Life Is Temporary A death has occurred

Home · A death has occurred · New Mexico

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 New Mexico

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 New Mexico law says
Death certificate filing
The funeral service practitioner (or person acting as one) who first takes custody of the body files the death certificate within five days after death and before final disposition. Ask the funeral home to confirm it has been filed. NMSA 24-14-20
Ordering death certificates
Certified death certificates come from New Mexico Vital Records and Health Statistics, Department of Health, in Santa Fe. The funeral home can usually order copies for you, so ask how many you will need. Where to Write for Vital Records: New Mexico
Embalming and refrigeration
New Mexico's health department rules require remains to be embalmed unless they are kept under refrigeration at or below 40 degrees F, or unless a medical investigator or the health secretary orders embalming. No one may embalm without authorization from the next of kin or the person responsible for disposition when embalming is not required. Tell the funeral home in writing whether you consent. 7.3.2.17 NMAC
Objecting to an autopsy
We found no New Mexico statute that lets a family refuse a medical investigator's autopsy on religious grounds. If you object for religious reasons, tell the Office of the Medical Investigator as early as you can. No specific statute found
Small estates
If the whole estate, after liens, is $50,000 or less, a successor can collect personal property with an affidavit once 30 days have passed since the death. Ask the clerk of the district court in the county where the person lived for the form. NMSA 45-3-1201

From official New Mexico 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 New Mexico. 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