Digging of the Grave

When the time for Janazah is selected, the surviving relative must inform one of the above contacts in order to initiate arrangements for the grave preparation.Only a person assigned by one of the above contacts (MCCD Committee Members) shall be permitted to dig the grave. Only the selected contact or someone with his approval is allowed to arrange with such person to conduct the digging of the grave. The location of the grave shall be established by the selected contact.

The digging of the grave shall follow the laws established by the state of New York.

Violations

Breaching of any of these arrangements will potentially incur violations of the Islamic Prophetic Traditions (Sunnah) as well as the New York state law. As such, violations of these guidelines will have serious consequences, including the relocation of the body at the expense of the relatives. The sole intent of this provision is to guarantee conformity with the Sunnah and compliance with the New York State law.

Care of the Grave

The maintenance of the grave as defined below shall be the responsibility of the surviving relatives. The appearance of the grave shall follow the etiquette required by the Sunnah and reflect the respect it deserves:

1. Headstones shall not be placed perpendicular to the ground but flush to the ground.
2. Engraving of information on the headstone shall be restricted to: Name of the deceased and date of death. For practical reasons it is recommended that the information be in English
3. Use of flowers and other decorations are highly discouraged.
4. The body of the grave shall be maintained free of weeds and other debris that obscure or hinder its proper identification. It is recommended that pebbles and mesh that prevents weed growth be used.
5. The boundaries of the grave shall be marked as simply as possible. Use of natural bricks to delineate the boundary of the grave is the preferred method. No fire-processed material may be used.

Suggested contacts for the preparation of the headstone:

North Greenbush Cemetery
-Contact Grace Memorials
518-435-9722

Dar Ul Rehma ICCD Memorial Garden
-Contact Evergreen Memorial Park
518-372-0030

General Routine Maintenance of the Cemetery

The operating expenses of the cemetery are covered solely and exclusively by donations from the members of the Muslim Community of the Capital District. As such, it is highly recommended that all members contribute generously to the expenses incurred for regular maintenance and necessary upgrades and expansion of the cemetery. For more information contact us at cemetery@iccdny.org.