Is cremation permissible in Islam?

No — cremation is not permitted in Islam. Burial in the earth is the method taught and practiced by the Prophet ﷺ and every generation of Muslims since, and it carries real theological meaning: 'From it We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will bring you out once more' (Quran 20:55). The body, even lifeless, retains sanctity in Islamic teaching; a well-known hadith describes breaking the bone of a dead person as being just as wrong as breaking it while they were alive, which is part of why deliberate burning is avoided. Earth burial is seen as a gentle, natural return, not an erasure. If a Muslim dies in a country where cremation is the only legal option, or where no Islamic burial ground exists, families are strongly encouraged to seek exemptions, repatriation of the body, or arrangements with a local mosque or Islamic burial society before assuming there is no alternative — most countries with Muslim communities have established the means for proper burial, and these should be pursued first.

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