RULING ON BURYING MUSLIMS AMONG NON MUSLIMSĀ IN A PUBLIC CEMETERY
RULING ON BURYING MUSLIMS AMONG NON MUSLIMSĀ IN A PUBLIC CEMETERY
With respect to the issue of burying a deceased Muslim among non-Muslims in a public cemetery, the great Jurist experts of the former and latter times have unanimously stated that this is not permissible. In this regard, the great 7th century jurist expert, Imam An Nawawi writes, āOur scholars have unanimously declared that it is not permissible to bury a Muslim in a cemetery of non-Muslimsā
(Al Majmooā Sharh Al Muhazzab Vol. 6 page 285 Dar Al Kitab Al Ilmiya Beirut 2007).
In the famous, well known āAl Mawsooāah Al Fiqhiyyahā, it is written, āAll the expert jurists have fully agreed that it is Haram (totally prohibited) to bury a Muslim in the cemetery of non-Muslims, and it is also prohibited to bury a non-Muslim in a Muslim cemetery except in case of a dire necessityā.
(Al Mawsooāah Al Fiqhiyyah Vol. 21 page 19 Maktaba Uloom Al Islamiya Chaman Baluchistan Pakistan 2011).
(Note. The Mawsooāah Al Fiqhiyyah is an encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence written in 45 volumes over a period of 40 years by the greatest scholars living at that time. It comprises of the jurisprudence of the four Sunni Schools of thought and gives the most reliable and sound Islamic verdicts and rulings).
Based on these rulings, Muslim scholars throughout the world hold the opinion that it is not permissible for Muslims to be buried in public cemeteries where non-Muslims are buried. Instead, Muslims are required to have their own cemetery where only Muslims shall be buried.
10th September 2021
MuftiĀ Waseem Ā KhanĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Date
Head Jurist
Department of Islamic Formal Verdicts
Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago