In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

What to do when someone dies

This information is primarily for those living in the U.K. (in particular England & Wales)

A person may die in hospital or out of hospital (at home).

1. Death Occurs at Home

1a. Death occurs at home and the cause of death is known/ natural causes

1b. Death occurs at home unexpectedly or in suspicious circumstances

2. Death Occurs in Hospital

2a. Death occurs in hospital and cause of death is known

2b. Death occurs in hospital and cause of death is unknown/ no medical certificate given

3. Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)

4. Certificate of Stillbirth (child over 24 weeks pregnancy)

5. Foetus stillborn and under 24 weeks pregnancy

6. The Role of the Coroner

7. Post mortem/ MRI/ CT scan/ Digital autopsy

8. Transporting dead body abroad

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1a. If death occurs at home (or care home) and the cause of death is known/ natural causes then contact the family doctor (GP).

  1. Appoint one family member who will liaise and communicate with the GP, funeral director and register office.
  2. Try to contact family doctor (GP) in the first place. If the GP cannot be contacted call an ambulance. The ambulance will contact the police who will arrange for the dead body to be taken to the local mortuary. The GP can be contacted the next working day. If the family doctor (GP) has attended the deceased during his/ her last illness he can legally issue a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD).
  3. Inform your local Muslim funeral director (or local imām), tell them that you have a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). The funeral director will advise you what needs to be done next.
  4. The death needs to be registered within 5 days with the register office, preferably the office in the area where the death occur to avoid delays. A relative of the deceased, someone present at death or anybody making arrangements with the funeral directors can register the death. It takes about 30 minutes to register a death.
  5. Make an appointment with the register office to register the death. When you go to the register office, if available, take evidence of address of the deceased (utility bill, council tax bill). You will need to tell the registrar the deceased person’s full name, time of death, any previous name, last address, occupation, details of any surviving spouse, and if the deceased claimed any state pension or other benefits. The registrar will issue two free certificates:
  • Certificate for burial/ disposal (the green form) this certificate should be given to the funeral director as permission for burial.
  • Certificate of Registration of Death (BD8), also called the death certificate – is completed and used for social security purposes and for probate etc.

During public holidays or after office hours the certificate of burial/ disposal can be obtained from the Registrar of deaths from his home. His/her telephone number can be obtained from your funeral director. This service is only available in the event of an emergency i.e. if burial needs to take place and offices are closed.

  1. Contact your local Muslim funeral director informing them you have Certificate for burial (the green form) and contact the local masjid/ imām where you intend to perform ghusl and janāza prayer. The funeral director will ask you in which masjid and at what time you plan to perform janāza prayer.
  2. The funeral director will collect the body, have the body stored at local masjid and make arrangements for burial. He will advise you of suitable/ available times for burial, coffin if you require one and the costs involved in the burial process. Paperwork has to be completed and payment made prior to the actual burial process.

 

