What Is the Ruling on Cremation?

This comes up often enough that it is worth setting out the evidence rather than only the conclusion.

The evidence

The Prophet ﷺ said that breaking the bone of a dead person is like breaking it while alive (Sunan Abi Dawud 3207), establishing that the body retains its sanctity.

Burial in the earth is the unbroken practice from the first generation onward, with no recorded exception.

Where local law requires cremation, scholars advise seeking exemption through the courts and religious-freedom provisions, which most jurisdictions provide.

In practice

• Make your burial wishes explicit in a written will; families are often asked at the worst moment.
• Register with a local Muslim burial service in advance where one exists.
• The funeral prayer is a communal obligation; ensure someone knows to arrange it.

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