Burial Process in Madinah

[Last Updated: 26/04/23]

Please notify us of any changes or updated information that readers may encounter.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Ever Merciful

It was the will and decree of the Almighty that a family friend, Haji Shoaib Daya of Coventry, UK, passed away on the day of Eid, Friday 21st April 2023 (1st Shawwal 1444) in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah after Fajr Salah and was buried in Al-Baqi graveyard on Tuesday 25th April after Isha Salah. Alhamdulillah, I was fortunate enough to assist the family with burial arrangements. I thought it would be beneficial for UK nationals to provide an up-to-date summary of the burial process in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

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

The Virtue of Passing Away in Madinah

Death in Madinah is something we all desire and pray for, principally due to the hadith of the Noble Prophet ﷺ:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من استطاع أن يموت بالمدينة فليمت بها فإني أشفع لمن يموت بها

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

We find the desire to pass away in Madinah among many throughout history. Imam Bukhari narrates that Umar (RA) would say:

“O Allah, grant me martyrdom for Your sake and make my death in the land of Your Messenger ﷺ.” [Bukhari 1890]

Not only was the virtue of death in Madinah attained but also the virtue of death on a Friday. Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) narrates:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ما من مسلم يموت يوم الجمعة أو ليلة الجمعة إلا وقاه الله فتنة القبر

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

Although we may pray and plead to Allah 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 Alim nor Hafiz, was rather a simple man who attached himself to the Masjid and was well known for his hospitality to those who would visit. Ultimately, the Almighty alone knows which good deed of his was accepted, granting him such an envy-worthy abode and death. Having returned a few days prior from Makkah after performing Umrah, one can only assume that Allah had allowed him to cleanse himself before he died in the city of His beloved ﷺ.

Burial Process in Al-Baqi, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

Note: The following process and information are correct as of Tuesday 25th April 2023.

It is important to note that a Saudi citizen or Resident (with Iqamah) 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.

Steps for Burial

Inform the hotel of the death, and they will contact the relevant authorities. The ambulance will come to the hotel to check the pulse and confirm the death.
The police will visit the hotel and check the passport, visa, and any other potentially suspicious activity. (The police will take the deceased's passport and keep it at the central police station until after the burial.)
The ambulance will transport the body to the hospital, in this case, Mustashfa al-Miqat (Miqat Hospital).
Obtain a provisional Death Certificate. The next of kin must visit the hospital, preferably with a Saudi citizen.
Contact the British Consulate in Jeddah to obtain a No-Objection letter for local burial.
Visit the Central Police Station with a Saudi citizen to obtain Police Clearance for Burial.
Return to the hospital to obtain burial permission in Baqi graveyard and arrange for the release of the body.
The body will be transported to the Ghusl area at the Baqi graveyard and then to the Masjid for Salah.
Family members are honoured with praying Salah next to Riyadh ul-Jannah and, if possible, in the first row.
After Salah, the body will be transported to Baqi graveyard for burial.
Obtain the Official Death Certificate from the Civil Affairs office after a few days.
Attest the Death Certificate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Documents Required for Burial

Passport copy of the deceased
Visa of the deceased
Passport copy of the next of kin
Visa of the next of kin
Proof of residence from the hotel where the deceased passed away
Death Certificate (from the morgue)
No-Objection letter (from the British Consulate)
Border Number of the deceased (obtained via the Saudi portal)
Iqamah (ID) of the Saudi citizen assisting
Police Clearance letter (from the Central Police Station)
Acknowledgment of receipt and declaration of the body (from the morgue)
Permission slip for entry into Baqi graveyard

It is advised to make at least three copies of the first eight documents.

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

Friday 21st April 2023

Miqat General Hospital

Having spent the previous night in Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi to get a space inside for Eid Salah, I made my way to rest before Jumuah Salah. Around noon, I received news of the passing of our dear Haji Shoaib Bhai.

I went to his hotel with my family to offer condolences to his wife and brother-in-law (Hafiz Nazeer Mangera), who had also come for Umrah. Not being fluent in Arabic nor familiar with the Saudi system, Hafiz Nazeer Shb requested me to assist in the burial process. At 3 PM, we left for Miqat Hospital, where the deceased was kept. The hospital is quite a distance from the Haram.

🔗 Miqat General Hospital Location

📞 Miqat General Hospital Contact: +966 14 840 1682

Upon arrival, we were directed to the morgue, located on the right side of the hospital car park, identified by the مكتبة الوفيات sign. The office was next to it, where we were required to submit:

Passport of the Deceased
Visa of the Deceased
Passport of Next of Kin
Visa of Next of Kin

The process was swift, and within 15 minutes, we had the provisional Death Certificate (إشعار وفاة).

British Consulate and No-Objection Letter

The next step was to obtain a No-Objection Letter from the British Consulate in Jeddah. However, since it was Eid day, the Jeddah office was closed for 5 days.

📞 British Consulate General in Jeddah

Saudi Contact: +966 (0)12 622 5550
UK Office: +44 20 7008 5000

The Saudi line was redirected to the UK office, which requested the following documents via email:

Death Certificate
Passport Copy of the Deceased
Visa of the Deceased

The UK office advised that they would try to obtain the No-Objection Letter, but ultimately, it was up to the Saudi office to issue it. Having no other option, we returned to the hotel and attempted to obtain the letter through other means, but to no avail.

Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd April 2023

We contacted the British Consulate again on Saturday morning. They informed us that the case had been forwarded to the Saudi office and that the earliest response would be Wednesday at 8 AM. They advised us to call the Saudi line on Wednesday morning and ask for the assigned case officer.

Monday 24th April 2023

Central Police Station

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

The next step was to visit the Central Police Station in Madinah to obtain a clearance letter for burial.

Location of the Central Police Station

📍 Google Maps Location
📞 Contact: +966 14 838 6131

We arrived at the police station after Asr Salah. At the entrance, the guard inspected the paperwork and informed us that the officer responsible for burial clearance was unavailable and that we would need to return the following day after Asr Salah. This was unusual, as the process was previously available 24 hours a day. After speaking to a few local brothers, we decided to return the next day.

That evening, I spoke to my dear friend Anas Dehlavi, a resident of Madinah and a Saudi citizen. I explained the situation to him, and he offered to accompany us to the police station the next day. Initially, I had only contacted him for assistance, as it is always ideal to have a local Saudi handle interactions with officials. However, we soon realized that having a Saudi citizen present was a requirement to obtain the police clearance.

Tuesday 25th April 2023

Anas picked us up at 2 PM, and we made our way to the Central Police Station. The guard allowed us through to the officer’s room, but his assistant informed us that the main officer would not arrive until 5 PM. (This appeared to be his scheduled working time, which became clear as a line of people had gathered by 5 PM.)

Once the officer arrived, Anas managed to speed up the process. The officer rejected the paperwork of others who did not have a Saudi representative. Thankfully, with Anas' assistance, the process was swift, and within 15 minutes, the police clearance report was ready. However, the passport of the deceased would only be released after the burial upon presenting the Certificate of Burial.

Miqat Hospital and Required Documents

Shoaib Bhai’s son and son-in-law had arrived from the UK for the Janazah Salah and burial. We picked them up from the hotel and proceeded to Miqat Hospital.

At the morgue, we were required to present the following documents:

Death Certificate
No-Objection Letter
Police Clearance Report
Passport Copy of the Deceased
Visa of the Deceased
Passport Copy of Next of Kin
Visa of Next of Kin
Iqamah (ID) of the Saudi Citizen Assisting

Burial Arrangements at Baqi al-Gharqad

We had requested burial in Baqi graveyard, as recently some burials have taken place in the Uhud graveyard. We were assured that the burial would be in Baqi. The morgue issued the Letter of Acknowledgment of Receipt and Declaration of a Dead Body (اقرار استلام وتصريح جثمان) shortly after Maghrib Salah. We were asked when we wanted the burial, to which we responded, as soon as possible. The officer confirmed with Baqi authorities that the Janazah Salah would take place after Isha Salah.

At that point, there were 1 hour 30 minutes remaining until Isha Salah. The ambulance arrived within 10 minutes to transport the deceased. Family members were briefly permitted to see the deceased, and then two family members accompanied the driver in the ambulance, while the rest followed in a car. Upon arrival, we were able to enter the Ghusl facility along with the ambulance.

Baqi al-Gharqad Facility

🔗 Google Maps Location

Upon arrival, the deceased was transferred inside where a Ghusl room had already been prepared. A total of five family members were allowed to enter the room and assist with the shrouding and Ghusl. However, the actual Ghusl was performed by trained workers as per standard procedure.

The Ghusl and shrouding were completed within 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Baqi authorities prepared the Certificate of Burial (شهادة إثبات دفن). As soon as the Ghusl was completed, they issued the burial certificate along with a slip for permission to enter Baqi (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 Janazah Salah.

Family members are then escorted by a police officer to an allocated area next to Riyadh ul-Jannah, where they can pray Salah. Alhamdulillah, it was a blessing that through Shoaib Bhai we were able to offer Salah in congregation in the first row. Shaykh Ahmad Taalib performed Isha Salah, in which he recited Surah al-Qiyamah, 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 Janzah Salah 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 Baqi. Shoaib Bhais son, Molana Ahmad 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. Alhamdulillah it was sufficient time to recite the opening and closing verses of Surah al-Baqarah and make a short Dua.

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 to the next of kin until the following two documents are presented:

No-Objection Letter from the British Consulate – This document grants written permission for the next of kin to receive official documents on behalf of the deceased.
Official Death Certificate from the Civil Affairs Office – This document is required for all legal purposes, including inheritance and property matters.

Process of Obtaining the Death Certificate

The Civil Affairs Office is located within the police station on the 1st floor. The Death Certificate takes a few days to be issued, after which the next of kin will be able to collect the deceased’s passport.

Office Hours: The Civil Affairs Office operates during regular working hours and is not open 24/7, unlike other offices within the police station.

Attestation of the Death Certificate

For foreign nationals, there is an option to have the Death Certificate attested at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

🔗 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Location

💰 Fee: 30 SAR – This fee must be paid before entering the office, either online or at the kiosk located outside the building.

Important Note on Inheritance and Property Matters

If the deceased owned property in the UK or abroad, it is crucial to obtain both the official Death Certificate and passport from the Saudi authorities. These documents will be essential in preventing any legal complications regarding inheritance and ownership transfers.

Wednesday, 26th April 2023 / 6th Shawwal 1444