Palliative care for Muslims and issues after death

In this, our second paper looking at issues in providing palliative care to Muslims in the UK, we focus on death customs and bereavement. We cover issues relating to the immediate handling of the body after death, washing the deceased and reasons for early burial. Muslim views on post-mortems and organ transplantation are explored. In addition to sharing information on practices common among Muslim communities, we also provide practical advice on the day-to-day issues that may arise when caring for a 'recently deceased' Muslim patient and his or her relatives.