Funeral Sequence of Events,
What to do when a loved one passes away,
(A-Z guide to Manchester Central Mosque’s Funeral Services)

“Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we will return”

Steps to take following expected Death of a loved one in Hospital

STEP 1: Contact

• Contact the Funeral Director on: 07578 359 741
• Make him aware of the demise of your loved one.

Decide which cemetery you would like your loved one to be buried at/discuss repatriation to another country if you wish.

Please Note: You should not announce the time of the funeral until you have confirmed it with the funeral director.

STEP 2: Cause of Death Certificate / Release Note

• Obtain a Cause of Death Certificate and release note from the hospital.
• The Cause of Death Certificate needs to be signed by a doctor and can be obtained from the hospital bereavement office.
• The Cause of Death Certificate will need to be taken to the registrar office to register the death
• To make an appointment, please ring:
  • Manchester Registration Service: 0161 234 5511
  • Stockport Registration Service: 0845 644 4311
  • Trafford Registration Service: 0161 912 3026
  • Macclesfield Registration Service: 01625 423 463
• The Registrar office will then issue a Death Certificate & Burial document

Please Note: There can sometimes be a delay in getting this certificate, especially if the death occurred during
the night or at the weekend.

STEP 3: Release Body from Hospital

• The Burial document & the release note (issued by the bereavement Service detailed in step 2) will allow the funeral director to collect the body from the hospital mortuary (this needs to be obtained by the family).

STEP 4: Funeral Director Arrangements
The following arrangements will be made by the funeral director.

If you have any special requirements please do not hesitate to contact the funeral director on the above number:

• The body will be collected from the hospital mortuary and brought to the Manchester Central Mosque (using the
  release note & Burial document obtained earlier as outlined in Step 2 & 3).
• The grave will be ordered at your chosen cemetery preparations for ghusl (religious bathing) will be made.

STEP 5: Ghusl
The body will be bathed according to Islamic law. You and your family members can take part in this bathing if you wish to do so.

• The body will then be draped in plain white sheets (kafan)
• The body is now ready for funeral prayer and burial or repatriation to another country.

Please note: If you wish to take the body home for a short period of time after Ghusal, please inform the funeral
director of your wishes

STEP 6: Janazah Prayer
Once the body has been washed and shrouded, it will be taken to the front of the Mosque, the Imam will then recite
the Janazah prayer and make supplication for the deceased.

STEP 7: Burial
The funeral prayer is prayed and the body is then taken to the cemetery for burial or the airport for repatriation to
another country.

How to perform the Janaza Prayer.

Sequence of Events Following Expected Death At Home

An expected death means that the deceased was either:

• Suffering from a terminal illness or a long term illness
• For a GP to manage a death as an “expected death” and issue a Cause of Death certificate, they need to have seen the deceased in the last two weeks of their life.
• If in the event a GP is not available, please contact the emergency Dr who can issue a confirmation of death certificate – this will allow the funeral director to collect the body from the house to the Mosque Mortuary.
• The GP will still need to issue the cause of death certificate for the registration of death outlined in Step 2 & 3
• If the GP has not seen the deceased in the last 2 weeks they may need to discuss the case with the coroner: see “sequence of events following unexpected death” below:

Sequence of Events Following An Unexpected Death At Home Or Hospital

Unexpected death means that the deceased was fit and healthy and did not have any major medical problems and has suddenly died or has died following an accident of any kind.

• EVERY UNEXPECTED DEATH IS REFERRED TO THE CORONER
• The hospital doctor or your GP will discuss the case with the coroner.
• The coroner will investigate the death and there are three outcomes of this investigation:
  1. Coroner thinks death is natural – (Coroner can ask the GP / Dr for the cause of death certificate as outlined in step 2 & 3)
  2. Coroner thinks death is unnatural see number – (Coroner requests a post mortem or MRI scan to establish whether death is natural or unnatural)

What is an Inquest?

An inquest is an investigation held in public to establish who the person was, where, when and how they died. It is a legal procedure and aims to:

• To find out the medical cause of death.
• To draw attention to the existence of circumstances which might lead to further deaths if not addressed.
• To advance medical knowledge.
• To preserve the legal interests of the deceased person’s family or the interested parties.

An inquest is sometimes held without a post mortem in the case of the elderly, where a single cause of death cannot be stated with certainty, but it is certain that their death was natural.

Difference between a Post Mortem & MRI Scan

Post mortem examination is carried out to determine the cause of death.

• A pathologist needs to cut open the body and take samples of tissue from various organs to try and investigate the cause of death.
• If the family of the deceased wish to avoid this they may choose an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan instead.

Choosing an MRI scan means that the body will not be cut open but please note:

• IF THE MRI SCAN CANNOT ESTABLISH A CAUSE OF DEATH A POST MORTEM MAY STILL BE REQUIRED.
• The family of the deceased will also need to pay for the MRI scan. These prices are subject to change so please discuss this with the funeral director.