No. Contrary to what US officials have suggested in citing a 24-hour period of time in which a body must be buried in Islam, there is no such requirement, says Yaser Alkhooly, an imam at the Islamic Society of Central New York in Syracuse, NY.
“There is no such 24-hour exact period,” says Imam Alkhooly. “The dead body should simply be buried as soon as possible.”
And, adds Mr. Kobeisy, of King Abdulaziz University, in some cases a delay is allowable.
“For [those] who die of unknown causes, or where crimes are suspected, or for families to come and identify them, the waiting is acceptable since it is necessary and Muslim scholars have no objection to the waiting,” writes Kobeisy.
