Is it permissible to bury the deceased in small above-ground structures, sprinkling earth only on the shroud, due to the waterlogging of agricultural land, or is burial underground obligatory? And how should burial be performed in clayey agricultural land if burial above ground is not permissible?
Burying the dead underground is the Sunnah and the practice of Muslims, in accordance with the Almighty's saying: (From it We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you forth once again). What some nations do, such as cremation, drowning, or placing bodies in above-ground boxes, is contrary to human nature (fitra). The verse about the crow indicates that burial is the divinely prescribed method.
The minimum for a valid burial is a grave that conceals the smell and protects from predators. It is not permissible to bury above ground. However, if above-ground burial occurs in agricultural areas due to graves filling with groundwater, it is permissible out of necessity until a religiously permissible solution is found, such as raising the level of graves with sand.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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