Can Muslims Be Buried in Non-Muslim Cemeteries? What to Do When No Muslim Cemetery is Available

Is It Permissible to Bury a Muslim in a Non-Muslim Cemetery? Islamic Guidelines for Burial Abroad

Question: If there is no Muslim cemetery available in non-Muslim countries and it is not possible to bring the deceased back to their home country, can they be buried in a non-Muslim cemetery?

Answer: Scholars unanimously agree that it is forbidden to bury a Muslim in a non-Muslim cemetery and vice versa. When a Muslim passes away in a country where there is no Muslim cemetery, it raises an important question about what should be done.

Given the above-mentioned Islamic ruling on burial, it is our primary responsibility to make every effort to establish a Muslim cemetery wherever Muslims reside. This ensures that Muslim deceased are buried in a Muslim cemetery, which is necessary due to various Islamic rulings related to cemeteries.

If there is no Muslim cemetery available or it is not possible to establish one, then the Muslim body should be sent to a Muslim country for burial among Muslims. Generally, it is legally possible to transfer the body to a desired location, although it may involve difficulties and sometimes restrictions.

If neither a Muslim cemetery is available nor is it possible to transfer the body elsewhere, the last resort is to bury the deceased in a non-Muslim cemetery in that country. This is done out of necessity, and the burial should be carried out according to Islamic burial rites, which include washing the body, shrouding it, performing the funeral prayer, and burying it in the ground. A Muslim body cannot be cremated or thrown into the sea.

 Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (may Allah preserve him)

❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