THESE INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO , AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE HELPFUL INFORMATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW ’S GUIDANCE ON THESE MATTERS. THIS INFORMATION AND WORKSHOP IS ONLY PROVIDED AS A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. IT IS PROVIDED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT:

MEMPHIS ISLAMIC CENTER, THE PRESENTERS OF THIS WORKSHOP, THE VOLUNTEERS OF THIS WORKSHOP, AND ANY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATIONAL OR OTHER ENTITIES OR INDIVIDUALS AFFILIATED WITH MEMPHIS ISLAMIC CENTER, ANY OF THE PRESENTERS, ORGANIZERS OR VOLUNTEERS OF THIS WORKSHOP

ARE NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND ACCORDINGLY DO NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS USE. IF LEGAL ADVICE OR OTHER EXPERT ASSISTANCE ARE REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL SHOULD BE SOUGHT.

NO GUARANTEES ARE MADE.

USE OF ANY PORTION OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO BURIAL, FUNERAL AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS.

AS WITH ANY LEGAL OR PROFESSIONAL MATTER, COMMON SENSE SHOULD DETERMINE WHETHER YOU NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF AN ATTORNEY / PROFESSIONAL. WE URGE YOU TO CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY / PROFESSIONAL WHENEVER SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MONIES ARE INVOLVED, OR FOR ANY MATTER WHERE YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW TO PROPERLY COMPLETE THESE INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO BURIAL, FUNERAL AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS OR QUESTION ITS ADEQUACY TO PROTECT YOU. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT BY USING THESE INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO BURIAL, FUNERAL AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS YOU ARE ACTING AS YOUR OWN ATTORNEY / PROFESSIONAL. USE OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO BURIAL, FUNERAL AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE USED IN PLACE OF LEGAL ADVICE. ACCORDINGLY, MEMPHIS ISLAMIC CENTER, THE PRESENTERS OF THIS WORKSHOP, THE VOLUNTEERS OF THIS WORKSHOP, AND ANY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATIONAL OR OTHER ENTITIES OR INDIVIDUALS AFFILIATED WITH MEMPHIS ISLAMIC CENTER, ANY OF THE PRESENTERS, ORGANIZERS OR VOLUNTEERS OF THIS WORKSHOP, SHALL HAVE NEITHER LIABILITY NOR RESPONSIBILITY TO ANY PARTY FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED OR ALLEGED TO BE CAUSED BY USE OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO BURIAL, FUNERAL AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUTSTANDING RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS, FUNERAL AND BURIAL RIGHTS OF [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]

Preamble

I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, the One, the Merciful, the Almighty— Creator of the heavens and the earth and all therein—God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, , and all the Prophets, mercy and peace be upon them all. He is One God and He has no partner. And I bear witness that the Prophet Muhammad is His Servant and his Messenger and the last of all the Prophets, mercy and peace be upon him. I bear witness that Allah is the Truth, that His promise is Truth, and that the Meeting with Him is Truth. I bear witness that Paradise is Truth and that Hell is Truth. I bear witness that the coming of the Day of Judgement is Truth, there is no doubt about it, and that Allah, who is exalted about all deficiencies and imperfections, will surely resurrect the dead of all generations of mankind, first and last and those in between.

This is my counsel to my relatives and friends, my Muslim brothers and sisters, and all those who remain after me: that they strive to be true , that they submit to their Creator—may He Be exalted—and worship Him as He alone is to be worshiped, fear Him as He alone is to be feared, and love Him and His Prophet Muhammad with a complete love that is rivaled by nothing besides them. Let them obey Him and hold Fast to His Shari’ah. Let them spread and firmly establish His religion of Islam, and let them die only in a state of complete submission to His Will. I remind them that no man and no woman dies before his/her time. The exact duration of each life span is precisely determined before we are born by the All-Powerful Creator, may He be exalted. Death is tragic only for the one who lived out his/her life in self-deception without submitting to the Creator and preparing for the final return to Him. So, do not preoccupy yourselves with my death, but instead make the proper preparations for your own.

