4. Location of Burial

The dead should be buried in the same area where they died. Transporting the body to another area or another country is not permissible, because it contradicts the Prophet’s (r) order to hasten the burial and it also necessitates 5 Ihraam represents the consecrated state of one who has made the intention for pilgrimage and has put on the specified garments. 6 Talbeeyah a the prayer repeated aloud by pilgrims at the beginning of ‘Umrah or Hajj. 7 Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.2, pp.199-200, nos. 355-357, Sahih Muslim, vol.2, pp.596-7, nos.2747 & 2750 and Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.2, p.920, no.3232. 8 Collected in all of the six books of hadith. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.2, p.225, no.401, Sahih Muslim, vol.2, p.448, no.2059, Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.2, pp.897-8, no. 3153, Sunan Ibn -iMajah, vol.2, p.382, no.1477 and Mishkat Al-Masabih, vol.1, p.338.

unnecessary aditional expenses. Furthermore, the Prophet (r) specifically forbade his followers from transferring of bodies from the local in which they died. َﺩِ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﻗﹶﺎلﺒﻥِ ﻋﺎﺒِﺭِ ﺒ ﺠﻥﻋ : ﻨﹶﺎﺩِﻱ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺒِﻲ ﻤﺎﺀ ﻓﹶﺠﻡﻓِﻨﹶﻬﺩٍ ﻟِﻨﹶﺩ ﺃُﺤﻡﻭﻠﹾﻨﹶﺎ ﺍﻟﹾﻘﹶﺘﹾﻠﹶﻰ ﻴﻤﻜﹸﻨﱠﺎ ﺤ r ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَ ﻭلَ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﺴ ﺭﺇِﻥ r ﻡﻨﹶﺎﻫﺩﺩ ﻓﹶﺭﺎﺠِﻌِﻬِﻡﻀﻓِﻨﹸﻭﺍ ﺍﻟﹾﻘﹶﺘﹾﻠﹶﻰ ﻓِﻲ ﻤ ﺘﹶﺩ ﺃَﻥﻜﹸﻡﺭﺄْﻤ ﻴ . Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillaah said, “On the day of the Battle of Uhud,9 the dead were being carried [back to Madeenah] for burial in al-Baqee‘,10 when the Prophet’s (r) announcer called out: Allaah’s Messenger orders you to bury the dead where they lie.” This [announcement came] after my mother had already tied my father and uncle to the sides of her camel, in order to bury them in al-Baqee’. However, she returned them to where they were killed (for burial).”11 Imaam an-Nawawee in his book, al-Athkaar, said, “If [the dying person] requests writes in his will that his body be transported to another country, it should not be fulfilled. Because transporting the dead to another local is haraam according to the authentic position held by most scholars.”12