1b. If the death occurs at home unexpectedly or in suspicious circumstances

  1. Appoint one family member who will liaise and communicate with the GP, funeral director, register office and coroner office.
  2. Try to contact family doctor (GP) in the first place. The GP may be able to issue a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) after discussion with the coroner. If this is the case, the coroner1 will issue ‘A’ certificate (form 100A, also called ‘Part A’), indicating he is aware of the death, no further investigation is necessary and that permission has been given to the GP to issue a medical certificate (MCCD). The coroner may send the ‘A’ certificate directly to the Registrar for deaths or you may need to collect it from the coroner’s office to take to the Registrar yourself.
  3. If the GP cannot be contacted call an ambulance. The ambulance will contact the police who will arrange for the dead body to be taken to the local mortuary.
  4. If the GP is unable to issue a medical certificate (MCCD) the coroner will arrange for a formal autopsy (post-mortem examination) or a digital autopsy (MRI/ CT/ digital scan) or open an inquest. You can request the coroner to perform a digital autopsy (MRI/ CT scan, also called digital post-mortem) depending on what is available in your area instead of a traditional invasive post-mortem. A digital autopsy will be performed if considered appropriate.
  5. After the autopsy has been perform the coroner’s office may issue pink form B (form 100, also called part ‘B’), this is a substitute for the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). The pink form B is signed by the pathologist working for the coroner’s office. The coroner may send the pink form B directly to the Registrar for deaths or you may need to collect it from the coroner’s office to take to the Registrar yourself. The pink form B allows you to register the death.
  6. The coroner may open an inquest to investigate the death but give permission for burial to take place by issuing order for burial (form 101). The order of burial does not require registration. Make an appointment with the register office to register the death. When you go to the register office, if available, take evidence of address of the deceased (utility bill, council tax bill). You will need to tell the registrar the deceased person’s full name, time of death, any previous name, last address, occupation, details of any surviving spouse, and if the deceased claimed any state pension or other benefits. The registrar will issue two free certificates:
  • Certificate for burial/ disposal (the green form) this certificate should be given to the funeral director as permission for burial.
  • Certificate of Registration of Death (BD8), also called the death certificate – is completed and used for social security purposes and for probate etc.

During public holidays or after office hours the certificate of burial/ disposal can be obtained from the Registrar of deaths from his home. His/her telephone number can be obtained from your funeral director. This service is only available in the event of an emergency i.e. if burial needs to take place and offices are closed.

  1. Contact your local Muslim funeral director informing them you have Certificate for burial (the green form) and contact the local masjid/ imām where you intend to perform ghusl and janāza prayer. The funeral director will ask you in which masjid and at what time you plan to perform janāza prayer.
  2. The funeral director will collect the body, have the body stored at local masjid and make arrangements for burial. He will advise you of suitable/ available times for burial, coffin if you require one and the costs involved in the burial process. Paperwork has to be completed and payment made prior to the actual burial process.
  3. Different cemeteries/ grave yards have different latest burial times and some do not allow the coffin to be opened at the grave yard. In such cases it is necessary to ensure the head of the body is facing the Qibla before entering the cemetery.

 

2a. Death occurs in hospital and cause of death is known

  1. Appoint one family member who will liaise and communicate with the ward, doctors, patient services, funeral director, register office and coroner office.
  2. If the patient has a terminal disease ask the attending doctor in charge (consultant) in advance as to who will issue the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). However, if the death occurs during transport to hospital in A&E, within 24 hours of admission, after an operation or accident it will need to be reported to the coroner. In some circumstances the attending doctor may wish to discuss the case with the coroner before issuing a medical certificate (MCCD). After death takes place ask the ward sister to get the doctor to issue a medical certificate (MCCD). If you already have name of doctor who is going to issue the medical certificate (MCCD) this will help.
  3. After collecting the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) from the ward or patient services, inform your local Muslim funeral director (or local imām), tell them that you have the medical certificate (MCCD). The funeral director will advise you what needs to be done next.
  4. The death needs to be registered within 5 days either with the registrar based at the hospital where the person died or with the register office in the area where the death occurred to avoid delays. A relative of the deceased, someone present at death or anybody making arrangements with the funeral directors can register the death. It takes about 30 minutes to register a death.
  5. Make an appointment with the register office to register the death. When you go to the register office, if available, take evidence of address of the deceased (utility bill, council tax bill). You will need to tell the registrar the deceased person’s full name, time of death, any previous name, last address, occupation, details of any surviving spouse, and if the deceased claimed any state pension or other benefits. The registrar will issue two free certificates:
  • Certificate for burial/ disposal (the green form) this certificate should be given to the funeral director as permission for burial.
  • Certificate of Registration of Death (BD8), also called the death certificate – is completed and used for social security purposes and for probate etc.

During public holidays or after office hours the certificate of burial/ disposal can be obtained from the Registrar of deaths from his home. His/her telephone number can be obtained from your funeral director. This service is only available in the event of an emergency i.e. if burial needs to take place and offices are closed.