Maintain patience and self-composure as the religion of Islam requires. Islam permits relatives to mourn for no more than three days, although a widow is allowed to mourn for four lunar months and ten days, until her (period of waiting) is completed. Wailing and excessive lamentation is forbidden by the Creator, and it reflects only a lack of understanding and dissatisfaction with the Will of the Creator, may He be exalted.

Finally,I ask all my relatives, friends, and all others—whether they choose to believe as I believed or not—to honor my Constitutional right to these beliefs. I ask them to honor this document which I have made, and not to try to obstruct it or change it in any way. Rather, let them see that I am buried as I have asked to be buried and let my properties be divided as I wanted them to be divided.

Outstanding Religious Obligations

I direct that outstanding religious obligations (“HuquqAllah”), that are required under Islamic Jurisprudence, be fulfilled as soon as possible, including but not limited to unpaid alms (zakah), expiation (kaffarat), or unperformed pilgrimage () if it could have been a duty upon me. I ask my ______to ensure any such obligations are fulfilled using any of my wealth that may be required. Any such expenses should be paid before any of my wealth goes to any of my inheritors or creditors.

I also desire that my lapsed sawm (fast) be completed by my (relationship) ______, (name) ______as soon as possible. However, if it is not possible for ___ to do so, then I request ______, ______to do so.

Funeral and Burial Rights

I ordain that no autopsy or embalmment be done on my body unless required by law, that without unjustified delay my body be washed, wrapped with cloth free of any ornaments and other articles, prayed for, and then buried, which all shall be done by Muslims in complete accordance with Islamic Jurisprudence. a: I hereby nominate and appoint my (name) ______, (relationship) ______, currently residing at (address) ______, to execute these and other necessary provisions for my Islamic funeral and burial. In the event that ___ shall be unwilling or unable to execute, I nominate and appoint my (relationship) ______, (name) ______, currently residing at (address) ______to execute these and other necessary provisions for my Islamic funeral and burial, and in the event that _____ shall be unwilling or unable, I nominate and appoint the president of the local Muslim community or association in the area where I die to execute these provisions of funeral and burial.

I ordain that no autopsy be performed on my body nor my body embalmed unless required by law. Furthermore, I ordain that without unjustified delay, my body be washed, shrouded in white cloth, free of any ornaments, prayed for and then buried, all in accordance with Islamic Jurisprudence. b: I ordain that no decorations be placed on my or music be involved at any stage of my funeral and burial. c: It is my desire to be buried in the city where my surviving spouse or children reside. I ordain that except for the purpose of transporting my dead body to the nearest Muslim , or to respect the desire of my surviving Muslim family, my body should not be transported over any unreasonable distance from the locality of my death. d: I ordain that my be dug deeply and my dead body be buried without any casket or encasement that would separate my shrouded body from the surrounding soil, in complete accordance with the Islamic Jurisprudence, such that my body faces the direction Qiblah (the direction of city of ). In case the local law requires a casket encasement, it should be of simple, plain, modest, least expensive and preferably made of wood. Furthermore, it should be left open during burial if allowed by law. e: I ordain that my grave should be simple without any decoration or ornament. f: In the event of legal difficulties arising in the execution of any or all parts of this article, I ordain that an expert Islamic opinion is obtained from ______or ______or ______. An Islamic jurist's verdict would be final and abiding in all cases, over ruling anyone else's. g: I direct that my instructions be followed both in letter and spirit

Copies of these Instructions have been delivered to: IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand on this ____ day of April, 2011, to this my Instructions for Outstanding Religious Obligations, Funeral and Burial Rights of , and have subscribed each of the foregoing ______pages at the bottom thereof for the purpose of identification.

[YOUR SIGNATURE HERE] ______

Signed, signified and declared by the said ______, being of sound mind and disposing memory, as and for his/her Instructions for Outstanding Religious Obligations, Funeral and Burial Rights of, in the presence and sight of me, present at the same time, who, at ___ request, in __ presence and sight, and in the presence and sight of each other, have subscribed our names as attesting witnesses on the day and year last above written.

WITNESS: ______

NAME: ______

ADDRESS: ______

[This document may also be notarized]