When death comes, the community owes the deceased four things in quick succession: washing, shrouding, the funeral prayer, and burial. These are described below in the order they happen. The steps here are the mainstream, broadly-agreed practice; where the schools (madhāhib) differ on a point of detail, that is noted plainly. For your own family's situation, follow the guidance of your local imam or scholar.
Before anything: the moments after death
When death is confirmed, a few gentle acts come first:
- Close the eyes and make a brief duʿāʾ for the deceased.
- Cover the whole body with a clean sheet for dignity.
- Straighten the limbs while they are still supple.
- Hasten the preparation. The Sunnah is not to delay — washing, prayer, and burial are done promptly, ordinarily within a day where local law and circumstances allow.
- Settle the practical first calls — notify the family and the mosque, which usually coordinates the washing. (For the full logistics and the 24-hour sequence, see the Death + Janaza Planning section.)
Mourning is natural and permitted; quiet grief and tears are part of being human. What the Sunnah discourages is wailing, self-harm, and theatrical displays.
Ghusl — washing the body (ghusl al-mayyit)
Washing the deceased is a farḍ kifāyah — a communal obligation. If some of the community see to it, the duty is lifted from the rest; if none do, all are accountable.
Who performs it. The washers should be the same gender as the deceased, trustworthy, and ideally knowledgeable. A husband may wash his wife and a wife her husband (the schools differ slightly on the finer points, but the spouse is permitted). Young children may be washed by either gender. Only as much of the body is uncovered as the task requires; the ʿawrah stays covered throughout, and what is seen is kept private.
The broadly-agreed method, in plain steps:
- Lay the body on a raised surface in a private, screened place. Keep it covered, exposing only what is being washed.
- Gently press the abdomen to expel anything that may come out, then clean the private parts (with a barrier/glove over the hand) without looking.
- Perform a wuḍūʾ-like ablution on the body — washing the face, the arms, wiping the head, and the feet — without putting water into the mouth and nose (cleaning them gently from outside instead).
- Wash the head and beard, then the right side before the left, then the back, washing the whole body.
- Wash an odd number of times — three is the norm; if more is needed, five or seven, always ending on an odd count.
- It is recommended to mix something cleansing into the water (such as a plant-based cleanser) and to use camphor (kāfūr) scent in the final wash.
- Dry the body, and it is good to apply a pleasant, non-alcoholic scent.
A martyr killed in battle (shahīd) is, by the well-known ruling, buried without washing — a special case outside the ordinary procedure here.
Kafan — the shroud
After washing, the body is wrapped in kafan — clean, simple cloth, white by preference. The spirit of the kafan is modesty and simplicity, not expense.
- For a man: the well-known practice is three white sheets, wrapped around the body (no stitched garment required).
- For a woman: the well-known practice is five pieces — broadly, a wrapper, a head-covering, a shift, and two enveloping sheets.
- The cloth should be good but plain. Extravagant or showy shrouds run against the Sunnah, which is ease and restraint.
- It is recommended to perfume the shroud (with a non-alcoholic scent) and to tie it gently so it stays in place; the ties are loosened in the grave.
The schools agree on the simple-white principle and differ only in small particulars of the wrapping.
Ṣalāt al-Janāzah — the funeral prayer
The funeral prayer is also a farḍ kifāyah. It is a short, standing prayer — there is no rukūʿ (bowing) and no sujūd (prostration). The body, already washed and shrouded, is placed in front of the imam, who stands roughly level with the head (for a man) or the middle (for a woman), with the congregation in rows behind.
The prayer is built on four takbīrāt. That the number is four is the agreed practice across the mainstream schools. After each takbīr, something is recited quietly:
- After the first takbīr — recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥa.
- After the second takbīr — send ṣalāt upon the Prophet ﷺ (as in the final sitting of the ordinary prayer).
- After the third takbīr — make duʿāʾ for the deceased, asking forgiveness and mercy for them (and a general duʿāʾ for the believers).
- After the fourth takbīr — a brief pause, then the salām to close, turning to the side as in the ordinary prayer.
The hands are raised at the first takbīr (the schools differ on whether they are raised at each); the prayer is otherwise quiet and brief. Praying over the deceased is a profound act of community — a final standing on their behalf before their Lord.
Burial (dafn)
The body is carried to the grave and lowered gently, usually feet-first, and laid on its right side facing the qibla.
- The grave is dug deep enough to dignify and protect the body. Many communities use a side-niche (laḥd) where the ground allows; a straight trench is also acceptable.
- The shroud ties are loosened, the cheek may be rested against the earth, and the body is settled facing the qibla.
- Those present help fill in the grave, and it is a Sunnah for each to cast in handfuls of earth.
- The grave is raised only slightly above ground so it is recognisable — not built up into an elaborate tomb. Excessive structures, plastering, and ostentatious monuments are discouraged.
- After burial, the gathering stands briefly for a short duʿāʾ, asking that the deceased be kept firm in answering, and forgiven.
The whole tenor of the burial is the same as the rest of the rite: dignity without display, and mercy asked for the one returned to the earth.
In Australia: family vs the mosque / burial service
In practice, the rites are shared between the family and the community — and the lines are roughly these (qualitative; arrangements vary by city and mosque):
What the family typically does:
- Notifies the mosque/imam and gathers the immediate family.
- Provides consent and the legal paperwork (death certificate, cemetery and burial permissions).
- Decides the cemetery and plot, and who from the family will be present for, or assist with, the washing.
- Receives condolences and is supported with meals by the community per tradition.
What the mosque / Islamic burial service typically handles:
- Coordinating and often performing the ghusl at a mosque or dedicated facility, with trained same-gender washers.
- Supplying or preparing the kafan.
- Hosting and leading the ṣalāt al-janāzah.
- Liaising with a Muslim-aware funeral director for transport and burial at the Muslim section of the cemetery.
For the specific costs, documents, cemetery options and the hour-by-hour checklist, see Death + Janaza Planning. For anything legal or cost-specific, check with your local mosque or an Islamic burial service — these details change and are best confirmed locally.