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"WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A DEATH"
Death in the family or relatives can be very stressful and emotionally taxing for everyone involved. Despite this, the family must organize the funeral, which is very demanding and requires a lot of composure and seriousness. Therefore, we want to help you to make those difficult moments easier and to ensure that the funeral is properly conducted. Please follow these steps:
Immediately call:
Adis Sultanović - 312-826-5812 (imam)
The funeral time is scheduled exclusively with the imam and without his permission, it is not possible to determine the time of the funeral. However, before that, it is necessary to arrange the transfer of the body of the deceased person.
To arrange for the pickup of the deceased from a hospital or residence, you need to contact the Muslim Funeral Services (also known as MCC):
Brother Harun +1815-549-9400;
Brother Sulejman +1-708-629-9432;
MCC Fax: +1-773-465-8505;
E-mail: hfirdusi@gmail.com
Address: Muslim Funeral Services, Inc. (4380 North
Elston Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641)
They are responsible for the pickup of the deceased from the hospital, processing of the necessary paperwork, shrouding, and transportation of the body to the burial site.
If you want to bury the deceased in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in that case, you can handle everything through MCC. However, if you want the funeral prayer to be held in Chicago before sending the body, then the funeral prayer will be held at the MCC premises, and you will arrange the prayer time with our imam. In that case, the Džematski Odbor requests that a donation be made to the BECCA mosque, in accordance with the rules of burial, unless you are regular members of our mosque. Our members can also receive a membership certificate for burial in BiH. For more information, please contact the mosque secretary.
After you have determined precisely when the deceased will be taken and prepared, and after you have determined the funeral time, the secretary or a member of the Board will call Bohemian National Cemetery Chicago (+1773-539-8443) upon your request to arrange the exact time of the grave excavation and prepare the site for the funeral. This is the procedure to be followed if the deceased person wishes to be buried in the cemetery of our congregation, which is located within the Bohemian National Cemetery Chicago (5255 N. Pulaski Rd, Chicago IL, 60630). Also, it is necessary to fulfill your financial obligations to them before the funeral!
Meanwhile, you are obliged to provide the members of the Board of the Jamaat with information about the person who has passed away, so that an obituary can be prepared and so that we can inform our congregation about the funeral.
The information needed for the obituary is:
Name and surname of the deceased person (+ name of father or mother)
place and year of birth of the deceased person
time and place of funeral
who are the bereaved family members or extended relatives
Your obligation is to contact the secretary or treasurer of our Islamic congregation before the funeral prayer and fulfill your financial obligations regarding the lease of the burial site or the possible settlement of membership fees.
Please note that the funeral prayer (janazah) for our members is exclusively performed at the congregation's cemetery. In case the family insists on performing the funeral prayer at another cemetery, the imam of the congregation or the secretary will be contacted to obtain permission.
Recitation of Ya Sin or the Tawhid is solely carried out in consultation with the imam, and it is not an obligation that is implied during the funeral prayer. Moreover, it is not a religious obligation.
Every family is obligated to install a gravestone (consisting of a uniform stone plaque) within 30 days after the passing. Ordering the gravestone is done exclusively at the office of Bohemian National Cemetery, located within the cemetery grounds. Payment for the gravestone order is made to them, and they collect the information that will be written on the plaque. The installation date at the cemetery is also arranged with them. If you wish to contact them, please call the following number: Bohemian National Cemetery Chicago (+1-773-539-8443).
To perform the funeral prayer ('DŽENAZA NAMAZ') for a deceased person is a strict obligation ('farzi kifaye') for every Muslim and the community. If one group of people performs the funeral prayer, the responsibility is lifted from the rest.
The funeral prayer is to be respectfully attended and followed, based on the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: 'Do not go ahead of the funeral procession.'
Also, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Whoever follows a funeral prayer should not sit down until the deceased is placed on the ground, and if someone has already sat down, they will be commanded to stand up.'
The funeral prayer is performed for a deceased person who has been bathed and wrapped in a shroud. During the funeral prayer, the right side of the deceased person faces the Qibla (direction of prayer), while the imam stands on their left side, leading the funeral prayer.
To perform the funeral prayer, it is necessary to have ablution ('abdest') as for any other prayer.
The funeral prayer is performed while standing (without bowing or prostrating), and it consists of four takbirs (saying 'Allahu Akbar'), recitations during the standing position, and salutations. When entering the prayer, during the initial takbir (intention), the hands are raised parallel to the ears, and the takbir is pronounced ('Allahu Akbar'), then the hands are folded as in other prayers. The takbirs are obligatory ('farz') during the funeral prayer, so if someone omits even one takbir during the funeral prayer, their prayer is not valid. Therefore, to have a valid funeral prayer, it is sufficient to pronounce four takbirs ('Allahu Akbar') and conclude with salutations, even if nothing else is recited.
