Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake is the oldest and largest Muslim organiza-tion in the State of Utah, established in 1984. One of the mosques it manages is Khadeeja Islamic Center, built in 1997- 1999. Adjacent to this Center is Khadeeja Cemetery, established in 2015. It is the only private Cemetery for Muslims in Utah.

CEMETERY INFORMATION

ADDRESS

Street: 2516W Winton Street City: West Valley City

State: Utah 84119

MAP

Narrated by Usama Bin Zaid RA

The Prophet(SA) had advised his daughter consoling when her child was dying that

“Whatever Allah takes is for Him, and whatever He Gives is for Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world) and so she should be patient and hope for Allah’s reward.”

(Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 373)

Narrated by Anas Bin Malik RA

The Prophet(SA) passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, “Go away, for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine.” And she did not recognize him.

Then she was informed that he was the Prophet(SA). So she went to the house of the Prophet(SA) and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, “I did not recognize you.” He said, “Verily, true patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.”‍‍

Everything is mortal; there is only one being who is immortal— our Lord Allah. Everyone will die in this world; this is a known reality. However, most of us are not prepared for this reality nor understand the complexities surrounding the funeral process. We generally are unaware of what we need to do if someone dies in our family. The Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake has been providing funeral services for several years and during this time we have experienced many community members who were not aware of the funeral process at all, since they had never planned for such a happening.

Therefore, the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake has decided to present this Funeral Support Guide to the Muslim community which will guide and educate people to plan and be prepared for the realities surrounding death. This package includes instructions for preparation from the time someone is near to meet his Lord, to the steps which are required after burial. It covers the process of ritual bathing, shrouding, funeral prayers, different supplications for the deceased, and several important topics related to the funeral and burial process.

The most important information which has been gathered in this book, apart from preparing for death, is the Post Burial. This talks about what legal information is needed, how to deal with assets, estates, liabilities and benefits, etc. To help readers gather that information, please use the section at the end of this guide. Ideally, this final section should be completed for each adult in a family and kept ready and up to date at all times. This Planner is a simple yet effective method of making the necessary facts available to your family, lawyer, executor of the will, and/or funeral director.

Our hope is that you will find this guide helpful in dealing with the process and affairs of the deceased. While we hope this guide answers all of your religious questions and concerns, the reality is that all situations are unique. Please use this guide as an outline for your course of action and feel free to reach out to the Islamic Society at 801-972-6555 with any other questions that pertain to your specific situation. We encourage you to visit the Khadeeja Cemetery Website: www.khadeejacemetery.com to learn about available resources, internment rights and funeral expenses.

In conclusion, we would like to acknowledge all the individuals of the Islamic Society Greater Salt Lake who worked hard on this project to make this funeral support guide available for our Muslim community. We thank Imam Yusuf Badat (Islamic Foundation of Toronto) who reviewed the book to authenticate the information. May Allah accept this effort!

Ameen.

The Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake wishes you a beautiful and happy life with your loved ones. May Allah protect all of us from any harm in this world and shower His Mercy upon all of us here in this life and in the life hereafter. Ameen.

The Khadeeja Islamic Center

Cemetery / Funeral Planning Committee.