Taken from: Fatawa Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to cremate (burn) the body of a deceased person who had leprosy (جذام)?
❖ Answer:
❖ It is obligatory to bury every deceased Muslim, regardless of their illness.
Cremating the body is strictly prohibited and considered a desecration and violation of Islamic teachings.
✖ This practice mimics the customs of disbelievers, such as Zoroastrians (مجوس) and Hindus, who burn their dead.
✿ Burial Is an Ancient and Prophetic Practice:
The tradition of burying the dead is as old as humanity itself.
When one of the sons of Adam (عليه السلام) killed the other, Allah taught him the method of burial through a crow.
فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ
(Surah al-Ma’idah: 31)
Then Allah sent a crow digging in the ground to show him how to hide the disgrace of his brother.
✿ Even Non-Muslim Relatives Must Be Buried:
If a disbelieving relative passes away, it is still necessary to bury them, not cremate them.
✿ Fatwa of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta (Saudi Arabia):
“حرق جثث الموتى عمل غير جائز شرعا وهو من عمل الوثنيين…”
Translation:
Cremating the dead is religiously impermissible. It is a practice of the pagans.
The Sunnah is to bathe the deceased Muslim, shroud them, perform the funeral prayer, and bury them in a general Muslim cemetery.
The sanctity of a Muslim in death is like their sanctity in life.
As for non-Muslims, they should be buried in a pit far from residential areas to avoid harm to the people — but they should not be burned.
(Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah, Fatwa No. 17513)
✿ Rulings Regarding Contagious Diseases:
Even if someone dies from leprosy, plague (طاعون), or COVID-19, they must still be buried, not burned.
However, appropriate precautions should be taken, such as:
✔ Use of protective gear (PPE)
✔ Application of disinfectant sprays
These measures are to ensure safety without compromising the sanctity of Islamic burial.
✅ Conclusion:
Burning the body of a deceased — whether due to leprosy or any other illness — is not permissible in Islam.
It is a pagan practice, not found in the Sunnah, and stands in clear opposition to the dignity and rights of the deceased in Islam.
