Burial Process in Madinah

[Last Updated: 26/04/23]

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In the name of Allāh, the Most Beneficent the Ever Merciful.

It was the will and decree of the Almighty, that a family friend, Ḥājī Shoaib Daya of Coventry, UK, passed away on the day of Eid, Friday 21st April 2023 (1st Shawwāl 1444) in Al-Madīnah Al-Munawwarah after Fajr Ṣalāh, and was buried in Al-Baqīʿ graveyard on Tuesday 25th April after ʿIshāʾ Ṣalāh. Alḥamdulillāh, I was fortunate enough to assist the family with burial arrangements, thus I thought it would be beneficial for UK nationals, to give an up-to-date summary of the burial process in Al-Madīnah Al-Munawwarah.

This being my first burial in Madīnah, I took assistance from a well-detailed article written by my respected teacher Muftī Yusuf Ibn Shabbir Shb (May Allāh grant him a long and prosperous life)

Death in Madīnah is something we all desire and pray for, principally due to the Ḥadīth of the Noble Prophet ﷺ,

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَمُتْ بِهَا فَإِنِّي أَشْفَعُ لِمَنْ يَمُوتُ بِهَا

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Whoever among you can die in Madīnah, let him do so, for I will bear witness in favour of those who die there.” [Tirmidhī 3917].

We find the desire to pass away in Madīnah amongst many throughout history, highlighted by Imām Bukhārī who narrates, that ʿUmar (RA) would say, “O’ Allāh, grant me martyrdom for Your sake and make my death in the land of Your Messenger ﷺ.” [Bukhārī 1890]

Not only was the virtue of death in Madīnah attained but also the virtue of death on a Friday, ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (RA) narrates,

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَوْ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِلَّا وَقَاهُ اللَّهُ فِتْنَةَ الْقَبْرِ

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Any Muslim who dies on Friday or on Thursday night will be protected by Allāh from the testing in the grave.” [Tirmidhī 1074]

Although we may pray and plead to Allāh for such a death, it is ultimately his decree and his will that he bestows upon whomever he wishes and accepts. Shoaib Bhai, neither an ʿĀlim nor Ḥāfiẓ, rather a simple man who attached himself to the Masjid was well known for his hospitality to those who would visit the Masjid. Ultimately, the Almighty alone knows which good deed of his was accepted which granted him such an envy-worthy abode and death. Having returned a few days prior from Makkah after performing ʿUmrah, one can only assume that Allāh had allowed him to cleanse himself before he died in the city of his beloved ﷺ.

Below is a summary which outlines the burial process in Al-Baqīʿ, Al-Madīnah Al-Munawwarah. It is then thoroughly explained further.

 

Note- the following process and information is correct as of Tuesday 25th April 2023

It is important to note that a Saudi Citizen must be present for certain steps (in particular, to obtain police clearance). It is advised to keep in contact with a Saudi Citizen from the beginning

1. Inform the hotel of the death, and they will contact the relevant authorities, in this case, the ambulance will come to the hotel to check the pulse and confirm the death.
2. Thereafter the police will visit the hotel and check the passport and visa along with any other potentially suspicious activity. (The police will take the deceased passport and keep it at the central police station until after the burial)
3. The ambulance will transport the body to the hospital, in this case, Mustashfa al-Mīqāt (Mīqāt Hospital).
4. Once the body has been taken to the Hospital, the next of kin will have to go to the hospital to obtain a provisional ‘Death Certificate’. It is advised to take a Saudi Citizen with you.
5. The next of kin must then contact the British Consulate in Jeddah, to obtain a ‘No-Objection letter’ for local burial.
6. The next of kin, along with a Saudi Citizen must visit the Central Police Station to obtain ‘Police Clearance for Burial’.
7. Once the police clearance is received, you must return to the hospital to obtain permission for burial in Baqīʿ graveyard, along with the release of the body.
8. The body will be transported to the Ghusl area for the Baqī graveyard, and then transported to the Masjid for Ṣalāh.
9. Family members are honoured with praying Ṣalāh in the area next to Riyādh ul-Jannah and if possible, in the first row.
10. After Ṣalāh, a buggy will transport the body, and family members to the graveyard where the burial will take place
11. Obtaining an ‘Official Death Certificate’ after a few days from the Civil Affairs office.
12. Attesting the Death Certificate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Documents required for burial process.

1. Passport Copy of the deceased
2. Visa of the deceased
3. Passport copy of the next of kin
4. Visa of the next of kin
5. Proof of residence from the hotel (in which the deceased passed away)
6. Death certificate (From the morgue)
7. No-Objection letter (From the British Consulate)
8. Border Number of the deceased, which can be obtained via the following link
9. Iqāmah (ID) of the Saudi Citizen assisting in the process
10. Police Clearance letter (From Central Police Station)
11. Letter declaring Acknowledgment of receipt of body and declaration of a dead body (From the Morgue, after obtaining Police clearance)
12. A small slip- permitting entrance into Baqīʿ graveyard

It is advised to make a minimum of 3 copies of the first 8 documents

Each point will now be explained further with important links, locations and contact numbers.

