Islamic burial in Germany
Washing, kafan, funeral prayer, an earth grave facing Mecca. And German law, which decides when the burial may take place.
What the law in Hesse requires
- 48 hrsafter death is the earliest a burial may take place
- 10 daysis the latest by which the burial must take place
- 36 hrsis the latest by which the deceased must be in a mortuary
Why it takes time
In Hesse, earth burials are permitted no earlier than forty-eight hours after death and must take place no later than ten days afterwards. The forty-eight hours can only be shortened in exceptional cases. In addition, the deceased must be in a mortuary no later than thirty-six hours after death.
This conflicts with the Islamic command to bury quickly. The conflict cannot be resolved, but the time can be shortened. We obtain the death certificate and the cemetery registration in parallel, not one after the other.
When the burial will take place cannot be said in general terms. It depends on when the deceased is released and when the family is ready. We keep the paperwork ready so that nothing is held up on our side.
With or without a coffin
Without a coffin, where possible
According to the Sunnah, the deceased is buried in shrouds, without a coffin. In Hesse this is possible as an exception for religious reasons. The municipality decides after consulting the public health office.
With a coffin, where not
Where it is not possible, a simple coffin is used and the deceased is laid in it wrapped in the kafan.
Whether it is possible at the cemetery you have in mind, we clarify with the municipality before the date. Call us and name the place, and we will tell you what applies there.
The grave
Many cities in the region have Muslim burial sections; which one is right for you depends on where you live, and we will work that out with you. The grave is dug so that the deceased lies on the right side, facing Mecca. The period of rest is set by the cemetery regulations of the city concerned.
What we take care of
For a funeral and burial within Germany, we take care of:
- Personal advice and support for the family
- Collection of the deceased
- Ritual washing
- Help with, and handling of, all required formalities
- Organisation and coordination of all necessary procedures
- Arranging the funeral and burial
- Support all the way to the burial
- A simple grave marker
What applies in your federal state
Burial law is state law. How long you have to wait and whether burial without a coffin is allowed is set out in sixteen different laws – and the differences are considerable.
- Hesse our home base, Neu-Isenburg (in German)
- Rhineland-Palatinate new law since 27 Sept 2025 (in German)
More federal states will be added step by step. Until then: call us and tell us where the burial is to take place – we know the situation locally.