Life Is Temporary A death has occurred

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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 Ohio

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.

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What Ohio law says
Death certificate filing
The funeral director or other person in charge of the final disposition registers the death with the local registrar of vital statistics, and a complete death certificate is due within five working days after the death. Ask the funeral home to confirm when it has been filed before you order certified copies. Ohio Adm. Code 3701-5-08; Ohio Revised Code 3705.16
Ordering death certificates
Certified copies of Ohio death certificates from 1971 on come from the Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, and local health departments also issue copies. The funeral home can usually order copies for you. Where to Write for Vital Records: Ohio
Embalming and refrigeration
Ohio law lets a funeral home use refrigeration instead of embalming. A body may not be held more than 48 hours after death before final disposition unless it is embalmed or kept refrigerated below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not want embalming, say so when you make arrangements and ask the funeral home to put your decision in writing. Ohio Revised Code 4717.13
Objecting to an autopsy
Ohio law lets a relative or friend tell the coroner that an autopsy would go against the deceased person's religious beliefs. The coroner can still seek an autopsy in some cases, and a disagreement goes to the county court of common pleas. Tell the coroner's office about the objection right away, in writing if you can. Ohio Revised Code 313.131
Small estates
Ohio allows a release from administration when the probate estate is under $35,000, or under $100,000 when the surviving spouse inherits everything; an even simpler summary release exists for very small estates. Ask the probate court in the county where the person lived which form fits. Ohio Revised Code 2113.03 (as described by Franklin County Probate Court, Small Estates)

From official Ohio 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 Ohio. 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