Life Is Temporary A death has occurred

Home · A death has occurred · Missouri

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ

Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn. Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. Qurʾān, al-Baqarah 2:156

When a Muslim dies in Missouri

You do not have to do this alone, or all at once. Your masjid has done this many times. Follow the steps in order, and open each one when you reach it.

Ink drawing of a folded white cloth on a wooden bench beside a sprig of red sidr leaves.

As soon as you can, call your masjid’s funeral committee.They will arrange the washing, the shroud, the prayer and the burial, and tell you which funeral home to use.

Find a number
Who to call in Missouri All listings in Missouri
What Missouri law says
Death certificate filing
The funeral director or person in charge of final disposition files the death certificate in the state's electronic death registration system within five days after death, and the doctor completes the medical certification within 72 hours. Ask the funeral home to confirm it has been filed. RSMo 193.145
Ordering death certificates
Certified death certificates come from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City; walk-in applicants need photo ID, and mail requests must be notarized. The funeral home can usually order copies for you. Where to Write for Vital Records: Missouri
Embalming and refrigeration
A Missouri funeral establishment may not hold an unembalmed body longer than 24 hours unless it is refrigerated at 40 degrees F or cooler or sealed in an airtight metal casket or box. Ask the funeral home which of these it will use if you do not want embalming. 20 CSR 2120-2.070(16)
Objecting to an autopsy
Missouri's coroner law has no religious-objection provision, so there is no specific statute for families to rely on. If you object for religious reasons, tell the county coroner or medical examiner as early as you can. RSMo 58.451
Small estates
If the whole estate, after liens and debts, is $40,000 or less, distributees can claim it by affidavit once 30 days have passed since the death and no application for letters is pending. Ask the probate division of the circuit court in the county where the person lived for the form. RSMo 473.097

From official Missouri sources, checked October 2026. Laws change; your funeral home and an estate attorney can confirm them.

0 of 37 done

  1. Have the death pronounced

    In the first hour · 0 of 3

    A death has to be confirmed before anything else can happen.

  2. Close the eyes, cover the body, make duʿā

    In the first hour · at the same time as the step above · 0 of 4

    Gently and without hurry. Those present can do this while the calls are made.

  3. Call the masjid’s funeral committee

    In the first few hours · 0 of 3

    They arrange the washing, the shroud, the prayer and the burial, and usually know which funeral home to use.

  4. Ask whether a coroner is involvedPaperwork

    If the death was sudden · 0 of 3

    After an unexpected death a coroner or medical examiner may need to examine the body, which can delay burial.

  5. Choose a funeral home that allows ghuslPaperwork

    Within the first day · 0 of 3

    Many funeral homes work with Muslim committees. Your committee will usually name one.

  6. Wash and shroud the body

    Within the first day · at the same time as the step above · 0 of 2

    Done by trained Muslims of the same sex, or by the spouse. The committee usually provides the cloth.

    How the washing and shroud are done

  7. The janazah prayer and the burial

    As soon as possible · 0 of 3

    The prayer is often held after one of the daily prayers, and the burial follows straight after.

    How to pray the janazah prayer

  8. Get copies of the death certificatePaperwork

    In the first week · 0 of 2

    Banks, insurers, the DMV and government offices will each want a certified copy.

  9. Pay the funeral costs and list every debt

    In the first weeks · 0 of 3

    The funeral is paid from the estate first, then the debts. Nothing is inherited until both are settled.

  10. Find the will, and tell Social SecurityPaperwork

    In the first weeks · at the same time as the step above · 0 of 4

    The executor named in the will leads what follows.

  11. Settle and divide the estatePaperwork

    In the months after · 0 of 4

    Small estates may qualify for a simpler process in Missouri. One call to a local estate attorney will tell you.

    See how the estate divides

  12. Look after the family

    Four months and ten days · 0 of 3

    Mourning is kept to three days, except by a widow, who mourns four months and ten days, the length of her ʿiddah, or until she gives birth if she is pregnant.

    What to say and do when you visit

General guidance, not a fatwa or legal advice. Rules on autopsies, embalming, burial permits and probate differ by state; your funeral home and a local estate attorney can confirm them. All sources