COVID-19 – The Question of Cremation in Exceptional Circumstances

hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala MBI will mursalin wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah low brothers and sisters, Praise be to Allah. Please some blessings on a prophet muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. I wanted to say a few words in regarding to lots of debate and comments going on around the issue of burial for a versus commission. This is a debate that's taking place. Certainly a decisions being made, it seems on Tuesday by the government, the papers already out and I'm sure you've heard about a clause in there regarding giving powers for the government and councils and in Leeds council already have taken a position on this in

enforce commission for all the corpses or dead bodies that die after Coronavirus irrespective of religion and, and choice. So, I don't want to talk too much about the fact of washing, whistle, slaughter janazah and burial etc. That's for a later time. For this moment in time. I wanted to say that on this issue of cremation, certainly a few years ago, when the Ebola virus was at its height in the some of the African countries and a you know, with a bola virus, the it was very lethal, the death rate was around 50% or more. So 50 out of at least every 100 people infected died that means and it was certainly infectious, more from touch and bodily fluids, blood etc. and more towards the

end of the infection that mean including the dead bodies. So at that time,

I was involved as well and we give a fatwa at that time, as did other Allah about the allowance under medical grounds of commission of the bodies, as certainly there was a no tenders from the families or vessel. Or Kevin even. And that at that time. If that was as it was

the best way to reduce chance of infection and infecting others family members. Under medical advice, that was the best thing that was acceptable to then traimit the Muslim bodies in that kind of situation. And that is in regards to Ebola virus a few years ago. The situation now with the COVID-19, is slightly different. The reason for suggesting cremation of old bodies is not to do with the lethal pneus of the the infection, etc. But although of course there is the idea of not spreading the infection through touch etc. That's all acceptable and pragmatic.

The issue to do with cremation however, is more to do with logistics, it seems I when the desperate increases the lack of storage space for the dead bodies, and the lack of availability of ground prepared for burials as a reason. And so it's a logistical issue. And on that basis, the government having the authority not to have lots of bodies sealed in coffins even sitting around, but to chromate to reduce the backlog and the pressure with pressure on treatment already and the stretch resources. However,

this can be overcome with especially cooperation from a funeral services and Muslim funeral services and others perhaps even massage it

and and in preparation of the next few weeks, getting the grounds and the places ready. Pre empting the increase in death rate and burial or by getting grounds ready in in the graveyards and increasing the storage capacity. So too, for the Muslims who are involved in lobbying and MPs etc. Raising this awareness Island fully supportive of that if we're able to do that to avoid commission would definitely be best for us because burial is the way it is

obligatory for us in normal circumstances and situations.

However,

I've written, in fact, when the decision is made by the government on Tuesday and we don't know what direction they're going to go in, but just surmise that if the government decide to take that out of our hands and to cremate all the dead bodies, then we must be clear in this kind of situation, there it is not a normal situation is an emergency state situation, the government has a right to make that decision as a final

in a in a final situation, and there will be no sin on Muslims, whether Allah or the Muslim community if that is what is decided and carried out. And what we need to be clear about is that the Muslim body that is committed will not be asked on the Day of Judgment, there will be no negative effect on the dead Muslim that is committed either being raised up in a negative sense, because this was out of their control and out of the Muslim almost control, as would be the case in the case of a body that was committed of a Muslim through

a bola virus death. So I just wanted to say that this stage the rest of the issues to do around

the second understanding of washing of Muslim disease, the cuffin the slaughter and burial we'll talk about after Tuesday inshallah, when we can clarify the situation further. Monica Luffy, calm Salaam, Allah