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Fatwa CenterCremation in Islam
Question
Is cremation of a dead body, permitted in Islam?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Cremation is strictly Haram in Islam. Also, it is Haram to break a dead person's bones, to sit on his/her tomb or to walk on it. Any of the above-named action constitutes a great crime and a major sin in Islam.
In this vein, Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Breaking a dead's bones is like breaking it as if he is alive" .
This means that there is no difference between harming a human being, dead or living. In other words, just harming a Muslim constitutes a great sin.
Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear on themselves the crime of slander and plain sin.} [33: 58].
As for killing a Muslim, Allah, The Exalted, Says:{And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allâh are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.} [4: 93].
Here, we state that although cremation is not like killing, but it is something near to it.
As a result, Islam prohibits cremation and even just hurting the dead.
Allah knows best.
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