 

Friday 21st April 2023

Mīqāt General Hospital

Having spent the previous night in Al-Masjid Al-Nabawī, to get a space inside the Masjid for ʿĪd Ṣalāh, after the Ṣalāh had concluded I made my way to rest for a short while before Jumuʿah Ṣalāh, around noon I received news of the passing of our dear Ḥājī Shoaib Bhai. I made my way to his hotel with my family to offer our condolences to his wife and brother-in-law (Ḥāfiẓ Nazeer Mangera) who had also come for ʿUmrah. Not being versed in Arabic, nor aware of the Saudi System, Ḥāfiẓ Nazeer Shb requested me to accompany and assist in the burial process.  We left shortly after 3 pm to the Mīqāt Hospital where the deceased was kept. The hospital is located quite a distance from the Ḥaram. Below is the Google map location

 

Mīqāt General Hospital

014 840 1682

https://maps.app.goo.gl/yfHbTCfuHkCxshCZ6

The morgue is located on the right side of the hospital car park and can be identified with signage of مكتبة الوفيات. The office is to its right where the relevant paperwork can be fulfilled. We were requested to present the following paperwork,

1. Passport of Deceased
2. Visa of Deceased
3. Passport of Next of Kin
4. Visa of Next of Kin

The process was swift, and within 15 mins we had the provisional ‘Death Certificate’, (إشعار وفاة). The next step was to obtain a ‘No-Objection’ letter from the British Consulate in Jeddah. However, due to it being ʿĪd day, the Jeddah office was closed for 5 days.  Below are the contact details for the British Consulate in Jeddah

 

British Consulate General

+966 (0)12 622 5550 

 +44 20 7008 5000

The Saudi line was transferred to the UK office, we explained the situation and they requested that we send the following documents via email,

1. The Death Certificate
2. Passport Copy of Deceased
3. Visa of the deceased

The Consulate had advised that they would try to get the ‘No-Objection’ letter to us but ultimately it was the Saudi office which has the authority to issue the letter, thus it seemed difficult to obtain the letter before Wednesday. As there was nothing else we could do in the meantime, we returned to the hotel. We tried all avenues, to see if we could obtain the letter through a connection, however to no avail.

 

Saturday 22nd/ Sunday 23rd April 2023

We tried the Consulate again on Saturday morning, and they informed us that the case had been forwarded to the Saudi office, and the earliest the case would be picked up was Wednesday at 8 am. They advised us to call the Saudi line on Wednesday Morning and to ask for a certain case officer who had been assigned.

 

Monday 24th April 2023

Central Police Station

On Monday Morning we received a call from the Riyadh branch of the British Consulate who informed us, that despite the offices being closed, the emergency staff in the Riyadh office would pick up the case and would prepare the no-objection letter by the end of the day. Alḥamdulillāh, the consulate was easy to deal with and was rather helpful. For many it is unheard of to receive a phone call from an official office without having to run from office to office. The no-objection letter arrived via email at noon.

The next process was to visit the Central Police Station in Madīnah and obtain a clearance letter for burial in Madīnah. Below is the location of the Central Police Station

 

Central Police Station

014 838 6131

https://maps.google.com/?cid=2839757529894506221&entry=gps

We arrived at the police station after ʿAṣr Ṣalāh. At the entrance, the guard inspected the paperwork and informed us that the officer who deals with the burial clearance was not available, and we would have to return the following day after ʿAṣr Ṣalāh. This was unusual as previously it was a 24-hour service, after speaking to a few local brothers, we decided to return the following day.

In the evening, I spoke to my dear friend Anas Dehlavi who is a resident of Madīnah and a citizen of the Kingdom. I explained the situation to him. He said he would accompany us the following day to the police station. Initially, I had called him to assist us, as it is always ideal to have a local Saudi interacting with officers, however, we would soon realise that a Saudi citizen was a must to represent the deceased family to obtain the police clearance.

 

Tuesday 25th April 2023 

Central Police Station, Mīqāt Hospital, Baqī al-Gharqad Facility, Janāzah Ṣalāh and Burial

Anas picked us up at 2 pm and we made our way to the police station, the guard allowed us through to the officer’s room however his assistant informed us that the main officer does not arrive until 5 pm. (This is his working time, which became apparent once he arrived due to the line which had gathered at 5 pm). Once the officer arrived, Anas managed to talk his way through and speed up the process. On multiple instances, the officer rejected the paperwork of others if they did not have a Saudi representative with them. The process was swift and within 15 mins the police clearance report was ready. The passport however would have to be collected once the burial had been done and a certificate of burial was presented.

