Islamic views on aging, illness and death

Within Islam

Most Muslims are Sunni; a large minority are Shia. There are also many schools of law, Sufi traditions, and national and family customs. The basic practices around death are widely shared, but details vary. A local imam or the family's mosque can advise.

On aging

The Quran places great weight on honoring and caring for aging parents. It tells believers not to say even a word of impatience ("uff") to them, to speak to them kindly, to "lower the wing of humility" to them out of mercy, and to pray: My Lord, have mercy on them, as they raised me when I was small. (Quran 17:23–24, in summary)

Many Muslims see caring for an aging parent as a path to God's pleasure and to Paradise.

On illness and suffering

• A test and a purification. Many Muslims believe illness, borne with patience (sabr), can wipe away sins and raise a person's rank with God.
• God does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. (Quran 2:286)
• Hope. Indeed, with hardship comes ease. (Quran 94:6)
• Seeking treatment is encouraged. A well-known saying of the Prophet Muhammad teaches that God has not sent down a disease without also sending down a cure.
• End-of-life decisions. Most Muslim scholars teach that life must not be deliberately ended. Many also teach that treatment that only prolongs dying, with no hope of recovery, does not have to be continued. Families often consult an imam about these decisions.

On what follows death

• Every soul will taste death. (Quran 3:185) Death is a return to God, not an end.
• The grave and the in-between (barzakh). The soul waits between death and the Day of Resurrection.
• The Day of Judgment. All people will be raised and judged, then enter Paradise or Hell. Muslims hope in God's mercy, which the Quran describes as encompassing all things.

When Muslims hear of a death, they say: Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, "Truly we belong to God, and to Him we return." (Quran 2:156)

Near the end of life

• Facing Mecca. The dying person may be turned to face the qiblah, the direction of Mecca (in North America, roughly northeast).
• The declaration of faith. Family gently encourage the person to say, or hear, La ilaha illa Allah, "There is no god but God." Ideally these are their last words.
• Recitation. Family or an imam may recite the Quran, especially Surah Ya-Sin.
• Privacy and modesty. Many prefer caregivers of the same sex for personal care.
• Ritual cleanliness. A dying person may wish to perform ablutions and pray for as long as they can, even lying down.

Right after death

• Close the eyes, straighten the body, and cover it with a clean sheet.
• Prompt burial. Islamic tradition calls for burial as soon as possible, usually within a day. Tell the hospital and doctor this, so paperwork can move quickly.
• Washing (ghusl) is done by Muslims of the same sex as the person (a spouse may also wash), often at a mosque or Muslim funeral home.
• Shrouding (kafan). The body is wrapped in simple white cloth.
• Autopsy is generally avoided unless the law requires it.
• Organ donation is accepted by many Muslim scholars and councils as saving life; others disagree. Ask your loved one and an imam.
• No cremation. Islam requires burial.

Funeral and mourning

• The funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is said by the community, usually at a mosque or the cemetery.
• Burial. The body is laid in the grave on its right side, facing Mecca. A coffin is used where the law or cemetery requires it.
• Three days of mourning are customary for the family, with visits, prayers and meals brought by others. A widow traditionally observes a longer waiting period (iddah).
• Crying is natural. When the Prophet Muhammad's infant son Ibrahim died, the Prophet wept. He said that the eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, but we say only what pleases our Lord. Wailing and loud lamenting are discouraged.
• Continuing good. Muslims pray for the dead, give charity on their behalf, and may recite the Quran for them. Many believe this benefits the person who has died.