Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh funeral traditions in the UK

Last updated 10 September 2026

Reviewed by the After Loss Guide editorial team · updated 10 September 2026

Researched from primary sources. See our editorial policy.

Every UK faith community shares the same basic need after a death: to care for the person who has died, and to give family and friends a way to grieve together. But the specifics – who washes the body, how quickly burial happens, what a mourner wears, how long formal mourning lasts – differ significantly between Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh tradition, and from the Christian or non-religious funerals most of this site’s other guides describe.

This guide covers what actually happens at each of these four funerals in a UK context: the preparation of the body, the ceremony itself, burial or cremation, and the mourning period that follows. It’s written both for families arranging a funeral within their own tradition, and for anyone attending a funeral from a tradition they’re less familiar with and wanting to know how to show respect.

Within each of these faiths, practice varies by community, denomination and family – what follows is a general guide, not a rulebook. If you’re planning a funeral, your funeral director, imam, rabbi, priest or Granthi will confirm what applies to your specific circumstances.

Muslim funerals in the UK

Washing and preparation

Before burial, the body undergoes Ghusl – a ritual washing performed by family members or trusted members of the community who are the same sex as the person who has died. According to guidance compiled by Child Bereavement UK, with input from Gardens of Peace, this washing is usually carried out at a mosque, by a funeral director, or at the cemetery itself. The body is then wrapped in a plain white shroud known as the Kafan, rather than dressed in ordinary clothing.

Burial, not cremation

Cremation isn’t permitted in Islam – confirmed by the Muslim Council of Britain as holding across all schools of thought within the faith. The body is buried whole, ideally without a coffin, wrapped only in its shroud. In practice, whether shroud-only burial is possible depends on the specific cemetery: some Muslim-owned burial grounds allow it, while many local authority cemeteries in England and Wales require a coffin for health and safety reasons, even though there’s no general legal requirement for one. If a coffin is needed, families often choose a simple, unvarnished wooden coffin to stay as close to the tradition as possible – it’s worth checking with your chosen cemetery in advance.

The grave itself is aligned so the body lies on its right side, facing the direction of Mecca – a practice confirmed in the same Child Bereavement UK guidance cited above.

Timing

Islamic teaching calls for burial as soon as possible after death, ideally within 24 hours. In the UK, registering the death and arranging the necessary burial paperwork mean same-day burial is rarely achievable – most Muslim burials here take place within two to four days. Where a coroner’s post-mortem is required, this can add further delay – any incision or intervention on the body sits uneasily with the tradition’s emphasis on burying it intact, so it’s worth telling the coroner’s office directly that the family needs an expedited decision on religious grounds (see below).

This urgency is recognised officially. The Chief Coroner’s own guidance (Guidance No. 28, judiciary.uk), issued after a 2018 High Court case brought by the Adath Yisroel Burial Society, states that coroners should give appropriate weight to religious and cultural wishes when a family requests urgent release of a body. Some local register offices also run limited weekend or bank holiday services so burial certificates can be issued quickly for families with this need – Kirklees Council’s published guidance for bereaved families is one example, with registrars available on Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday mornings for urgent faith-related cases.

The funeral prayer

The central ceremony is Salat al-Janazah, the funeral prayer, usually held at a mosque before burial. It’s a collective religious obligation on the Muslim community rather than a service built around a eulogy in the Western sense – our guide to writing a eulogy notes that a eulogy isn’t typically part of a Muslim funeral for this reason. The prayer is led by an imam and consists of four takbirs (declarations of “Allahu Akbar”) along with recitation from the Qur’an, and normally takes around ten to fifteen minutes. Music isn’t part of an Islamic funeral; our guide to funeral hymns and guide to funeral poems and readings note that Qur’anic recitation – often Surah Ya-Sin – takes the place hymns and readings hold in a Christian service.

