What is the ruling of Islamic law on delaying the burial of the deceased for one day until their acquaintances arrive, given that the body is preserved in a refrigerated cabinet due to the absence of a hospital or a place to store bodies in the rural area?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is recommended to hasten the preparation and burial of the deceased once death is certain, based on the Prophet's (PBUH) sayings: "It is not befitting for the corpse of a Muslim to be kept among his family" and "When one of you dies, do not detain him, and hasten him to his grave." It is permissible to delay it slightly to await someone to pray over him or his guardian, as long as there is no fear of decomposition. If decomposition is feared, then delaying it is not permissible. The honor of the deceased lies in expediting his burial.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/43670
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 43670
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy