What do I do if death is expected?
If there is a family member who is ill or is expected to die soon, it is recommended that you contact the LMA Funeral Hotline on 0411 522 739 to get Instruction and in preparation for death. Discuss with the doctor or hospital that islamically we must bury as soon as possible, so that they understand the urgency in making the “cause of death certificate” available.
What do I do when death occurs?
Contact the LMA Funeral Parlour as soon as possible, even if this is out of office hours or on a weekend. Ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to get the cause of death certificate available as soon as possible. This is crucial because we cannot complete all the arrangements without this document. Our Funeral Director will assist you and guide you with all arrangements.
What if death occurs at home?
Contact our funeral service, as well as the Deceased’s regular GP to ascertain the cause of death. The Ambulance and police will usually allow the LMA to pick up the body of the deceased from then on.
What happens if the deceased is under 21 weeks?
Below 21 weeks, the LMA Funeral Services will take care of the burial free of charge. The baby will be buried alongside another deceased; however, this means you will not have rights over the grave. Please contact our funeral director on 0411 522 739 for further information
What if I want to bury in an existing grave?
Please ensure the original executor over the grave is the one liaising with our funeral director. We will reach out to the cemetery to ensure the grave is able to be re-opened and the burial process will proceed as usual.
Who is the next of kin?
The next of kin will be the executor over the grave and will be the main point of contact in organising the burial with the Funeral Director. Please organise who this will be as soon as possible to avoid any confusion and/or conflict.
What happens at the mortuary/coroners?
The state coroner will assess the individual case and determine if a post-mortem needs to be done. It is important the coroner’s office is advised that Islamically, it is preferred not to have a post-mortem performed. It is also important to advise the police and the coroner’s office of the Islamic custom of burying the deceased as soon as possible and that any assistance in fastening the process. In some cases, the deceased will remain at the coroners for a few days until the cause of death is determined. Our team will follow up with the coroners to ensure the body is released as soon as possible.
Are there any forms I need to complete?
Once you call the LMA Funeral Parlour, you will complete our Jotform in which will also give consent for the LMA Funeral Team to pick up the deceased. The JotForm will ensure we have the adequate information to do the necessary grave bookings and arrangements as soon as possible. Funeral Form There are cemetery forms which the next of kin is required to sign on the day of burial with our administrator.
After Burial you will receive the Headstone Inscription and the Death Registration Statement forms.
Can women attend the funeral?
It is generally not customary for women to attend the burial; women are encouraged not to attend.
Can a non-Muslim attend the funeral?
Yes, a non-Muslim may attend the funeral and we will provide our support to any Non-Muslim family members so they also understand the Islamic burial process. As in any other faith it is expected that anyone attending the mosque and funeral service to dress modestly and this applies to both men and women.
What happens at the cemetery?
The body is lowered into the grave by the close family members and then covered by timber sleepers and eventually covered by soil. The initial filling is done by hand, by the family and mourners who wish to do so. The rest is filled by the cemetery machinery. The body of the deceased MUST always be buried directly in the ground.
Do we use a lowering device?
The body of the deceased is usually manually lowered into the grave. Usually at least three (depending on the weight of the deceased may even be four) close family members go into the grave first and they assist from above to lower the body gently into the grave.
Can we place a headstone?
It is not customary to have a monumental tombstone, although a simple tombstone is acceptable to identify the grave. Islam has a unique style of building graves and cemeteries that are characterized by humility, simplicity and that avoids glorifying the dead with elaborate monuments.
How do I obtain the death certificate?
After the burial, you will receive a death registration statement form via email. This form (Along with the Medical Cause of Death) will allow us to apply for the death certificate on your behalf. Once the form is filled you will email it to funeral.registrations@lma.org.au
We will lodge the application with Births, Deaths and Marriages. From there, the registry will process the application and mail out the death certificate to your designated address.