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 Delaware

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 Delaware law says
Death certificate filing
The funeral director who takes custody of the body files the death certificate electronically within three days after death and before final disposition, and the doctor or other certifier must return the cause of death to the funeral director within 48 hours. Ask the funeral home to confirm when it has been filed. 16 Del. C. § 3123
Ordering death certificates
Certified death certificates from 1974 on come from the Delaware Division of Public Health, Office of Vital Statistics, in Dover, and a photo ID is required (include a copy with a mail request). Ask the funeral home how many copies you will need. Where to Write for Vital Records: Delaware
Embalming and refrigeration
Delaware's Division of Public Health rule says a body must be buried, cremated or placed in a receiving vault within five days, and a body kept longer than 24 hours must be embalmed, kept in approved refrigeration, or placed in a sealed casket. Embalming is not the only option, so ask the funeral home in writing for refrigeration if you do not want it. 16 Del. Admin. Code 4204, section 3.0
Objecting to an autopsy
Delaware's medical examiner can take custody of a body and decide how it is examined in a reportable death, and we found no Delaware statute that lets a family refuse an autopsy on religious grounds. Tell the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner about your objection as early as you can. 29 Del. C. ch. 47
Small estates
Thirty days after a death, an eligible family member, named executor or licensed funeral director can distribute the estate by affidavit, without a personal representative, if the personal estate (not counting jointly owned property and certain exempt items) is $50,000 or less, known debts are paid or provided for, and the person owned no real estate in Delaware. Ask the Register of Wills in the county where the person lived about filing. 12 Del. C. § 2306

From official Delaware 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 Delaware. 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