News Archive

What is the lease period for graves at Gardens of Peace?

Gardens of Peace is a charity that owns freehold land for use as a muslim cemetery; its constitution forbids the use of the land for any purpose other than as a cemetery. So the concept of leases, as in other multi-denominational and council run cemeteries, does not apply.

If the concern is how long will it be before the grave is recycled, then please rest assured that this will not occur at least for a generation. This is consistent with both the law and shariah.

What should I do/not do, being a non Muslim attending a Muslim funeral?

The following guide has been produced by the Muslim Burial Council of Leicester which has kindly given permission for it to be reproduced here. It may help those who want to pay their respects to a Muslim friend who has passed away or may want to attend the actual funeral, but do not know what to expect and what is considered appropriate.

Attending a Muslim Funeral – A Guide for Non-Muslims

Near death

When a Muslim is near death, those around him or her are called upon to give comfort, and reminders of God's mercy and forgiveness. They are encouraged to recite verses from the Holy Qur'an, and the dying may also recite words of prayer. It is recommended, for a Muslim's last words to be the declaration of faith, that is, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah." However, there should be no coercion to recite this statement. Beyond this, efforts should be made to make the last moments as comfortable for the individual as possible. Offering water and physical comfort is recommended.

Upon death

Upon death, those with the deceased are encouraged to remain calm, pray for the departed, and begin preparations for burial. Grief is normal when one has lost a loved one, and it is natural and permitted to cry. One should strive to be patient and to remember that God is the One who gives life and takes it away – at a time He decides – and tha it is not for us to question His wisdom.

The funeral

A loss of an individual is not just regarded as a loss to the family but to the whole Muslim community as well. For this reason, it is common for people who may not know an individual personally to attend his/her funeral. In fact Muslims are encouraged to attend any Muslim’s funeral due to the profound personal, social and spiritual significance of such an event.

Muslims strive to bury the deceased as soon as possible after death therefore it is not unusual for the deceased to be buried within 24 hours of their death. The main steps involved are washing the body of the deceased, shrouding it, performance of the funeral prayer and finally burial. The first two steps are performed only by selected relatives and community members due to the intimacy involved with the body. The funeral prayer is a Muslim ritual which must be performed by Muslims, though observers are welcome.

Etiquettes

There are also some matters regarding etiquette that one should be aware of when attending the funeral. Women from the Muslim faith commonly do not attend the funeral however should non Muslim women wish to attend the advice given below re dress code should be noted.

The dress code for Men and Women should be modest. This means a shirt and trousers for men and an ankle length skirt, which should not be tight or transparent, together with a long sleeved and high-necked top for the women. A headscarf is also essential for women. Shoes are removed before going into the prayer hall. Clean and presentable socks, stockings, or tights are therefore a good idea.

The congregation will line up in rows behind the deceased coffin to perform the Funeral prayer. It should be noted here that the funeral prayer is performed for the deceased and not to the deceased. Following its completion the congregation will form two lines and pass the coffin from shoulder to shoulder taking it towards the grave site.

Visitors are welcome to follow the congregation as they move the coffin towards the grave however a short distance should be kept thereby allowing the congregation walking space to carry the coffin.

Once at the grave the coffin will be lowered, usually by members of the family, and the gravesite filled. The Imam will then say a few final prayers at the graveside and following this, the congregation will disperse.

The immediate members of the family will most likely remain at the graveside for a short while longer; this may be an opportune time for visitors to convey their condolences if they so wish.

It should be noted that grief and the way it is handled is dependent on people’s cultural influences and therefore the above advice should be treated as general guidance.

A copy of the guide can be downloaded here.

What are your burials fees and what are the extra costs charged for weekend and bank holiday burials?

Burial fees are set out here. There are no extra fees for weekend or bank holiday burials.

Please note however that if a funeral arrives at the cemetery significantly later than the time booked, then a £100 charge will become payable - this is to cover the costs of keeping the staff at the cemetery beyond their contracted hours.

Does burial have to be in shrouds? Why can't burial take place in a coffin?

In accordance with shariah burial at the cemetery is conducted in shrouds.

The only occasions on which this is varied is when medical advice or directions from the coroner are received for burial to take place in a coffin.

I understand you used to offer funeral plans? Why don't you offer them now?

A limited number of funeral plans were offered under which graves could be reserved, when the cemetery first opened. This facility was withdrawn as we found that offering such plans adds to the burden of managing the cemetery.

Insh'Allah, there will be enough land at the current sites owned by the cemetery to meet the burial needs of the community.

I see so many benches donated on behalf of loved ones. Why can't I donate one?

As you can see there are already so many benches at the cemetery that there is little point in having more at this stage.

If you would like to donate on behalf of a loved one, then please consider sponsoring the planting of a tree.

What is the latest time for burial at the cemetery?

The latest time for burial at the cemetery is 4.30pm. This is to meet the planning conditions granted by Redbridge Council for burial at the cemetery. We do not have any choice in this matter.

Are flowers and the burning of incense permitted at the cemetery?

We do not encourage the placing of flowers on graves. This adds to the cost burden of maintaining the cemetery as the flowers will have to be removed after a few days when they have wilted.

Why not instead sponsor a tree at the cemetery for the benefit of the deceased, or offer a donation either to the cemetery or to some other worthwhile charitable cause? Such an act by you will be a source of recurring reward for the deceased.

Notwithstanding, we recognise some visitors will still want to leave flowers on graves. Under no circumstances however will plastic flowers be permitted.

The burning of incense is also not permitted at the cemetery as there is no basis in the hadith for this practice.

Where at the cemetery do I leave Korans, kitabs and other religious items for disposal?

Please note that we only accept religious material for disposal two times a year: over the Good Friday/Easter Monday four day holiday period and also over the weekend immediately before the start of the month of Ramadhan. Clear instructions will be displayed to let you know where such material should be left.

Please do not bring religious material to the cemetery at any time other than on these two occasions. During these two occasions please only bring paper printed material. We cannot accept plastic, glass, metals etc. as we cannot deal with it.

It is sad for us to point out the obvious, that is visitors should not leave religious material in the dustbins, on the floor near the clothes bank, dump into the stream going through the cemetery, dump on the front steps of the Hall of Remembrance or the administration bulding or leave in the car park. We have come across all of these ways in which visitors to the cemetery have disposed of religious material.