Moving The Body Of A Deceased To Another Location

To move the Mayyit more than two miles according to majority of the Fuqaha from amongst the Ahnaaf is Makrooh. It is best to bury the person in the graveyard of the area in which they pass away.

In connection with this Mufti Abdur Raheem Lachpori Rahimahullah has written a few harms which come about due to moving the Mayyit:-

a. By moving the body, the burial is delayed, whereas hastening with this is what is required.

b. Sometimes the deceased’s body changes, at times the body bloats, and begins emitting a smell, which causes people to stay far away from it, and the respect which ought to be shown to the deceased is lost. If he is moved without giving Ghusl then when reaching the destination, the body becomes such that it is not possible to now give Ghusl, at times governmental laws become a hindrance and problematic.

c. By moving the body there is a great possibility of disrespecting the body of the deceased, sometimes the body is put in a freezer, which is a means of harm to the deceased, and to cause harm to the deceased is prohibited, that is why we have been commanded, that when giving Ghusl to the Mayyit, then warm the water to the extent that a person normally baths with during his life.

d. Moving the body without any valid Shari’ reason is unnecessary and Makrooh, that is why it is not permissible to count it as part of the burial expenses, we find that sometimes this expense is very large, and at times one or more of the heirs are Na-Baaligh and their right is then taken away from them (in the payment of these huge costs) which is a grave sin in itself.