Mourning period

Islam recognises an official mourning period of three days (Azza), during which family stay at home and are brought food by friends and relatives. For a widow specifically, a separate waiting period called Iddah – lasting four months and ten days – also begins at this point. Iddah isn’t simply an extended version of Azza: it’s a distinct religious and legal requirement, governing matters such as remarriage, rather than a mourning period in the everyday sense.

If you’re attending and aren’t Muslim

Dress modestly and in muted colours; women are usually expected to cover their hair, so it’s worth bringing a scarf. Shoes are removed before entering a mosque. You aren’t expected to join in the prayers if you don’t share the faith – standing respectfully and quietly during the Salat al-Janazah is entirely appropriate. At the graveside, it’s traditional for those present to add a small amount of soil to the grave; you can decline this if you’d rather not, without it being read as disrespectful. Flowers aren’t customary – our guide to funeral flowers covers this in more detail, and a card or a donation to a cause connected to the person is the more fitting gesture.

Jewish funerals in the UK

Jewish practice varies meaningfully between movements. Orthodox communities – including those affiliated with the United Synagogue, the UK’s largest Orthodox body – follow the customs below closely. Liberal and Reform communities generally observe the same core rituals but apply them with more flexibility, particularly around cremation and the length of formal mourning; those differences are noted below rather than treated as a single universal practice.

Washing and preparation

The body is prepared by the Chevra Kadisha, a burial society of trained volunteers, in a ritual called Taharah (purification). Members of the same sex as the deceased carry out the washing, after which the body is dressed in simple white linen or cotton garments called tachrichim. According to guidance from Child Bereavement UK, reviewed by the United Synagogue’s Head of Burial, any jewellery is removed – the custom reflects the idea that everyone is equal in death, buried as they entered the world, without possessions. Orthodox men are traditionally buried wrapped in their tallit (prayer shawl), sometimes with a personal prayer book placed in the coffin. Before Taharah takes place, Jewish custom holds that the body shouldn’t be left unattended – a Shomer (guardian), often a family member or member of the congregation, sits with the body and may recite psalms until the funeral.

Burial, not cremation – with a denominational difference

Orthodox Jewish law doesn’t permit cremation: the body is buried whole, in a plain, simple wooden coffin without metal fittings, reflecting the same principle of equality and allowing for natural decomposition. Open caskets aren’t part of Jewish practice, whatever the movement.

This differs by denomination. Liberal Judaism’s own guidance states that cremation is permitted and that families choose between burial and cremation “in roughly equal numbers”, without religious pressure either way – the service itself is conducted the same way regardless of which is chosen, except for the point of committal. Check with the specific community if you’re arranging a funeral, rather than assuming either practice applies.

Timing

Jewish law calls for burial as soon as practical after death, traditionally within 24 hours. As with Islamic burial, the realities of UK death registration mean this is rarely achieved on the day itself, and two to three days is more typical in practice. Burial doesn’t take place on Shabbat or on Jewish festivals, which can add a short delay depending on when the death occurs. As noted above, the Chief Coroner’s Guidance No. 28 – issued specifically after a case brought by a Jewish burial society – confirms that coroners must give appropriate weight to a request for expedited release of a body on religious grounds.

The funeral service

A rabbi typically leads the service, which includes a hesped (eulogy), psalms, and the memorial prayer El Maleh Rachamim. At the graveside, it’s customary for those attending to help fill in the grave by hand – a way of taking part directly in the final act of burial rather than leaving it to others. The Mourner’s Kaddish, recited by close family, concludes the service. Our guide to funeral hymns notes that Jewish funerals use psalms and prayers recited in Hebrew rather than congregational hymn-singing, and our guide to funeral poems and readings covers which specific psalms – 23, 49 and 91 among them – are most commonly used.

