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Funeral Services

When one’s loved one passes away, those who are near to the deceased are encouraged to remain calm, to pray for the departed, and to begin preparations for burial. Please contact the Islamic Society of Milwaukee as soon as possible so that all necessary arrangements can be made.

A firm belief in life after death is an essential article of faith in Islam. Death, according to Islamic teachings, is not the end of one’s life, but a transition from a temporary life to an eternal one.

General Procedure

After death, the deceased needs to be transported from the location where the death takes place to a local funeral home where the washing and other preparations take place. Any funeral home can be chosen; however, most members of the Muslim community will use the Milwaukee Muslim Funeral Home, 6644 W. Fairview, West Allis, WI 53214.  The contact is Br. Yaseen Domineck.  The funeral home provides all services that will fulfill Islamic requirements (ghusl, kafan, etc.)  

It is important to note that, if the death is unexpected or unusual, the Medical Examiner will require an autopsy of the deceased and the deceased will be transported to their office (this is a legal requirement).  In keeping with Muslim practices, families of the deceased will request the Medical Examiner to only perform those autopsy procedures that are required by law.  After the Medical Examiner’s office release the deceased, the deceased will be transported to the funeral home.
 
The family of the deceased will  need to decide which cemetery they want to have their loved one buried in. Alhamdulillah, the ISM owns parcels of land in two cemeteries where Islamic burial practices are followed: (1)  The ISM-Islamic section of Arlington Park Cemetery, 4747 S. 27th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53221 and (2) The ISM-Islamic section of Wisconsin Memorial Park Cemetery, 13235 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI  53005.

Although prayers can be performed at the funeral home or graveside, most families choose to hold the prayer services in one of our Masajid (Mosques).  The funeral home will transport the deceased to one of our facilities, usually after Thuhr (early afternoon) prayer.  Once the prayers are completed, the deceased is immediately transported by the funeral home to the cemetery for burial.  An Imam from ISM can accompany the family of the deceased to the cemetery.

The ISM does not charge any fee for Janazah, Imam or other services.  The only funds that the ISM receives are the cost of the grave plot that was pre-paid by the ISM. 

Cemeteries

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Arlington Cemetery Monument

4747 S. 27th st.

Milwaukee, WI 53221

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Wisconsin Memorial Park Monument

13235 W. Capitol Dr.

Brookfield, WI 53005

Each cemetery charges a fee to open a gravesite, supply a vault, grave marker, etc.  The ISM negotiated the best price possible from each cemetery based on the number of graves that the ISM pre-purchased.

Please keep in mind that the cemetery will charge additional fees for weekend (Saturday) burials. The cost of “Opening and Closing” a grave and the optional grave marker would be paid directly to the cemetery.  

The cost for the parcel of land  is paid to the ISM which has pre-purchased all plots in the designated Muslim area.  (The ISM is being reimbursed for its cost price).  At Arlington Cemetery, which is the oldest Muslim cemetery in the Milwaukee area, the cost of each parcel is $1,200.  If they wish, families are allowed to “reserve” specific spots by prepaying for the plots they would like to reserve.  (If any reserved spot is ultimately not used (person passes away at another location, etc.), the ISM will reimburse the family the full purchase price that they had paid to the ISM.  

To ensure full compliance with all rules of Islamic burial, please note that only the ISM can authorize burials in the areas owned by the ISM.  Also, the ISM must approve all markers (headstones) and must approve any information that appears on the markers (to ensure compliance with Islamic rules).

What do I need to do if someone passes away and I want a Muslim burial?

In the event that someone passes away, you should immediately contact one of the following:

  • ISM Office @ (414) 282-1812

  • Any of the ISM Imams

  • The ISM Executive Director or any ISM Shura member

  • The Muslim Funeral Home

Once you contact one of the above, we will work with you to finalize all arrangements.  The ISM communicates directly with the funeral home, the cemetery and our Imams, so we can provide some comfort for you during your time of sorry.  We do our best to arrange the janazah and burial right away, unless the family requests additional time.  
We will guide you through the entire process and will do the best to answer all of your questions and concerns.  If someone passes away, we will need to have the name and phone number of their relative who will be responsible for all the arrangements, the full name, date of birth and last address of the deceased, the name of the funeral home you prefer (the ISM will use the Muslim Funeral Home unless the family requests another), the cemetery you choose to have the burial in (see above cemetery info). 

More Information About Muslim Burial Practices

To learn more about Muslim burial practices, please click the links below!​

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