Muslim Death Guide: Funeral Checklist & Wasiyyah

1. 1At death: close eyes, cover body, list debts, notify family and mosque.
2. 2Arrange ghusl, kafan, janaza prayer and swift burial facing the qibla.
3. 3Mourn quietly; give sadaqah jariyah - charity, knowledge, righteous dua.
4. 4Write your wasiyyah now: debts, funeral wishes, ≤1/3 bequests, guardians.
5. 5Divide the remainder by mirath shares; align the will with local law.

The first hours and the funeral order

When death comes: close the eyes saying “Bismillah wa ala millati rasulillah”, cover the body, settle urgent debts on paper (the soul remains held by debt - Tirmidhi), notify family and the mosque, and arrange the three rites swiftly - same-day burial is the sunnah. The order is: ghusl (ritual washing, odd rounds, lote-leaves and camphor per the Prophet’s instruction for his daughter - Bukhari/Muslim), kafan (three white cloths for men, five pieces for women), janaza prayer (four takbirs - our janaza guide), then burial facing the qibla with “Bismillah wa ala millati rasulillah”.

Mourn with quiet tears - permitted - never wailing, cheek-striking or garment-tearing (forbidden in Bukhari/Muslim). Condole with “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun”, visit the grave, and channel grief into sadaqah jariyah: the deceased benefits from charity, beneficial knowledge and righteous children’s dua (Sahih Muslim) - not from hired reciters or fixed-day feasts, which have no basis.

The wasiyyah: will template and mirath

Every Muslim adult should write a wasiyyah now - the Prophet ﷺ said none should spend two nights without it written (Bukhari/Muslim). Its sections in order: list all debts first (they are paid before everything); funeral wishes (swift simple burial, no extravagance); bequests up to one-third for non-heirs and charity (no bequest to Quranic heirs without their consent - Abu Dawud/Tirmidhi); guardians for minor children; and passwords, assets and dues owed to you. Sign, date, witness and store where family finds it.

After debts and bequests, the remainder divides by mirath - Allah’s own fixed shares (Quran 4:11-12, 176), not family negotiation: use our Mirath Calculator for the exact division. Note: Islamic wills operate inside your country’s law - have a lawyer align the wasiyyah with local probate so executors can enforce it without court battles.