How is a Muslim buried?

The burial itself

The grave is prepared in two stages. First a long trench is dug in the ground, sized to the body. Then, at the bottom of the grave on the side nearest the qiblah, a niche is hollowed out — this is the lahd — and the body is placed inside it.

The body is laid on its right side, with the face turned toward the qiblah. The niche is then closed over with unbaked bricks (labin), and the gaps between the bricks are sealed with clay so that loose earth cannot trickle down onto the body. Only after that is earth poured over the grave.

The Permanent Committee notes that this is precisely how it was done in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ.

Raising the grave, and what is forbidden

After the earth is heaped, the grave is raised along the length of the trench by about a handspan. The purpose is practical and stated plainly: so that the grave is recognised, and therefore not dishonoured by being walked over or sat upon.

Building over the grave is a separate matter and is not permitted. The Committee cites the instruction of Ali رضي الله عنه to Abu al-Hayyaj al-Asadi:

"Shall I not send you on the same mission the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me: that you leave no image without erasing it, and no raised grave without levelling it to the ground?"— Sahih Muslim, from Ali ibn Abi Talib

And from Jabir رضي الله عنه:

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade plastering a grave, sitting on it, and building over it."— Sahih Muslim 970, from Jabir ibn Abdullah

So the raised grave is levelled, and plastering, sitting and building upon it are all prohibited.

The funeral prayer before burial

Burial follows the funeral prayer, and the prayer has a fixed form. The Permanent Committee and Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan both describe it as follows:

1. Face the qiblah, with the body placed in front of the praying person, between them and the qiblah.
2. The opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram).
3. Recite al-Fatihah after it.
4. A second takbir, then send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ — the wording given is Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad…
5. A third takbir, then supplicate for the deceased: Allahumma ighfir lahu wa irhamhu wa 'afihi wa 'fu 'anhu… and whatever supplications of forgiveness and mercy are established.
6. A fourth takbir, then one taslim to the right.

The body is positioned with the imam standing at the head of a man and at the middle of a woman (IslamWeb, fatwa 62445).

Following the funeral

The prayer is a communal obligation: if enough Muslims perform it, the obligation lifts from the rest (Ibn Abd al-Barr, al-Istidhkar). Following the funeral to the grave carries great reward — the well-known hadith of the two qirat, each like a great mountain, for one who follows until the prayer and until burial (Sahih Muslim 945, from Abu Hurayrah).

The sunnah during the procession is silence and reflection on death. Shaykh Ibn Baz states he knows of nothing legislated to be recited — no tahlil, no takbir, no calling out "declare Allah's oneness." The practice of the Salaf was silence and contemplation of one's own end. The Permanent Committee likewise calls it an innovation to recite poetry, a surah, or such phrases before the bier.

Two further prohibitions are noted: following the funeral with loud wailing and with fire or incense. Ibn Qudamah records that this was disliked by everyone whose position is preserved, and cites the hadith:

"The funeral is not to be followed with a voice or with fire."— Sunan Abi Dawud 3171 (graded weak)

If burial happens at night and light is needed, Ibn Qudamah notes there is no harm in it — what is disliked is the incense burner and the wailing.

Who should bury the deceased

Al-Buhuti, in Kashshaf al-Qina', sets out the order of priority for handling the burial:

• The one who washed the body is most entitled to bury it, since the Prophet ﷺ was washed and buried by the same men.
• For a man: male relatives, then male non-relatives, then his mahram women, then unrelated women.
• For a woman: her male mahram relatives, then her husband, then unrelated men, then her mahram women.

The reasoning given is that the one who washed the body is closest to concealing its condition and least exposed to looking upon it.

Key takeaways

• The grave is a trench with a side niche facing the qiblah, and the body lies on its right side with the face toward the qiblah.
• The niche is sealed with bricks and clay before earth is poured, so that soil does not reach the body.
• The grave is raised about a handspan so it is known and not dishonoured — but building, plastering or sitting on it is forbidden.
• The funeral prayer precedes burial, with four takbirs, al-Fatihah, blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, supplication for the deceased, and one taslim.
• The procession is silent — reflection on death, not recited dhikr, wailing, or fire.

Further reading

The Permanent Committee recommends Subul al-Salam, al-San'ani's commentary on Ibn Hajar's Bulugh al-Maram, and Ibn Hajar's Fath al-Bari.

And Allah knows best.