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What a Muslim funeral costs
A Muslim funeral is simple by design, and it can cost much less than a typical American funeral. Often the largest cost is the grave.
Where the money goes
Usually: the funeral home’s basic services and transport, the washing room, the shroud, the grave plot, and the fee to open and close the grave. There is no embalming, no viewing and no expensive casket.
What it can cost
Costs vary widely by city and cemetery. Families in New York have reported costs from about $6,000 to more than $50,000 because of cemetery shortages. Ask for prices in writing before you agree.
Your rights at the funeral home
The funeral home must give you an itemized General Price List to keep. Apart from a basic services fee, you pay only for what you choose, and you can buy a casket elsewhere without paying the funeral home a fee.
Masjid burial funds
Some masajid run funds that families join for a yearly fee, which then cover a member’s funeral. For example, as listed on its site in October 2026, Dar Al-Hijrah in Virginia charges $540 a year per person for coverage of up to $10,000. Ask your masjid whether it has one.
Who pays
The funeral is paid from the estate first, before debts and before anything is inherited. If the estate cannot cover it, family and the community step in.