- The custom of Bosnian Muslims is to express condolences in Turkish language through a prayer for steadfastness during grief with the words: 'Başun sag olsun' (May your mind be healthy). In response to these words, the person to whom condolences are expressed replies with the words: 'Dostum sag olsun' (May my friend be healthy). Expressing condolences among Muslims is accompanied by shaking hands. Handshaking is not allowed between women and men.
- It would be best for the one expressing condolences to recite the Quranic verse: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un' (Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return), and for the person receiving condolences to respond with another Quranic phrase: 'Innalahe ma'a sabirin' (Verily, Allah is with the patient).
1. First, make the intention (niyet) for performing the funeral prayer, which is as follows: 'Nevejtu en usallije lillahi te'ala salatel-l-dženazeti, senaen lillahi te'ala, ve salavaten ‘alen-n-nebijji, ve du'aen li hazel-l-mejjiti (for a female: li hazihil-l-mejjiteti), edaen mustakbilel-kibleti, iktedejtu bi hazel imami - Allahu ekber!' The intention for the funeral prayer can also be made in one's own language, or it can be made silently in one's heart or mind.
2. After the initial takbir (i.e., saying 'Allahu ekber'), the hands are placed on the waist, and the following phrase is recited: 'Subhanekellahumme, ve bihamdike, ve tebarekesmuke, ve tea'la džedduke, ve dželle senauke, ve la ilahe gajruke!'
3. Then, the second takbir (i.e., 'Allahu ekber') is said, followed by reciting the 'Salawat' that is recited in the final sitting of other prayers, which is as follows: 'Allahumme salli ‘ala Muhammedin ve ala ali Muhammed. Kema sallejte ‘ala Ibrahime ve ‘ala ali Ibrahim, inneke hamidun-medžid. Alluhumme barik ‘ala Muhammedin ve ‘ala ali Muhammed, Kema barekte ‘ala Ibrahime ve ‘ala ali Ibrahim, inneke hamidun-medžid.'
4. Then, the third takbir (i.e., 'Allahu ekber') is said, followed by reciting the funeral supplication (dženazetska dova), which is as follows: 'Allahummagfir li hajjina ve mejjitina ve šahidina ve gaa-ibina ve sagirina ve kebirina ve zekerina ve unsana. Allahumme men ahjejtehu minna fe ahjihi’ ale-l-islami ve men teveffejtehu minna fe teveffehu ‘ale-l-imani. We hussa hazel mejjiti (for a female: hazihil mejjiteti) bir-rewhi, wer-rahati, wer-rahmeti, wel-magfireti, wer-ridwan. Allahumme in kane (kanet) muhsinen (muhsineten) fezid fi ihsanihi (ihsaniha), we in(kanet) musii-en (musii-eten) fetedžavez anhu (anha), we leqqihil emre wel bušra wel keramete wez-zulfa bi rahmetike ja Erhamer-Rahimin.' If one does not know this supplication, the following supplication can be recited: 'Rabbena atina fi-d-dunja haseneten ve fil-l-ahireti haseneten ve kina ‘azaben-n-nar.'
5. After the funeral supplication, the fourth takbir (Allahu ekber) is said, and while turning the head to the right side and lowering the right hand down the body, we say 'Es-selamu alejkum we rahmetullah,' and then turning the head to the left side, we say 'Es-selamu alejkum we rahmetullah' while lowering the left hand down the body! Thus, the funeral prayer is completed or performed.
Then, the deceased is taken to the grave, lowered into it, shrouded, and passages from the Quran are recited while all attendees, out of respect for the deceased, remain in a squatting position. Imam Shafi'i, may Allah be pleased with him, says that it is recommended to recite something from the Quran over the grave of the deceased, and it is best to recite the entire 'hatm' (recitation of the whole Quran).
First and foremost, all our members should know that the Jamaat Committee, at a meeting held on September 8, 2012, made the following decision:
'Imam of the BECCA Jamaat is obligated to lead the funeral prayer (dženaza namaz) for the members of the Jamaat and those who are being buried in our cemetery.
Therefore, the Imam of BECCA is not obligated but may choose to perform the funeral prayer for Jamaat members who are not part of our Jamaat or for those being buried in a cemetery that is not owned by BECCA.
If the Imam of BECCA is unable to lead the funeral prayer at the Jamaat cemetery, he may authorize his fellow Imam or allow the family to engage an Imam, but only with his consent.
The Imam should have the authorization (idžazu) to perform these activities from IZBiH and IZBSA and should not have any other hindrance to his leadership! The BECCA Jamaat, with its Imam, is available to all Jamaat members and Muslims to contact us in case of deaths and seek advice or services.