Funerals and funeral prayers in Islam (Janāzah) follow fairly specific rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom. In all cases, however, sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for burial of the body as soon as possible, preceded by a simple ritual involving bathing and shrouding the body, followed by Salat al-jinazah (funeral prayer). Burial is usually within 24 hours of death to protect the living from any sanitary issues, except in the case of a person killed in battle or when foul play is suspected; in those cases it is important to determine the cause of death before burial. In Islam, mourning for the deceased is observed for three days by the relatives.
Cremation of the body is strictly forbidden in Islam.
Burial rituals should normally take place as soon as possible and include:
Collective bathing of the dead body, except in extraordinary circumstances, as in the battle of Uhud.
Enshrouding the dead body in a white cotton or linen cloth.
Funeral prayer (صلاة الجنازة).
Burial of the dead body in a grave.
Positioning the deceased so that the head is faced towards Mecca (Makkah Al-Mukarramah).
According to a Hadith, "Recite Surah Yaseen over a dying person".
The corpse is washed (ghusl, bathed), with the purpose to physically cleanse the deceased. The exact manner, method, style and accessories used for bathing the corpse may vary by locale and temporal position, except that it is to be done with heated water. Bathing the dead body is an essential ritual of the Sunnah of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and therefore a part of the Islamic sharia. This should occur as soon as possible after death, preferably within hours.
Orthodox practice is to wash the body an odd number of times (at least once) with a cloth covering its awrah (parts of the body that should be hidden according to sharia).
The "washers" are commonly adult members of the immediate family, who are of the same gender as the deceased.