Shiva and the mourning period

Formal Jewish mourning happens in stages. Aninut is the period between death and burial itself. Shiva – meaning “seven” – is the seven-day period immediately following burial: the immediate family remains at home and receives visitors at set times rather than going out, prayers are recited each evening except on Shabbat, and it’s customary to greet mourners with the phrase “a long life” rather than an ordinary condolence. Shloshim follows for thirty days after burial, during which mourners avoid celebratory events. For the death of a parent specifically, a final period called Avelut lasts twelve months, during which a son of the person who has died recites the Mourner’s Kaddish daily for eleven of those months.

Liberal Judaism’s guidance is explicit that the length and form of mourning beyond the funeral itself is left to the individual family, rather than being fixed by the community – so the exact shape of Shiva can vary more in a Liberal or Reform household than in an Orthodox one.

If you’re attending and aren’t Jewish

Dress conservatively in dark colours. Men may be offered a kippah (skullcap) at the entrance to the service – it’s respectful to accept and wear it, whatever your own faith. Flowers aren’t traditional at a Jewish funeral; the appropriate gesture instead, particularly during Shiva, is to send food to the family’s home, since they aren’t expected to cook for themselves or for visitors during that week. If you’re visiting during Shiva, you don’t need a formal invitation – turning up during the announced visiting hours, saying little, and sitting quietly with the family is the custom, rather than making conversation as you would at another kind of gathering.

Hindu funerals in the UK

Preparation and the ceremony (Antyesti)

Hindu last rites are collectively known as Antyesti – “the last sacrifice” – the final of the sixteen samskaras (sacraments) marking a Hindu life from before birth through to death. Practice varies by regional tradition (North Indian, South Indian, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and others each carry their own customs) and by family, so what follows describes common UK practice rather than a single fixed rite.

Family members traditionally wash and prepare the body, and it’s common – though not universal, given the regional variation noted above – for the deceased to be dressed in white or in their finest clothing before an open-casket viewing, with flowers placed around them. According to Child Bereavement UK’s guidance, a Hindu funeral is intended to be as much a celebration of the person’s life as a service of mourning: offerings such as flowers or sweetmeats may be passed around, and bells are rung, since sound is considered part of the ritual.

Cremation

Hindus cremate their dead – burial isn’t the tradition. The underlying belief is that the soul (atman), not the body, is what continues, so the body itself is no longer needed once the soul has departed; cremation is understood as returning the physical elements to nature and releasing the soul to continue its journey. In India, the chief mourner – usually the eldest son, or another male relative if there’s no son – would traditionally light the funeral pyre directly. In the UK, cremation takes place at a licensed crematorium rather than on an open pyre, which UK law doesn’t permit; the chief mourner instead presses the button that begins the cremation process. Child Bereavement UK’s guidance notes that this role has broadened in recent years – daughters and other female family members now also take on this role in many UK families, reflecting a relaxation of the traditional requirement that it fall to a male relative.

Timing

Cremation ideally happens as soon as possible after death, traditionally within 24 hours, though – as with Muslim and Jewish burial – UK registration and administrative requirements mean this is rarely achievable in practice; two to four days is more typical.

Ashes

After cremation, the ashes are traditionally immersed in a sacred river – ideally the Ganges, or another river considered holy in Hindu tradition. Many UK families arrange for the ashes to travel to India for this purpose. This isn’t compulsory: some areas of water in the UK have been designated as acceptable substitutes, and UK crematoria and cemeteries can also support ash scattering locally for families who prefer not to arrange international travel.

Mourning period

An intense period of mourning follows for thirteen days after the funeral, involving the wider family and friends, not just the immediate household – it’s customary during this time for people to show their respect by visiting the family, either at home or at a temple. The immediate family is then considered to be in a broader period of mourning for a year, during which some traditions limit participation in celebratory events, festivals or social occasions.

If you’re attending and aren’t Hindu

White is the traditional colour, the opposite of Western funeral convention where black or dark colours are standard – see our guide to what to wear to a funeral for how this compares with other UK funeral dress conventions. Dress modestly and conservatively, and if you’re unsure what’s appropriate, it’s entirely reasonable to ask the family directly, since customs vary between regional traditions. Flowers are generally accepted, unlike at Muslim or Jewish funerals – garlands are a common form – though our guide to funeral flowers notes it isn’t customary to arrive carrying flowers yourself; tributes are typically arranged in advance instead.

