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Bequest of the deceased to be buried in a specific place

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftionline.co.za

Q: If a person made a wasiyyat (bequest) to be buried in a specific graveyard, is it incumbent upon the family of the deceased to fulfill the wasiyyat? At times it is difficult for the family to fulfil such a wasiyyat. Will the family be sinful if they do not honour and fulfil the wasiyyat of the deceased?

Bismillaah

A: Making wasiyyat to be buried in a specific place or a specific graveyard is a wasiyyat that is not binding in Shari’ah. However, despite it not being binding, if it is possible for the heirs to fulfil the wish of the deceased, then it will be better for them to do so, on condition that the place the deceased wished to be buried in is not far from the place in which he passed away. If the place in which the deceased passed away is far from the place he wished to be buried in, then he will be buried in the place wherein he had passed away. Since the wasiyyat is not binding, the family will not be sinful for not fulfilling the wish of the deceased.

And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

والفتوى على بطلان الوصية بغسله والصلاة عليه

قال الشامي : ( والفتوى على بطلان الوصية ) عزاه في الهندية إلى المضمرات أي لو أوصى بأن يصلي عليه غير من له حق التقدم أو بأن يغسله فلان لا يلزم تنفيذ وصيته ولا يبطل حق الولي بذلك كذا تبطل لو أوصى بأن يكفن في ثوب كذا أو يدفن في موضع كذا أو يدفن في موضع كذا كما عزاه إلى المحيط (رد المحتار 2/ 221)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.

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