Fatwa ID: 08223

Answered by: Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek

Question:

Salaam all,

A revert brother’s stepdad passed away as a non-Muslim. The family decided to cremate. He has asked his friends for help to raise funds for the cremation and burial, and they’re asking if it’s permissible for them to do so.

I presume this is a straightforward ruling in that it’s haram to raise funds for something that is haram, but I was wondering if anybody knew of dispensations or had advice on how to deal with this sensitive situation.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Wa alaikumus salaam

From the inception of creation, the system that Allah has put in place when a person passes away is burial.

Allah mentions in the Quran about the incident of the sons of Adam AS and when one killed the other. Allah sent a crow to show him what he must do.

Allah says (Surah Maidah, Ayah 31):

“Then, Allah sent a crow who was scratching the earth to show him how he should hide the corpse of his brother. He said, ‘Alas! Was I not even able to be like this crow so that I could hide the corpse of my brother?’ So, he stood regretful.”

Just as the human body should be honored when alive, it should also be sanctified when dead. Thus, cremation is prohibited in Islam, and supporting this practice is also forbidden. This is against the dignity of the deceased.

In the hadith, it is mentioned that harming a deceased person is like causing harm to a living person:

“Breaking a dead man’s bone is like breaking it when he is alive.”

Hence, it will not be permissible for a Muslim to raise funds to cremate the body of a person, nor should they assist in such an event.

If the person is able to convince the family of the proper way of burial, then this would be ideal. However, many times in this case, a person should step back and leave it to the burial services of the faith that the deceased followed to handle it.

Hope this answers the question.

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

Reference:

Surah Maidah Ayah 31

فَبَـعَثَ اللّٰهُ غُرَابًا يَّبۡحَثُ فِىۡ الۡاَرۡضِ لِيُرِيَهٗ كَيۡفَ يُوَارِىۡ سَوۡءَةَ اَخِيۡهِ‌ؕ قَالَ يَاوَيۡلَتٰٓى اَعَجَزۡتُ اَنۡ اَكُوۡنَ مِثۡلَ هٰذَا الۡغُرَابِ فَاُوَارِىَ سَوۡءَةَ اَخِىۡ‌ۚ فَاَصۡبَحَ مِنَ النّٰدِمِيۡنَ

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ كَسْرُ عَظْمِ الْمَيِّتِ كَكَسْرِهِ حَيًّا ‏”‏

Sunan Abi dawood hadith 3207