  1. Contact your local Muslim funeral director informing them you have certificate for burial (the green form) and contact the local masjid/ imām where you intend to perform ghusl and janāza prayer. The funeral director will ask you in which masjid and at what time you plan to perform janāza prayer.
  2. The funeral director will collect the body from the hospital mortuary, transfer the body to the local masjid for ghusl and janāza prayer, and make arrangements for burial. He will advise you of suitable/ available times for burial, coffin if you require one and the costs involved in the burial process. Paperwork has to be completed and payment made prior to the actual burial process.
  3. Different cemeteries/ grave yards have different latest burial times and some do not allow the coffin to be opened at the grave yard. In such cases it is necessary to ensure the head of the body is facing the Qibla before entering the cemetery.

 

2b. Death occurs in hospital and cause of death is not known/ medical certificate not issued

  1. Appoint one family member who will liaise and communicate with the ward, doctors, patient services, funeral director, register office and coroner office.
  2. Under certain circumstance the hospital doctor will not be able to issue a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). If the death occurs during transport to hospital in A&E, within 24 hours of admission, after an operation or accident it will need to be reported to the coroner.
  3. In some circumstances the attending doctor may wish to discuss the case with the coroner before issuing a medical certificate (MCCD). If this is the case, the coroner2 will issue ‘A’ certificate (form 100A, also called ‘Part A’), indicating he is aware of the death, no further investigation is necessary and that permission has been given to the doctor to issue a medical certificate (MCCD). The coroner may send the ‘A’ certificate directly to the Registrar for deaths or you may need to collect it from the coroner’s office to take to the Registrar yourself.
  4. If the hospital doctor is unable to issue a medical certificate (MCCD) the coroner will arrange for a formal autopsy (post-mortem examination) or a digital autopsy (MRI/ CT/ digital scan) or open an inquest. See section 7 Post-mortem. You can request the coroner to perform a digital autopsy (MRI/ CT scan, also called digital post-mortem) depending on what is available in your area instead of a traditional invasive post-mortem. A digital autopsy will be performed if considered appropriate.
  5. After the autopsy has been performed the coroner’s office may issue pink form B (form 100, also called part ‘B’), this is a substitute for the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). The pink form B is signed by the pathologist working for the coroner’s office. The coroner may send the pink form B directly to the Registrar for deaths or you may need to collect it from the coroner’s office to take to the Registrar yourself. The pink form B allows you to register the death.
  6. The coroner may open an inquest to investigate the death but give permission for burial to take place by issuing order for burial (form 101). The order of burial does not require registration.
  7. Make an appointment with the register office to register the death. When you go to the register office, if available, take evidence of address of the deceased (utility bill, council tax bill). You will need to tell the registrar the deceased person’s full name, time of death, any previous name, last address, occupation, details of any surviving spouse, and if the deceased claimed any state pension or other benefits. The registrar will issue two free certificates:
  • Certificate for burial/ disposal (the green form) this certificate should be given to the funeral director as permission for burial.
  • Certificate of Registration of Death (BD8), also called the death certificate – is completed and used for social security purposes and for probate etc.

During public holidays or after office hours the certificate of burial/ disposal can be obtained from the Registrar of deaths from his home. His/her telephone number can be obtained from your funeral director. This service is only available in the event of an emergency i.e. if burial needs to take place and offices are closed.

  1. Contact your local Muslim funeral director informing them you have Certificate for burial (the green form) and contact the local masjid/ imām where you intend to perform ghusl and janāza prayer. The funeral director will ask you in which masjid and at what time you plan to perform janāza prayer.
  2. The funeral director will collect the body from the hospital mortuary, transfer the body to the local masjid for ghusl and janāza prayer, and make arrangements for burial. He will advise you of suitable/ available times for burial, coffin if you require one and the costs involved in the burial process. Paperwork has to be completed and payment made prior to the actual burial process.
  3. Different cemeteries/ grave yards have different latest burial times and some do not allow the coffin to be opened at the grave yard. In such cases it is necessary to ensure the head of the body is facing the Qibla before entering the cemetery.

 

3. Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)

  1. It is the statutory duty of the medical doctor who was in medical attendance of the deceased in his last illness to issue a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD), whether or not he can identify the cause of death. In practice medical doctors will not issue MCCD unless they are sure of the cause of death.
    The 14 day rule is misunderstood by many doctors thinking that he is unable to issue a MCCD unless he has attended to the deceased in the last 14 days or that it is necessary to report death to the coroner if he has not attended to the deceased in the last 14 days before issuing a MCCD. The 14 day rule imposes on the registrar a duty to report to the coroner any death where it appears that the medical doctor who has issued a MCCD has either not seen the deceased within 14 days before death or seen the body after death (Regulation 41 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 1987). The coroner will instruct the registrar whether or not to accept the MCCD for registration.
  2. After have completing the MCCD the doctor is obliged to deliver to a “qualified informant” notice that a certificate has been issued.
  3. The doctor completing the MCCD is legally responsible for the delivery of the MCCD to the registrar either personally, by post or through a relative acting as the agent.

 

4. Certificate of Stillbirth (child over 24 weeks pregnancy)

  1. If a child is stillborn (no signs of life at all and more than 24 weeks) the doctor will issue a certificate of Stillbirth.
  2. The certificate of stillborn needs to be registered with the register office within 42 days (21 days in Scotland).
  3. There is no need for ghusl or janāza for such a stillborn child
  4. If the child is stillborn and less than 24 weeks pregnancy the hospital will issue a birth card, there is no need to register, there is no need for ghusl or janāza.

 

5. Foetus stillborn and under 24 weeks pregnancy

  1. If a child is stillborn (no signs of life at all and less than 24 weeks) the hospital will issue a certificate of non-viability (birth card) , there is no need to register, there is no need for ghusl or janāza.

 

6. Role of the Coroner

  1. About 38% of deaths are reported to the coroner
  2. A death is referred to the coroner if death occurs:
  • If the deceased person was not attended by a doctor during his last illness or within 14 days of death
  • If the cause of death is uncertain
  • If death was sudden, violent or caused by an accident
  • If death was caused by industrial disease
  1. Strictly speaking, the law requires that the attending doctor should complete the medical certificate MCCD) even when a death has been referred to the coroner, but in practice this does not happen.
  2. Legally the coroner can only certify the cause of death if he has investigated it through autopsy, inquest or both.
  3. The coroner will probably arrange for an autopsy (post-mortem examination) of the body to try to ascertain the cause of death. The coroner does not need consent of the next of kin to carry out a post-mortem, but the relatives can choose a doctor to be present at the post-mortem.
  4. After the autopsy has been performed the coroner’s office may issue pink form B (form 100, also called part ‘B’), this is a substitute for the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). The pink form B is signed by the pathologist working for the coroner’s office. The coroner may send the pink form B directly to the Registrar for deaths or you may need to collect it from the coroner’s office to take to the Registrar yourself. The pink form B allows you to register the death
  5. If after the autopsy (post-mortem examination), the cause of death is uncertain or was due to an accident, violence, or industrial disease then an inquest will be held. An inquest is an inquiry into the medical cause and circumstances of death. It is held in public and is sometimes with the jury. It is up to the coroner how to organise the inquiry in a way to best serve the public interest and the interest of the relatives.
  6. If the coroner requires an inquest usually after an autopsy, a formal opening of the inquest will take place after which an order for burial will be issued. The coroner may open an inquest to investigate the death but give permission for burial to take place by issuing order for burial (form 101) often before the inquest commences. The order of burial does not require registration.
  7. The coroner is required to conclude inquest proceedings within six months of date of death unless there are justifiable reasons for going beyond this timetable.

