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234 questions answered by Sh. Mustafa Umar. Search in your own words or pick a topic.
Can I withdraw or withhold life sustaining care?
You may withdraw or withhold life sustaining care if the person is terminally ill with almost no chance of recovery and totally dependent on artificial means to survive.
What do I do if I miscarried a fetus/baby?
Be patient and know that this is the will of Allah. Say “inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rājiʿūn”. Know that Allah will reward you if you pass this difficult test.
Can I perform an autopsy or postmortem surgery to determine the cause of death or for research purposes?
The human body is sacred in Islam, while alive and after death, Muslim or non-Muslim. Cutting up or tampering with a dead body is prohibited and considered dishonoring it. So unless there is a need, and proper protocols of covering the private parts are observed, it is not allowed. A case of genuine need is when the operation will help identify a criminal, when it is needed for medical research that cannot be accomplished through another method (though a similar objective can often be obtained by using animal or artificial bodies), or when forced by law, despite protest, to have it done.
Who can bathe a dead person?
Only males may bathe males and only females may bathe females, with the exception of your spouse and children under seven.
Can I buy a grave while I am still alive?
Yes, you may as long as the purpose is either because land is increasing in value in that area or to remind yourself of death. If you do not die in that area, the grave may be given or sold to another person. You should clarify in your bequest (wasiyyah) what should be done with the grave if you are not buried in it.
Should I recite Qur’an after burying a dead person?
This was not something the Prophet used to do. However, you may do that since the Companion Ibn `Umar liked to do it, but you should not assume that it was something taught by the Prophet.
If I arrive late to a funeral prayer, do I complete what I missed of the prayer?
After the Imam finishes, you should say the remaining takbīrs that you missed without saying the supplications.
Is someone who dies in an accident or from an illness considered a martyr?
They will get the reward like a martyr, God-willing (inshallah) but will be fully bathed and prayed over, unlike a martyr who died on a battlefield.
Can women attend a funeral or visit a graveyard?
It is slightly disliked for women to attend a funeral at the graveyard. However, it is allowed for women to visit a graveyard after burial to pray for their loved ones and contemplate.
Can I bury two bodies in one grave in order to save space?
It is not allowed to bury two bodies in one grave. This can only be allowed in the case of necessity where there is no other nearby place to bury a body or in the event of a natural disaster.
Can I pray over a person who committed suicide?
The leaders and scholars in the Muslim community will not pray over someone who committed suicide or attend his funeral as a deterrent to prevent other people from engaging in a similar sin. However, other Muslims will wash the body and pray over the deceased.
Can I be buried in a different region than where I die?
No, it is prohibited to transfer a dead body to another distant location unless there is some need to do so.
How should I bury a stillborn child?
If the child was born alive, for even a second, it is given a name, a bath, and buried like a person. If not, but the body was fully formed, then a proper bath must be given, then it is wrapped and buried. If the body was not fully formed then pour water over the incomplete body, wrap it, and bury it.
Can I attend the funeral of a non-Muslim? Can non-Muslims attend the funeral of a Muslim?
A Muslim may attend the funeral of a non-Muslim out of respect as long as they do not participate in any of the funeral rituals such as praying or singing hymns. This is because it is unlawful for a Muslim to participate in other religious rituals or to pray for a deceased non-Muslim. A non-Muslim may attend the funeral of a Muslim.
How do I perform the funeral [janazah] prayer?
The prayer begins as usual with the imām saying the takbīr and raising his hands, then folding the right over the left. Then al-fātiḥah or al-istiftah is to be recited silently by everyone. The imām says another takbīr then everyone silently recites the blessings [ṣalawāt]. The imām says another takbīr then everyone silently supplicates for the deceased. One of the supplications may be: allāhumma gh-fir li ḥayyinā wa mayyitinā wa shāhidinā wa ghā’ibinā wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā wa dhakarinā wa unthānā (Allah, forgive our living and dead, our present and absent, our young and old, and our male and female). Then the imām says another takbīr and concludes the prayer as normal by saying the greetings [taslīm] while standing and the people do the same.
These answers are general guidance. For your own situation, ask a scholar.