Safe and Dignified Burials During Infectious Disease Out breaks (Epidemics) in Low-Income and Muslim Minority Countries: An Islamic Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31344/ijhhs.v10i3.951Keywords:
Safe burial, dignified burial, infectious disease, Islamic jurisprudence, outbreak control, public healthAbstract
Infectious disease out breaks pose serious global threats, resulting in high morbidity and mortality rates, overwhelming the health systems, and creating community fears. Safe and dignified burials (SDB) are a critical intervention for interrupting transmission of infectious pathogens during contagious outbreaks while respecting religious and cultural norms. Religious and cultural practices, specifically the Muslim burial rituals, require that the body be washed before burial, among other practices. In cases of contagious diseases like Ebola, Marburg, and others, these cultural and religious practices put communities at risk of spreading such diseases. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provided guidance on what to do during pandemics and outbreaks through both practical measures and spiritual principles, as documented in authentic hadiths. This review paper therefore presents an Islamic public health perspective on the conduct of safe and dignified burials (SDB) during outbreaks, reviews challenges, and proposes recommendations for integrating Islamic principles with public health protocols. This review is based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, Islamic jurisprudential sources, and case-study experiences from Uganda’s responses to outbreaks. We Outline the steps of safe and dignified burials; we share how the Islamic legal principles allow flexibility in epidemic conditions (for example allowing tayamum instead of ghusul). A training guide framework for Muslim religious leaders in Muslim Minority Countries that are prone to deadly epidemics has also been suggested. Intergrating and harmonizing public health protocols with religious values fosters community trust and improves adherence to safety measures. Future national preparedness and response strategies should prioritize formal partnerships with religious leaders and establish faith and culturally sensitive burial guidelines.
International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 10 No. 03 Jul’26 Page: 142-147
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Naziru Rashid, Abdul Swamad Gyagenda
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in the International Journal of Human and Health Sciences agree to the following terms that:
- Authors retain copyright and grant International Journal of Human and Health Sciences the right of first publication of the work.
Articles in International Journal of Human and Health Sciences are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License CC BY-4.0.This license permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as greater citation of published work.
