Death Arrangements

UPON DEATH: Those with the deceased are encouraged to remain calm, pray for the departed, and begin preparations for burial. The eyes of the deceased should be closed, the two hands resting closely at the sides, the two feet placed closely in to each other and the body covered temporarily with a clean sheet. It is forbidden to those in mourning to excessively wail, scream, or thrash about. Grief is normal when one has lost a loved one, and it is natural and permitted to shed tears.

Muslims strive to bury the deceased as soon as possible after death, avoiding the need for embalming or otherwise disturbing the body of the deceased. An autopsy may be performed, if necessary, but should be done with the utmost respect for the dead.

Currently, Ottawa Muslim Association and Jami Omar are the two (2) Muslim organizations in Ottawa assisting families with funeral services in the Ottawa region. These services includes:

1. a) Help filling out the necessary forms and making the necessary arrangements, b) Help transporting the body from home/hospital to the said funeral facility, 
2. b) Taghseel (i.e. washing of the body), 
3. c) Takfeen (i.e. preparing of the body),           
4. d) provide casket, Kafan and all other necessary items,  f) Provide cold storage in case of delayed burial,  g) Janaza prayers, and h) Help transport the body to the cemetery.

If Death Occurs At Home:

Call your family doctor (or the last doctor the patient had seen) for a home visit (for the due process) and issuance of a Medical Certificate of Death (Form 16) or call 911 and the body will be transported by an ambulance to the Hospital where after the due process a Medical Certificate of Death (Form 16) will be issued and the body will remain in the Morgue until the other formalities are completed.

If Death Occurs In The Hospital: 

Hospital will complete the due process and issue a Medical Certificate of Death (Form 16) and the body will remain in the Morgue until the other formalities are completed.

The Ottawa Muslim Association will provide a Statement of Death (Form 15)

Contact the Ottawa Muslim Cemetery for information about the purchase of the burial plot at 613-851-7444 or visit their website at this link http://muslimcemetery.ca/

Form 16, Medical Certificate of Death will be obtained from the hospital upon the pickup of the body by the Ottawa Mosque’s funeral director. Upon completion of all documents the funeral director will take them to the City get the burial permit.

Please note that the cemetery will only open the grave upon issuance of burial-permit by the City.

Washing and Preparing the deceased for burial

1. A male’s body is to be washed by males (at least 4).
2. Females should wash a female’s body (at least 5).
3. A minor’s body can be washed by either males or a females

Procedure for washing the body (at funeral facility):

1. Place the body on the washing table.
2. Keeping the private parts of the body covered; remove all other garments from the body.
3. Gently but firmly press the stomach and clean out with water and a towel or cloth any excretions that may have resulted by stomach pressing. Continue it until it is all cleaned.
4. Give the body proper wudhu starting from right – wash right hand first followed by mouth, nose, face, both hands upto elbow, massah of the head and feet.
5. The body is now ready for washing. Body should be washed with your hands (wearing gloves) using a piece of clean cloth/paper towel. Use clean and warm water to wash the body.
6. a) The body is to be washed three times – always an odd number of times.
7. b) For each washing, first place the body on its left and wash the right side using warm water and soap (solid/liquid). Then place it on its right side and wash the left side. Male’s hair should be unbraided, washed and combed. Female’s hair should be gathered into two braids, with loose hair at end of each braid.

Wrapping the body with kafan (shroud)

1. For men, three pieces of clean, cotton preferably white cloth should be used (1. shirt, 2. below garment and 3. large sheet to cover entire body). Each piece of cloth should be large enough to cover the entire body.
2. A similar procedure applies for women except that five pieces of cloth are used. Again each piece of cloth should be large enough to cover the body.
3. Apply non-alcoholic perfume to the kafan.
4. Use a piece of cloth and tie the top (head side) and bottom (foot side). The two tie knots should be different so as to recognize the head side. Tilt the head on the side so that face should be towards Qibla.
5. After viewing in Kafan – For female only, women and Maharam can visit if needed.

Material Required (for information only, this is all supplied by the mosque as part of the service)

1. Kafan (4 feet x 12 feet)
2. Body Wrap (4 feet x 6 feet)

3. Body Sheet (4 feet x 8 feet)

4. Head Wrap (4 feet x 4 feet)

5. Chest Wrap (4 feet x 4 feet)

Note:

1. Tear a one-inch strip from the length of the Kafan sheet and use it as strings to tie the body.
2. For wrapping an adult male body, three pieces, i.e., Kafan, Body wrap and Body sheet are required (1,2 and 3 from above chart)
3. For wrapping an adult female body, all five pieces are required (1 to 5 from the above chart).

