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 Alaska

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
What Alaska law says
Death certificate filing
The funeral director who first takes custody of the body files the death certificate within three days after death and before the body is buried or leaves the state. The doctor or other medical certifier is to complete the cause of death within 24 hours, so ask the funeral director to confirm when it has been filed. AS 18.50.230
Ordering death certificates
Certified death certificates come from the Alaska Department of Health, Health Analytics & Vital Records Section in Juneau, and the request must include a copy of your photo ID. Ask the funeral home how many copies you will need before you order. Where to Write for Vital Records: Alaska
Embalming and refrigeration
Alaska's mortuary law lets a person without a funeral director's license get a permit to care for and dispose of a body when the disposition does not require embalming, so embalming is not a condition of burial or cremation. A funeral director alone may not take charge of the remains of someone who died of a communicable disease. If you do not want embalming, say so in writing before the funeral home begins. AS 08.42.020
Objecting to an autopsy
Alaska law lets the state medical examiner order an autopsy when a death is reported to that office, and we found no provision that lets a family refuse one on religious grounds. If you object, tell the medical examiner's office as early as you can and ask what the office will accept. AS 12.65.020
Small estates
Thirty days after a death, a successor can collect property by affidavit, without opening probate, if the whole estate is no more than $50,000 in personal property plus registered vehicles worth up to $100,000, and no one has applied to be personal representative. Give the affidavit to the bank or other holder of the property, and ask the court clerk if you are unsure it fits. AS 13.16.680

From official Alaska 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 Alaska. 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