If you are reading this document because a member of your family has passed away; the Waterloo Masjid Board wishes to extend their condolences to you and your family. May Allah (swt) have mercy on the deceased and grant him/her among the highest stations of Paradise and keep the family patient in this moment of grief. Please contact the Masjid Administration or the Imam for any counselling support that you may require for yourself or other members of your family.

The information below has been made available to you by the Masjid administration to make the funeral process as easy as possible.

Funeral procedure

Contact the Masjid administration

Contact one of the following brothers between 7am and 10pm at Waterloo Masjid to inform them about the death and the need for the Masjid’s services. Please try to contact the persons listed below in sequence, so if the first does not answer please try the second one and so on:

• Imam Abdul Mannan: 519-886-8470
• Br Alkan: 519-884-4060
• Br Irfan Jamal: 519-574-5684
• Br Mohammed Abuliel: 519-721-7731

The above mentioned brothers will coordinate for washing the body.

Contact a funeral home

Please contact Erb & Good Family Funeral Home (or any other funeral home of your choice) at anytime to arrange for the pickup of the deceased body. Please have the Death Certificate ready when the funeral professional arrives. The body could be kept in the funeral home, untouched, until arrangements have been made at the Masjid for the ritual washing, or sent directly to Masjid if the time between washing the body and making Janazah prayer is tight and short. Please note that the Masjid is not equipped to hold the body for long time especially in the summer time.

• Erb & Good Funeral Home: 171 King St S, Waterloo, ON N2J 1P7. Phone: 519-745-8445.

Arrange an appointment with the funeral professional to discuss the burial procedures of the deceased. Please carry the deceased's Social Security Card and Death Certificate with you.

During the appointment, the funeral professional will guide you through the specifics of the burial. Below are some criteria to keep in mind when discussing these specifics:

• The body must be buried in the Muslim section of the cemetery.
• Request the simplest casket for the deceased.
• Request the body of the deceased to arrive at Waterloo Masjid at a pre-arranged time for the ritual washing.
• Request the hearse to arrive at Waterloo Masjid by a specific time depending on the Janazah’s prayer time (usually at Dhuhr or Asr time).

Optionally, if you want a funeral bulletin to be sent to Masjid's announcement mailing list (to notify the community), please send to the Masjid administration necessary details (the name of the deceased, Janazah date and time).

Ritual washing of the deceased

People who can provide the body-washing service at Waterloo Masjid are as follows:

• For men: Br Alkan, Imam, or any brother from the deceased’s family member.
• For women: Sr Aysha, Sr Busra, Sr Sadaf, Sr Shadat, or any sister from the deceased’s family member.

Funeral prayer, procession and burial

A family member of the deceased needs to sign off a document at the cemetery to bury the body. This should be done prior to the burial process.

Please contact one of the cemeteries below:

• Parkview Cemetary: 335 University Ave E, Waterloo, ON N2J 4A8. Phone: 519-725-9280.
• Williamsburg Cemetery: 1541 Fischer-Hallman Rd, Kitchener, ON N2R 1P6. Phone: 519-741-2880.

The funeral prayer will take place after Dhuhr or Asr time the same day of the ritual washing. The Imam can be requested to lead the funeral prayer if the family wishes. After the funeral prayer the casket will be placed in the hearse and the funeral procession will continue to the cemetery for burial. The Imam can also make du'a and give a short talk after the burial.

General notes on burial process cost

• The cost of the funeral services is in the range of $2,200 which includes (i) transportation from the hospital to the funeral home, then to the Masjid, and then to the cemetery, (ii) paper works, and (iii) work on behalf of the family to coordinate the process and make arrangements.
• The cost of the burial box is in the range of $800 and up. A box is required by law.
• The cost of the plot and the cemetery services is in the range of $3,000. This includes (i) a plot, (ii) digging and closing the grave, and (iii) lifetime maintenance of the ground around the grave. Burial services will cost extra on weekends and statutory days as the cemetery has to pay overtime to its staff for the provided service. If the death takes place on a weekend or a statutory holiday, then there is a small chance that the cemetery service could not be available due to staff shortage.
• For infants, all the above services could cost in the range of $1,300.
• For a deceased employee who has Long Term Disability insurance, his/her employer should cover all expenses.
• People who are on welfare should check with their social service representatives for free burial.
• People who have contributed towards their CPP, could get a maximum credit of $2,500 from government towards the burial cost.
• Shrouding the body (camphor, perfumes and shroud) and washing the body services provided by the Masjid are at zero cost to the deceased’s family.