Procedure for wrapping the body (male)

1. Spread the Body Sheet on a flat table, a firm bed or floor.
2. Then the Body wrap on the Body Sheet about one foot each from the top and the bottom edge of the Body Sheet.
3. Fold the Kafan sheet over in half, so that its size after folding is 4 feet x 6 feet.
4. At the crease in the middle, cut a hole big enough for the head of the body to pass through for shirt.
5. Unfold the Kafan sheet and lay it on the two sheets prepared earlier in steps 1&2 above; the cut hole will now be in the center of the Kafan sheet.
6. Lay the body on its back on one half (which is on the other two sheets) and pull the other half of the Kafan sheet over the whole body, making sure that the head comes out through the hole; except for the head, the rest of the body should be covered inside the Kafan sheet.
7. Comb the hair on top and back of head.
8. Roll the upper half of Kafan sheet from both the right and the left sides to gather in the centre of the body.
9. Wrap the lower long sides of the Kafan sheet over the body from both the right and the left sides (from shoulders to feet).
10. Then unroll the upper half of the Kafan sheet to spread it over the lower half wrapped previously on the body (as above) and wrap it along both sides of the whole body. To do this, the whole body will have to be tilted on its side to push the Kafan sheet under the body; first on the right side and then on the left side.
11. Wrap the left side of the Body Wrap over the body and cover it by wrapping the right side of the Body Wrap over the left side on the body.
12. Wrap the Body Sheet in a like manner, with the right side over the left side on the whole body.
13. Gather at the head and tie a string, then gather at the feet and tie a string. Use another string to tie in the middle of the body.

Procedures for wrapping the body (female)

1. Spread the Body sheet on a flat table, a firm bed or floor.
2. Lay the Chest wrap on the Body sheet about two feet each from the top and the bottom edge.
3. Then lay the Body wrap on the Chest wrap about one foot each from the top and the bottom edge of the Body sheet.
4. Fold the Kafan sheet over in half, so that its size after folding is 4 feet x 6 feet.
5. At the crease in the middle, cut a hole big enough for the head of the body to pass through for shirt.
6. Unfold the Kafan sheet and lay it on the three sheets prepared earlier in steps 1 to 3 above; the cut hole will now be in the centre of the Kafan sheet.
7. Lay the body on its back on one half (which is on the other three sheets) and pull the other half of the Kafan sheet over the whole body, making sure that the head comes out through the hole; except for the head the rest of the body should now be covered inside the Kafan sheet.
8. Comb and brush the hair in two groups loose or braids; spread one group on the right breast and the other group of hair on the left breast.
9. Roll the upper half of Kafan sheet from both the right and the left sides to gather in the centre of the body.
10. Wrap the lower long sides of the Kafan sheet over the body from both the right and the left sides (from shoulders to feet).
11. Then unroll the upper half of the Kafan sheet to spread it over the lower half wrapped previously on the body (as above) and wrap it along both sides of the whole body. To do this, the whole body will have to be tilted on its side to push the Kafan sheet under the body; first on the right side and then on the left side.
12. Fold the Head wrap in half; raise the head and upper part of the body to slip about one half of the Head wrap under the body.
13. Then fold the other half over and around the head so that the face is not covered and the lower edge of the Head wrap covers the hair on the breast.
14. Now wrap the left side of the Body wrap over the body and cover it by wrapping the right side of the Body wrap over the left side on the body.
15. Next in alike manner wrap the Chest wrap with the right side of the wrap over the left side of the wrap on the body.
16. Use the Kafan strings to tie around the body; one just below the shoulders, another in the middle on the navel, and third string a little above the knees on the thighs.
17. Cover the face with the Head wrap.
18. Lastly wrap the Body sheet all over the body with the right side over the left side on the body; gather at the head and tie a string and then gather at the feet and tie a string. If necessary tie a string in the middle of the body also.

Janazah (Funeral Prayer)

There is a consensus among all the great Muslim jurists that a funeral prayer for a deceased person is a collective obligation or “fard kifayah”. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) commanded the Muslims to offer it, and they have been doing so ever since they received this commandment.

