Placing the deceased in a tin box for transport to a distant country
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa number ( 21522 )
Q: An Iraqi brother passed away in an accident; we consider him to be in a good state, and Allah is his accountant, and we do not praise him beyond what is due to Allah. He left a will stating that he be buried in this land, namely in Germany . Indeed, there is an Islamic cemetery alongside the cemeteries of the Christians , but it is isolated. Two problems have arisen: 1- The deceased is buried with the box, and the conditions of the Christians are applied to it. There is a contract between the deceased's family and the German municipality responsible for the cemeteries for a period of twenty years after the burial of the deceased. A payment of (500) German marks, equivalent to approximately (2500) US dollars, is made in installments until the period ends, which is twenty years. Then, a new contract is drawn up for another twenty years after this period. If the contract is not renewed, the remains are removed, burned, and the place is cleaned to place another deceased under the same previous conditions. 2- If the deceased brother made this will without knowing all these matters, should we go against his will and, out of respect for him, transfer him to an Islamic country to save him from this problem?
3- If he is transferred to an Islamic country, the body will be shipped in a tin box (a type of metal). This is the customary practice in these countries (Europe), and transport in a wooden box is prohibited. The tin box is sealed very tightly so that it preserves the body from decomposition. If this box is opened, it will cause health problems for those who open it. This has happened in some Arab countries, where the box was opened after being broken, which led to the death of two people due to the bacteria inside after it was opened. It is known that the deceased is washed and shrouded according to the Islamic Shari'ah, and then placed in this box.
A: If the situation is as described, it is obligatory to wash the aforementioned deceased, shroud him, and pray over him. There is no harm in placing him in the aforementioned tin box afterwards and transferring him to be buried in the Muslims' cemeteries in any Islamic country. There is no harm in burying him in the aforementioned tin box without opening it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: An Iraqi brother passed away in an accident; we consider him to be in a good state, and Allah is his accountant, and we do not praise him beyond what is due to Allah. He left a will stating that he be buried in this land, namely in Germany . Indeed, there is an Islamic cemetery alongside the cemeteries of the Christians , but it is isolated. Two problems have arisen: 1- The deceased is buried with the box, and the conditions of the Christians are applied to it. There is a contract between the deceased's family and the German municipality responsible for the cemeteries for a period of twenty years after the burial of the deceased. A payment of (500) German marks, equivalent to approximately (2500) US dollars, is made in installments until the period ends, which is twenty years. Then, a new contract is drawn up for another twenty years after this period. If the contract is not renewed, the remains are removed, burned, and the place is cleaned to place another deceased under the same previous conditions. 2- If the deceased brother made this will without knowing all these matters, should we go against his will and, out of respect for him, transfer him to an Islamic country to save him from this problem?
3- If he is transferred to an Islamic country, the body will be shipped in a tin box (a type of metal). This is the customary practice in these countries (Europe), and transport in a wooden box is prohibited. The tin box is sealed very tightly so that it preserves the body from decomposition. If this box is opened, it will cause health problems for those who open it. This has happened in some Arab countries, where the box was opened after being broken, which led to the death of two people due to the bacteria inside after it was opened. It is known that the deceased is washed and shrouded according to the Islamic Shari'ah, and then placed in this box.
A: If the situation is as described, it is obligatory to wash the aforementioned deceased, shroud him, and pray over him. There is no harm in placing him in the aforementioned tin box afterwards and transferring him to be buried in the Muslims' cemeteries in any Islamic country. There is no harm in burying him in the aforementioned tin box without opening it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.