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Cemetery and Burial Services
History:
The Islamic Center of Tucson (ICT) Muslim Cemetery first came
into existence in the early 1980s with a non-profit waqf
purchase of one acre of land at All Faiths Memorial Cemetery.
The ICT administration acts only as the custodian of the
cemetery. Since its inception, this Muslim cemetery has served
the Muslim community in Tucson and the surrounding areas. Since
the cemetery was founded through a non-profit organization, it
offers services to all Muslims on a strictly non-profit basis.
Furthermore, because of its non-profit status, the ICT is
legally permitted by the State Arizona to bury Muslims in
complete accordance with Islamic laws.
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Contact: In case of Death please contact Brother Ahmed Gaber
@ 520-241-9299 Otherwise, contact the office in person, or by
phone @ 520-6243233
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Services:
The ICT Funeral Committee is committed to serving all Muslims,
regardless of race or socioeconomic background. The committee is
also committed to keeping trained Muslims involved in all
aspects of the funeral service and burial. Committee members are
trained in Janaza and Ghusul rites and rituals. From washing to
prayer and burial, trained Muslims are in charge of the entire
process. The ICT also has trained sisters to provide services
for deceased Muslim sisters. The cost of services is well below
that offered by commercial cemeteries. An independent endowment
fund helps to subsidize and defray the costs, thereby making the
cemetery’s services accessible to all Muslims. Private
donations, normally given by family members of the deceased,
often exceed the funeral and burial expenses. These funds are
put aside for the purchase additional land for future expansion,
as the land we have now is inadequate to serve the needs of
Tucson’s growing Muslim community.
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Funeral Service Cost:
Because of its waqf status, the ICT Cemetery land is free for
all Muslims. The only actual costs involved are associated with
ghusul, burial, hearse, and the grave digging. Even with these
expenses, the overall cost for burial is well below that of any
other cemetery. We are asking for a donation of $2,200.00 to
cover these costs, as well as for the future purchase of
additional land. If there is difficulty associated with these
costs, or for details regarding specific costs, please contact
the funeral contact representatives listed under cemetery
contacts.
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ICT Muslim
Cemetery – Procedure
- When a death
occurs, please call the designated representative of the ICT
Muslim Cemetery. Please see ‘Contact Numbers’ section. He
will make all necessary arrangements to bury the deceased
and address any necessary costs associated with burial.
- The next of
kin or guardian must be prepared to provide the following
information to cemetery representative:
- Name of
deceased
- Social
Security number
- Place of
birth
- Place of
death
- Name of
legal guardian and relation to the deceased and
contact information
- After all
immediate details are finalized, whenever possible the ICT
will send a notice on its electronic mailing list announcing
the death as well as the date and time for Janaza prayer.
- The next of
kin, or guardian, must agree to abide by all ICT policies
and guidelines before washing of body can begin. Ghusul will
be performed by trained ICT Ghusul team members.
Participation of family members is optional.
- After Ghusul,
the body will be covered in a kafan and placed on temporary
table for Janaza prayer and later transport to cemetery.
-
Salat-al-Janaza will then be prayed on the body at the time
previously scheduled by the cemetery representative. To
ensure greater attendance, all efforts will be made to
schedule Janaza prayer to coincide during a prayer time.
- After
Salat-al-Janaza, the deceased will be transported for burial
to the ICT Muslim Cemetery located at the All Faiths
Cemetery at 2151 S. Avenida Los Reyes in East Tucson.
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ICT Funeral Services
Policy:
ICT will strictly enforce its policies and take all necessary
measures to ensure those policies are followed. Guardians or
next of kin must agree in writing to abide by ICT Cemetery
Policies prior to any action. Attendees of funeral sessions will
also be asked to obey all ICT policies as well. Unless otherwise
agreed upon, trained ICT funeral team members will perform all
the services necessary for a proper Islamic burial.
The designated funeral committee representative will brief all
attendees on standards of conduct prior to transport of body for
final burial.
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Unauthentic/Prohibited Beliefs and Actions: These
practices are not supported nor have any basis in the Qur’an and
Sunnah. They were not practiced by the Prophet or the Sahabah.
- Putting the Qur’an under the head of a
dying Muslim
- Putting flowers or candles in the deceased’s room
- Use of Zamzam water on the deceased’s body
- Making special thikr (words to remember Allah) during the
ghusul, or before, during, and after the burial
- Writing on the shrouds
- Putting the picture of the deceased, his clothes, or flowers
in front of or around the kafan (shroud)
- Revealing the face of the deceased after putting the body in
the grave
- Planting or putting flowers, food, water, money or anything
around the grave ‘to benefit’ the deceased
- Slaughtering an animal during or after burial
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Future development and
cost: The newly formed ICT Funeral Committee has
recently been given a broad mandate to take immediate measures
at improving the existing cemetery as well as developing land
for a new cemetery area. The committee is committed towards
bringing the ICT cemetery to the standard at and above
commercial non-Muslim cemeteries. Professionalism will not be
sacrificed for full Islamic services or vice versa.
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Donations:
Community support is essential towards the running,
maintenance, and continued improvement of the ICT Cemetery. The
ICT Cemetery is able to meet all required Islamic guidelines for
burial. with no other source of income the community donations
are essential to the running of the ICT non-profit cemetery.
We are only able to maintain such a status of exemption and
offer our services at reduced cost because of the Will of Allah
and your generous donations. Click on the button below to make a
donation now.
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Recruiting:
In addition to providing Islamic funeral services, the ICT
is committed towards training community members in the greater
Tucson area on funeral rites. The Cemetery committee will
provide regular training for those willing to make a commitment
to serve the ICT Muslim cemetery. Please contact any of the ICT
Cemetery members for more information.
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