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Whoever follows a funeral procession and offers the prayer for the deceased, will get one kerat 68 of reward. And whoever follows it and remains with it until the body is buried, will get two kerats of reward, the least of which is equal in weight to ‘Mount Uhud’ or he said ‘one of them is like Uhud.’. Try and attend the prayer of a deceased even if you do not know him/her. Remember that the entire Janazah Prayer is said standing only. Like any other prayer, this prayer is also offered facing Qibla.

1. Form at least three rows. The body of the deceased should be kept in front of the Imam.
2. The Imam stands approximately by the centre of the body if the deceased is a male, and by the shoulder if the deceased is a female.
3. If the prayer to be offered is for more than one person, then the bodies should be placed one in front of the other male body closest to the Imam and female body further away.
   The following procedure is used to offer the Janazah prayer

The Imam :

Takbeer#1:Raise hands and says Allah u-Akbar loudly

Recite Surat al-Fatiha silently.

Takbeer#2: Says Allah u-Akbar loudly

Sends peace and prayer upon the Prophet

Takbeer#3: Says Allah u-Akbar loudly

Makes duaa (supplication) to God for the deceased quietly

Takbeer#4: Says Allah u-Akbar loudly

Makes duaa for all the Muslims quietly

Then says Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah loudly (twice), turning the head First to the right and then to the left.

The Congregation :

Say:Allah u-Akbar quietly

Recite Surat al-Fatiha quietly

Say Allah u-Akbar quietly
Sends peace and prayers upon the
Prophet quietly

Say Allah u-Akbar quietly

Make Duaa for the deceased quietly

Say Allah u-Akbar quietly

Makes duaa for all the Muslims quietly

Then says Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah quietly (twice), turning the head First to the right and then to the left.

This concludes the Janazah Prayer.

1. For Funeral Prayer, Thanaa’ can be recited as the following:
   Subhaanaka allaahumma wa bihamdika wa tabaaraka ismuka wa ta’aala jadduka wa jalla thannaa-uka wa laal ilaaha ghayruka
   Translation: Glory be to you Oh Allah, and praise be to You, and blessed is your name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is none to be served besides.
2. Invoking Peace and Blessings on the Prophet can be given as below:
   Allaahumma salli alaa muhammadin wa alaa muhammadin kama sallayta alaa ibraaheema wa alaa aali ibraaheema innaka hameedun majeed. Allahumma baarik alaa muhammadin wa alaa aali muhammadin kamaa baarakta alaa ibraheema wa alaa aali ibraheema innaka hameedun majeeedun.
   Translation: Oh Allah! Bestow Your mercy upon Muhammad (upon him be peace) and the followers of Muhammad (upon him be peace), as You showered Your mercy upon Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam) and the followers of Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam). Behold You are Praise worthy, Glorious. Oh Allah! Shower Your blessing upon Muhammad (upon him be peace), as you showered Your blessings upon Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam) and the followers of Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam). Behold You are Praise worthy, Glorious.
3. This is the Dua that is recited after the third Takabeer:
   Allaahumma ighfir lihayyinaa, wa mayyitinaa, wa shaahidinaa, wa ghaa-ibinaa, wa sagheerinaa, wa kabeerinaa, wa dhakarinaa wa unthaanaa. Allaahumma man ahyaytahoo minnaa fa ahyihee alal islaam wa man tawaffaytahoo minnaa fatawaffahoo alal iemaan.
   Translation: Oh Allah ! Forgive those of us that are alive and those of us that are dead; those of us that are present, and those of us who are absent: those of that are young, and those of us that are adults; our males and females. Oh Allah! Whomsoever of us You keep alive, let him live as a follower of Islam, and whomsoever You cause to die, let him die as a Believer.

If the deceased is a male child, the invocation is:
Allaahumma ij’alhu lanaa faratan, wa j’alhu lanaa ajran wa dhukharn wa j’alhu lanaa shaafi’an wa mushaffa’an. 

If the deceased is a female child, the invocation is :
Allaahumma ij’alhu lanaa faratan, wa j’alhaa lanaa ajraan wa dhukhran wa j’alhaa lanaa shaafi’atan wa mushaffa’atan. 

Translation: Oh Allah, make him/her (this child) a source for our salvation; and make him/her a source of reward and treasure for us; and make him/her an intercessor for us, and one whose intercession is accepted.