Is it true that it is haram to place a dead person in a coffin to bury him/her? What about tombstones, are they haram as well?

· 17 Safar 1427 AH1 min readFatwa 14062English

Question

Is it true that it is haram to place a dead person in a coffin to bury him/her? What about tombstones, are they haram as well?

Answer

A dead person should be buried without a coffin. However, if it is a legal requirement to bury a person in a coffin, then that will be excused.

It is permissible to place a simple marker on one side of the grave to indicate the identity of the dead. It is not permissible to erect the customary tombstone with the name of the person and his praises.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Answered by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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