Shoaib Bhai’s son and son-in-law had arrived from the UK for the Janāzah Ṣalāh and burial, we picked them up from the hotel and made our way to the Mīqāt hospital. The morgue requested the following documents.

1. Death Certificate
2. No-Objection Letter
3. Police Clearance Report
4. Passport Copy of Deceased
5. Visa of Deceased
6. Passport Copy of Next of Kin
7. Visa of Next of Kin
8. Iqāmah (ID) of the Saudi Citizen assisting

We had requested burial in Baqīʿ graveyard, as recently there have been burials in the graveyard at Uḥud. We were assured it would be Baqīʿ. The letter required from the Morgue was ‘The letter of Acknowledgment of receipt and declaration of a dead body’ (اقرار استلام وتصريح جثمان), which was ready shortly after Maghrib Ṣalāh. We were asked when we wanted the burial, to which we informed them as soon as possible. The officer confirmed with Baqīʿ authorities and confirmed that the Janāzah Ṣalāḥ would take place after ʿIshāʾ Ṣalāh. There was 1 hour 30 mins remaining till ʿIshāʾ Ṣalāh, the ambulance had arrived within 10 minutes to take the deceased, thus briefly family members were permitted to see the deceased if they wished. 2 family members were able to accompany the driver in the ambulance, and the remaining followed the ambulance in a car, we were able to enter into the Ghusl facility along with the ambulance.

Baqīʿ al-Gharqad Facility

https://goo.gl/maps/Qf24dgksQM9og1dU8

The deceased was transferred inside, where a Ghusl room was prepared beforehand, 5 family members were allowed to enter the room and assist with the shrouding and Ghusl, although the Ghusl itself is given by the trained workers. The Ghusl and shrouding were completed within 20 minutes. In the meantime, the Baqīʿ authorities prepare the ‘Certificate of Burial’ (شهادة إثبات دفن) and hand it over as soon as the Ghusl is complete, along with a slip for ‘Permission to enter Baqīʿ’ (تصريح دخول البقيع).

Family members along with the deceased are then transported in a buggy to the Masjid, entering via the Imām’s entrance where the bodies are placed for Janāzah Ṣalāh.

Family members are then escorted by a police officer to an allocated area next to Riyādh ul-Jannah, where they can pray Ṣalāh. Alḥamdulillāh, it was a blessing that through Shoaib Bhai we were able to offer Ṣalāh in congregation in the first row. Shaykh Aḥmad Ṭālib Ḥamīd performed ʿIshāʾ Ṣalāḥ in which he recited Sūrah al-Qiyāmah, including the verses,

كَلَّآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلتَّرَاقِىَ26  وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ 27  وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ ٱلْفِرَاقُ 28  وَٱلْتَفَّتِ ٱلسَّاقُ بِٱلسَّاقِ  29  إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ ٱلْمَسَاقُ 30

But no! Beware of the day when the soul reaches the collarbone as it leaves and it will be said, “Is there any healer who can save this life?” And the dying person realizes it is time to depart, and then their feet are tied together in a shroud. On that day they will be driven to your Lord alone. [Al-Qiyāmah 26-30]

As soon as Janāzah Ṣalāh finished, we made our way to the front where the bodies were placed, the bodies are numbered, so family members can quickly identify the deceased. The deceased was placed on the buggy and was transported along with family members to Baqīʿ. Shoaib Bhais son, Molana Aḥmed entered the grave along with a worker. The whole process was completed swiftly within 30 mins. The police officers allow a limited time for family members to remain at the grave before they escort you out. Alḥamdulillāh it was sufficient time to recite the opening and closing verses of Sūrah al-Baqarah and make a short Duʿāʾ.

It is advised to save the location of the grave on Google Maps, for other visiting family members.

Obtaining an official ‘Death Certificate’ and Passport

The passport of the deceased will not be released into the possession of the next of kin until the following two documents are presented. 

1. No Objection letter from the British Consulate, which gives written permission for the next of kin to receive official documents on behalf of the deceased
2. Official Death Certificate from the Civil Affairs Office

The Civil Affairs office is located within the police station on the 1st floor. The Death Certificate will take a few days to arrive, after which the next of kin will be able to receive the passport of the deceased. The office is open in the morning during working hours and is not open 24/7 as is the case for other offices in the Police Station.

There is also an option for foreigners to have the Death Certificate attested at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

https://goo.gl/maps/S8L5xebEe5V7FoA67

A fee of 30 ﷼ will need to be paid before entering the office. This can either be done online or at the kiosk located outside.

Note- If the deceased had property in the UK or abroad, it is of utmost importance to receive the official Death Certificate and Passport from the Saudi authorities, to prevent any difficulties regarding inheritance and ownership transfer.

Wednesday 26th April 2023/ 6th Shawwāl 1444