Sikh funerals in the UK

Sikh funeral rites, known as Antam Sanskar (“the last rite of passage”), rest on their own distinct beliefs and ceremonial structure, though the practical shape of the day – cremation at a UK crematorium, ashes handled in a similar way – ends up looking similar to a Hindu funeral in places, for reasons set out below.

Sikhs believe the soul passes through a cycle of rebirths, with the aim of ultimately reuniting with God (Waheguru) – as a result, a Sikh funeral is orientated towards this as an occasion for reflection and acceptance of God’s will, rather than solely mourning. The body is bathed and dressed in clean clothing, and – per Child Bereavement UK’s guidance – if the person who died was an initiated (Amritdhari) Sikh wearing the Five Ks (the articles of faith, including uncut hair), these aren’t removed or cut. The coffin is brought to the family home, where it’s left open for friends and family to pay their respects, before moving to the Gurdwara, where hymns and prayers from the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy scripture) are recited.

Cremation is the norm rather than burial, taking place at a licensed UK crematorium as soon as possible after death – typically within a similar few-day window to Hindu cremation once registration is complete, though some UK ceremonies extend the wider observance to several days either side of the cremation itself through continuous scripture readings. The eldest son, or another family member, presses the button for the coffin at the crematorium. Afterwards, prayers and a shared meal (Langar) are usually held at the Gurdwara. Ashes may be taken to India for immersion or, in the UK, sprinkled in a river or the sea.

Mourning begins immediately within the family home and is conducted discreetly, with white or light colours worn rather than black. If you’re attending and aren’t Sikh: white or muted colours are the appropriate choice, and everyone – regardless of faith or gender – covers their head before entering a Gurdwara, so bring a scarf or other plain head covering if you don’t already have one. Shoes are removed at the door.

Summary

  • Muslim funerals: Ghusl (washing) and Kafan (shrouding) by family or community members of the same sex; burial, never cremation, ideally within 24 hours though UK practicalities usually mean two to four days; the Salat al-Janazah funeral prayer at a mosque; a three-day family mourning period (Azza), with a longer Iddah for widows.
  • Jewish funerals: Taharah (washing) by the Chevra Kadisha; burial in a plain coffin for Orthodox communities, though Liberal and Reform Jews may choose cremation; burial as soon as practical, typically two to three days in the UK; Shiva (seven days), Shloshim (thirty days) and, for a parent’s death, Avelut (twelve months) as successive stages of mourning.
  • Hindu funerals: Washing and preparation by family, often with an open-casket viewing; cremation at a UK crematorium, usually within two to four days; ashes traditionally immersed in a sacred river, in India or a UK substitute; thirteen days of intense mourning, with a year of broader mourning for the immediate family.
  • Sikh funerals: Similar practical shape to Hindu tradition – cremation, usually within a few days, at a UK crematorium – built around a distinct ceremony (Antam Sanskar) centred on the Guru Granth Sahib and the Gurdwara, with white or light mourning colours and head-covering required of all attendees.
  • Across all four traditions, practice varies by denomination, regional custom and individual family – ask the family or the funeral director if you’re unsure what applies to a specific service.

If you’re planning a funeral and haven’t yet decided on the format, our funeral planning hub covers the practical steps that apply whatever tradition you’re following, and our guide to humanist funerals explains the main non-religious alternative if the person who died wasn’t part of an organised faith.

Sources

Part of our funeral planning guide. If you’re choosing what to wear, see our guide to funeral dress codes. For flowers, see our guide to funeral flowers. For music and readings, see our guides to funeral hymns and funeral poems and readings. If the funeral you’re planning or attending is non-religious, see our guide to humanist funerals.