 

7. Post-mortem examination/ MRI/ CT scan/ Digital autopsy

  1. Post-mortem, also known as autopsy, is a detailed examination of a dead body to try to determine the medical cause of death.  A post-mortem examination will be carried out if requested by the coroner or a hospital doctor. If a post-mortem is requested by the coroner the next of kin are not asked to give consent (permission) for the post-mortem to be carried out. The coroner is a judicial officer responsible for investigating deaths in certain situations, deaths which are unexpected, violent, unnatural, suspicions, as a result of an accident or injury or occurred during an operation or soon after an operation. 
  2. The post-mortem is carried out as soon as possible, usually within two to three working days of a person’s death, sometimes even earlier, by specially trained doctors called pathologists. The post-mortem involves removing major organs from the dead body, such as the heart and lungs, on occasions it make be necessary to remove the brain as well, for examination to try to determine the cause of death.  
  3. In around 20% of adult post-mortem examinations and in most paediatric post-mortem examinations, the cause of death is not immediately obvious. A diagnosis can only be made by retaining small tissue samples of relevant organs for more detailed examination. Organs or tissue samples may need to be sent to specialised units for further analysis. When the post-mortem examination is complete, you will be told whether tissue samples and organs have been retained.  
  4. In cases where cause of death cannot be easily ascertained the post-mortem can take several weeks to complete. After a post-mortem, the organs are returned to the body, the pathologist writes a report of the findings. If the post-mortem was requested by the coroner, the coroner or coroner's officer will let you know the cause of death determined by the pathologist. 
  5. Digital autopsy or digital post-mortems are available which obviate the need to perform the traditional invasive post-mortem to try to determine the cause of death. Digital autopsy involves the body undergoing medical scanning (CT scan or MRI scan). The CT scan takes only minutes to perform. The digital data obtained form the CT scan is used to create a 3D image of the whole body. Using special software specially trained radiologists can examine the digital reconstruction of the dead body identify the cause of death in more than 70% of adult cases. The cause of death identified by the radiologist from the scan has to be accepted by the coroner’s pathologist before a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) can be issued. 
  6. For a digital autopsy to be carried out it has to be sanctioned by the coroner involved with the case. Unfortunately, some coroners do not “believe” in digital autopsies and insist on the traditional invasive post-mortem approach. A truly sad state of affair in this age of digital technology. This may be partly due to the fact that the vast majority of coroners are solicitors by training rather than doctors. In a High Court ruling in 2015, Mr Justice Mitting, stated that an invasive autopsy should be avoided so long as there was a “realistic possibility” that a non-invasive autopsy would establish cause of death. 
  7. In England and Wales if you wish your dead relative to have a digital autopsy rather than the traditional invasive autopsy (post-mortem) you need to make a request to your local coroner that you wish to have a digital autopsy. A digital autopsy will be performed if considered appropriate.
  8. Currently, the bereaved family must pay for the digital autopsy themselves, where as the local Council pays for the pathologist for traditional invasive post-mortem. The only exception to this is Sandwell Council which pays for its residents undergoing digital autopsy. 
  9. In cases where the digital autopsy cannot identify the cause of death then a traditional invasive post-mortem will be necessary, however, in some cases the digital autopsy will provide useful information to reduce the invasive post-mortem to a minimum.

 

8. Transporting a body abroad

  1. The predominant ruling of the Muslims jurists is that transporting a body form one place to another is makrūh, and from one country to another makrūh tahrimi (Darul Ifta, Darul-Uloom Deoband).
  2. If transporting the dead body from one country to another involves embalming, the process of embalming is forbidden in Islam. The embalming process is invasive and the embalming fluid is traditionally made up of impure substances such as alcohol.
  3. Instead of embalming special flexible zinc lining can be used for transporting the body which can be removed before the body is buried.
  4. Before a dead body can be transported abroad it is necessary to obtain a Removal Notice (form 104) and a sanitisation certificate.
  5. Pakistan International Airlines did not use to charge for the freight of transporting dead body with a Pakistaini ID.