Death is a very traumatic time, bringing distress, uncertainty, pain and suffering we aim to try and make the process of bereavement a little bit lighter by preparing you for the short but traumatic experience we will all face in our lives at one time or another, losing someone so dear is an unthinkable experience on its own let alone having to arrange the funeral and necessary paperwork at a very short notice and under very difficult circumstances
The aim and objective for this leaflet is to a) Prepare you for the steps that need to be taken when someone passes away b) To avoid unnecessary pain, distress and uncertainty at the most difficult time of our lives
The first hour is the most critical, so as soon as someone passes away you should call 999 the emergency services, if the death occurs during the day then contact your own doctor (GP)to certify the death and follow the brief steps below
1 Certify the Death, Immediately call the doctor to certify the Death
2 Cause of Death Certificate, This is a certificate which the doctor will issue to confirm the Death and give The Cause of Death, the doctor issuing this certificate must have seen the deceased alive within the previous 14 days, if this has not happened then a Post-Mortem examination becomes inevitable, in the unlikely event the doctor can not issue the cause of death certificate he/she will automatically contact the police who will then accompany the body to the local hospital mortuary and make arrangements with the Home Office Pathologist to carry out the Post-Mortem Examination, this a routine and legal requirement and does not in any way suggest that there is foul play
3 Registering The Death, once the cause of death certificate has been issued all deaths need to be registered with the Registrar so a Death Certificate can be issued, usually an appointment is necessary, but the local registrar’s office is very sensitive and sympathetic to the needs and requirements of the local Muslim Community and will try to accommodate you as soon as practically possible, but please bear in mind that there maybe be some delays because of their busy schedule and previously booked appointments, so please telephone them beforehand
4 Release of the Deceased’s body, This happens once the death certificate has been issued by the registrar and now the body can be moved for Ghusl (washing), Jahnazah (funeral) Prayers and Burial, but if the deceased is going to be repatriated out of the UK then the Coroner has to be informed, who will then issue an acknowledgement certificate so that the body can be moved out of the country, before the coroner issues this certificate he has to be satisfied that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and will require the undertakers details, a schedule of movement, flight details and the final destination as well as a copy of the death certificate. If the deceased is to be buried locally then the registrar will issue a green form for the cemetery attendants who will fill and return this form confirming the burial has taken place
Death is something which happens to everyone, but people are very rarely prepared for this and arranging a funeral is a daunting task, it is therefore important that one person takes charge of the whole process and delegates certain duties to others, this way the process can be speeded up and run smoothly
Please remember that registering the death is not the only task, you have to consider, the financial implications, arranging the Shroud (Kufun) Jahnazah, you will have to inform friends and relatives, make arrangements for burial, arrange transport, provide food and accommodation for visitors from out of town and if you are taking the deceased abroad then you have to arrange plane tickets, so it is of paramount importance that you keep the following useful numbers and details at hand at all times
Useful Information
Embalming : All bodies leaving the UK have to be Embalmed/Treated to preserve them, this is a legal requirement and a certificate is required by the shipping airline before they accept the body, embalming is carried out by a specialist and qualified person and can take upto 2 hours, this can only be done before the Ghusl and Jahnazah prayers, so please make an allowance of time for this
Coroner’s Office : In all cases where the deceased is to be flown out of the country the Coroner’s Office has to be informed and usually done by the Registrar, it is not always possible for the coroner to issue the required certificate immediately because of other commitments, so please allow adequate time for this process
Cemetery Management: The Peterborough Grave Yards and Cemeteries are managed by the Manager based at the crematorium, so all arrangements for local burials must be made through them, who will allocate a plot, dig the grave and maintain it, usually the graves are leased at 50 or 75 years, there is a Muslim section at the Eastfield Cemetery, please ensure that you tell the staff that you want the deceased to be buried there
Useful Contacts
www.islampeterborough.org.uk
Telephone 07574918693
email: abdullah@islampeterborough.org.uk
Please visit the website for the latest
Information
Faizan-E-Madina Mosque
175 Gladstone Street
Peterborough PE1 2BN
Telephone 01733 567285
Muslim Funeral Services
Faizan E Madina Mosque
Telephone 07860125092
Jamia Ghousia Mosque
406 Gladstone Street
Peterborough PE1 2BZ
Telephone 01733 566658
Jamia Khadeeja Mosque
311 Cromwell Road
Peterborough PE1 2HP
Telephone 01733 554425
Darr Assalam
80 Alma Road
Peterborough
Telephone 01733 313102
The Husseini Mosque
4 Burton Street
Peterborough
Telephone 01733 566024 answer phone
Telephone 01733 568592
The Peterborough Register Office
Thorpe Road,
Peterborough
Telephone 01733 864646
The Coroners Office
Cambridgeshire Constabulary,
Thorpe Wood,
Peterborough
Telephone 01733 351010
Bereavement Officer
Peterborough City Hospital
Westwood,
Peterborough
Telephone 01733 678000
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Thorpe Wood Police Station,
Thorpe Wood,
Peterborough
Telephone 101
Peterborough Cemeteries Manager
Marholm Road,
Peterborough
Telephone 01733 262639