Transporting the dead to be buried in another country

7-12-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

If it is one's wish to be buried in their place of birth, amongst all his family members, can the deceased be flown overseas to his requested final resting place or must he be buried in the country where he passed?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

There is no harm in transporting the dead to be buried in another country if there is a sound religious reason for doing so, and the will of the dead in such a case should be fulfilled. Some scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them stated that among the valid reasons is to bury the dead where his family and relatives are. Nonetheless, if there is no sound reason for transporting him to another country, it is better to bury him where he died if there are Muslim graveyards, and it is not an obligation to fulfil his will because it is urged in Islam to hasten in [preparing and] burying the dead unless the dead is to be transported to Makkah, Madeenah or Al-Quds, in which case it is permissible to delay it, as mentioned by Imaam An-Nawawi may Allaah have mercy upon them

Allaah Knows best.

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