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The cemetery of the BECCA Jamaat is the largest Bosnian cemetery in Chicago, and it has a total of 1,000 exclusively Muslim burial plots. Therefore, we can say that it is a Muslim cemetery.
The cemetery is located within the Bohemian National Cemetery at the address: 5255 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60630.
So far, over 60 members of our congregation have been buried in our cemetery. May Allah have mercy on them.
Every regular member of our congregation (who has fulfilled their obligations towards the congregation continuously for the past five years) is entitled to a free burial plot in the event of their passing. The grave markers in our cemetery are uniform and are installed immediately after the burial (upon request from the family!). As you can see, their appearance adheres to the regulations of our noble faith.
In the spring of 2017, a specially designed memorial plaque was installed at our congregation’s cemetery, indicating that it is the cemetery of the BECCA congregation, with the specified section 36A for easier location. The cemetery is visible from the main road (Pulaski Rd).
Immediately after the funeral, the family is obligated to proceed with the installation of the headstone. There is no religious barrier to installing the headstones as soon as possible, and there is no need to wait for any special date or event. Each family is required to install the headstone (consisting of a uniform stone plaque) within 30 days after the passing.
The ordering of headstones is done exclusively at the office of Bohemian National Cemetery, which is located within the cemetery grounds. Payment for ordering the headstone is made to them, and they are provided with the necessary information to be inscribed on the plaque (headstone). The date of installation at the cemetery is arranged with them as well.
For more information regarding the installation of headstones, contact Bohemian National Cemetery Chicago at +1-773-539-8443 or email bnca2003@sbcglobal.net.
The Džemat Committee, at the meeting held on September 6, 2020, reaffirmed the practice that has been present since the establishment of the Džemat cemetery and supplemented it with an official decision which reads as follows:
– The Džemat cemetery is a vakuf (endowment) of all our members, Džematlija, and friends, and as such, it serves the burial needs of all Muslims.
– Džemat BECCA (formerly known as BICC) is the owner of all burial plots (mezars) in the Džemat cemetery within the Bohemian National Cemetery (5255 N. Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60630) in Section 36A.
– Only Muslims are buried in the Džemat cemetery (Section 36A).
– Without the permission of Džemat BECCA, no activities can be carried out in the Džemat cemetery.
– To initiate any activities in the cemetery (such as excavation of burial plots, burial in the cemetery, transportation of bodies from one grave site to another, cemetery maintenance, installation of grave markers and monuments, organizing religious activities, etc.), written permission from the Džemat Committee is required. You can send your request to the address: BECCA / 7022 N. Western Ave, Chicago IL 60645 or email: info@bicc-chicago.com. Džemat BECCA is obligated to respond to your request within 30 days of its receipt.
– Džemat BECCA is responsible for organizing funerals, ensuring compliance with funeral prayer regulations, maintaining the appearance of the Džemat cemetery, its maintenance, and all activities related to it, etc.
– Reservation of burial plots is not possible, and the deceased are buried according to the order of burial plots.
– All members of Džemat BECCA, Džematlija, relatives, and friends have the right to visit the cemetery at any time (within the cemetery’s working hours) to visit their loved ones who are buried in our shared cemetery at the Bohemian National Cemetery (Section 36A).
– Visiting the complex requires all present individuals to abide by the regulations and decisions that apply to all visitors of the Bohemian National Cemetery.
– During the visit to the Džemat cemetery (Section 36A), we require all attendees to behave in accordance with the regulations of the Islamic faith, which also includes appropriate attire.
– It is not allowed to place any decorative items (such as flowers, lights, pictures, etc.) or erect any grave markers in the cemetery, except for those already present, which are simple stone slabs (maximum size of 25x15x15 inches) with the following inscription:
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un”
The full name of the deceased person
Full date of birth – Full date of death
(Al-Fatiha)
– In case of placing any decorative items, the Džemat Committee reserves the right to remove them from the cemetery or instruct Bohemian to remove them without any prior notice or announcement.
– We invite all members, community members, and friends who have their loved ones buried in the Džemat cemetery to immediately erect gravestones after the funeral prayer. In the meantime, the temporary green wooden markers approved by the Džemat Committee are allowed to be placed. These markers will remain at the gravesite until the installation of the gravestones or until a different decision is made by the Džemat Committee. Džemat BECCA will strive to provide green markers for all our deceased, but this responsibility solely lies with the family.
– We kindly request all our members, community members, friends, and visitors of the cemetery to respect the decisions of Džemat BECCA and to conduct themselves in accordance with the regulations of our noble faith.
– The expression of any forms of disbelief (kufur) or polytheism (shirk) is not allowed at the Džemat BECCA cemetery.
– We invite you to remember the deceased through supplications (dua), giving charity (sadaqah), establishing endowments (waqf), and performing acts of goodness on their behalf, seeking acceptance and reward from Allah. We find confirmation for our decision in the sources of Islam, the Quran and Sunnah, so please read the following:
Narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘When a person dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for him.’ (Sahih Muslim)
Narrated by Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘The best things that a man can leave behind after his death are a righteous child who prays for him, ongoing charity, and knowledge that is acted upon after him.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah)
Narrated by Abu Usayd (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: ‘We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when a man said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, is there any charity that can be given on behalf of our deceased?’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘Yes, there are four things: supplication for forgiveness, seeking forgiveness for them, fulfilling their vows, and maintaining ties of kinship that are not maintained except through them (the deceased).'” (Weak narration)
Narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘A believer continues to receive rewards for their good deeds even after their death, in the form of knowledge they imparted, a righteous child they left behind, a copy of the Quran they bequeathed, a mosque they built, a resting place they dug, a river they caused to flow, or charity they distributed from their wealth during their life.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah)
We beseech the Most High Allah to have mercy upon all the deceased, forgive their sins, and admit them to Jannah (Paradise). Ameen.
Jamaat
We also inform all our members that at a meeting held on October 13th, 2019, the Jematski Board delegated our long-time member and teacher, Džemal Delić, to be the coordinator for the cemetery. He will take care of the jematski cemetery, record data in the Book of the Dead, and ensure adequate placement of tombstones and burial sites at our cemetery.
According to the Jematski Cemetery Rules, all tombstones must be uniform, and burials are done in order (i.e., there is no lease of a burial site) as stipulated in the contract with the Bohemian National Cemetery.
Tombstones can be ordered directly at the office of the Bohemian National Cemetery located within the cemetery, immediately at the entrance on the right-hand side.
The address of the cemetery is: 5255 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60630
Contact person for more information: Adis Sultanović: 312 826-5812
or Asmir Hasanović: 773 653-1718
Visuals and inscription on the gravestones are as shown in the pictures below. Links for the text are located under the pictures.
You can download the text for the tombstones from the links below:
“If you want to know what a nation is like, look at their cemeteries!” (saying)