Answered by: Alimah Siddiqa al-Farsiyyah
Question
What is the ruling regarding delaying the ghusl and burial of a deceased person? If a person dies at night or in the evening and it is possible to wash him/her that very day, but burial can only be done the next day due to restrictions from the cemetery, is it better to wash him/her today or delay the washing till the morning of the day on which the burial will take place? Can there be a time gap between washing and burying?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It is highly disliked (makruh) that the Janaza prayer and burial of the deceased be delayed in order to wait for a large congregation to gather so his/her janaza can be performed.[1] Once a person has passed away, it is mustahab (liked) that the preparations and shrouding are completed as soon as possible.[2] However, if there are certain valid excuses such as restrictions from a cemetery, then the preparations can be delayed for a short time. Those responsible should be very careful to not let the body start deteriorating and smelling as this postponement would cause both the deceased and others discomfort.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Siddiqa al-Farsiyyah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham