Fatwa Question Details
Title
Is Cremation Prohibited in Islam?
Question As-salamu `alaykum. Could you please furnish me with an answer regarding Islam's stance on cremation?
Date 13/Apr/2006
Mufti Dr. `Abdul-Wahhab ibn Nasir Al-Tariri
Topic Funerals
Answer
Wa`alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Thanks for your question, we beseech Allah to guide us all to the best to grant us insight to understand the teachings of Islam.
In Islam, humans are respected human beings whether alive or dead. Cremation is prohibited in Islam as it is disrespectful to the dead body. Allah Almighty says, [We have honored sons of Adam] (Al-Isra' 17:70).
Responding to the question, Dr. `Abdul-Wahhab ibn Nasir Al-Tariri, former professor of Shari `ah at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University, Saudi Arabia, states the following:
Cremation is not allowed in Islam. Cremation is something contrary to the teachings of Islam and is a violation of Islamic law. This is based on the following Qur'anic verse in which Allah Almighty says, [Then He causes him to die, and places him in his grave] (`Abasa 80:21).
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, "The way of honoring the deceased is to bury him."
Thus, it is an obligation on Muslims as a community to ensure that every Muslim who dies is properly washed, shrouded, and buried according to the teachings of Islam. The funeral prayer of the deceased should be performed after the body is shrouded and before it is taken to the grave. This is one of the rights that an individual Muslim has on the Muslim community.
Taken, with some modifications, from
www.islamtoday.net.