on earth. God will then determine whether that person will enter heaven or be punished in the fires of hell.

Generally, autopsies aren’t permissible in Islam. Not only do they cause delays in burials, but they’re also considered a form of body mutilation. 

Nevertheless, if an autopsy is absolutely necessary, such as to identify an unidentified body or figure out the cause of death, then it’s okay to perform one.

Usually, adult members of the deceased family do the washing and shrouding. However, they must be of the same gender as the deceased. If there aren’t any available, then it’s okay to hire people to perform this task. 

So, if you ever find yourself in this situation, or if you just need help arranging a Muslim funeral, make sure to head our way. Here at Newrest Funerals, we’ll assist and guide you every step of the way to ensure you send off your loved ones properly. 

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