• 15325343_965642446874642_6228788286409510473_o.jpg

RIAZ-UL-JANNAH

 

SC Upstate Private Muslim Cemetery

Islamic Society of Greenville

 

 

“Riaz-ul-Jannah”, a Muslim cemetery, was established by the residents of the neighboring counties in Upstate South Carolina in 2008. These counties, besides Greenville and Spartanburg, include Anderson, Cherokee, Laurens, Union, Oconee and Pickens Counties.

 

Rules & Regulation:

 

1. All Muslim residents belonging to the counties mentioned above shall have the right to be buried in the Riaz-ul-Jannah Upstate Muslim Cemetery.

 

2. No reservation for the grave site(s) will be permitted. Only the grave site immediately next to an occupied one, in compliance with the master plan, will be used.

 

3. No structure shall be allowed atop the grave site except for the official grave markers, which will be installed by the Graveyard Committee.

 

4. Placing of headstone is not recommended in Islam. However, the Graveyard Committee will install the headstone upon request from the family of the deceased. The headstone will include the following information: (1) name (as per burial registration forms), (2) dates of birth and death, and (3) the lot number, on a pre-approved headstone design. The family of the deceased will be required to pay the cost for the headstone and its installation.

 

5. The Graveyard Committee reserves the right to demolish any structure or remove any plantings that violate the rules above, or any structure that violates, the Islamic Shariah (Fiqh-us-Sunnah), as interpreted by the Board of Trustees or the Graveyard Committee, without prior notice.

 

6. It shall be the responsibility of the family to get the body released from the hospital or hospice, and take care of legal issues associated with the release of the body to the funeral home. Islamic Society of Greenville will neither issue any request to release the body nor will be responsible for any payments for the release of the body.

 

7. Information on total costs associated with the burial will be shared with the family members of the deceased. 

 

8. After signing the required burial documents by a family member, the Graveyard Committee will request and authorize Watkins, Garrett, and Woods Mortuary to recover the body from the residence, hospital, or hospice (within the above eight counties), and transfer the body to the washing facility at the Greenville Islamic Center (on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Taylors, SC) for the purpose of washing (as per Fiqh us-Sunnah only).

 

9. Digging of the grave at the earliest possible time will also be requested by the Graveyard Committee, and the burial time will be determined in co-ordination with family members. The Graveyard Committee will announce the Janazah and burial timings to the community.

 

10. Upon completion of the washing process, Janazah prayer will be held at Greenville Masjid on Wade Hampton Blvd. Madhhab other than Fiqh us-Sunnah may offer Janazah prayer at another place of their choice or at the cemetery. They may also do so at the Greenville Masjid on Wade Hampton Blvd with the condition that the body will be shrouded in the shroud provided by the Riaz-ul-Jannah (during the washing process), and allowing the Imam of ISG or any other authorized person of the ISG to lead the Janzah prayers according to the Muslim Sunni faith. No other faith will be allowed to lead the Janazah prayer as per their fiqh.

 

11. Upon completion of Janazah prayer, the body will be transferred to the burial site located at 134 W. Sullivan Rd. in Ware Shoals, Laurens County, SC 29692. 

 

12. The family of the deceased shall have the option to use other approved burial sites, like Prince Fort Cemetery (or any other cemetery of their choice). However, in such cases the arrangement for the grave digging, transportation and burial, etc., and the entire costs associated with the burial shall be the responsibility of the family of the deceased. The family shall also have the option for the use of part of services like the washing facility (as per Fiqh us-Sunnah only) at the Masjid with prior arrangements with the Graveyard Committee. A small sum will be charged to the family to cover the basic cost of such services, which at present is $500.00.

 

13a. In case the deceased is male, the Graveyard Committee will carry out the washing of the deceased body. The male family members are highly encouraged to perform the washing of the deceased body. The family may request the Graveyard Committee to arrange for volunteers to wash the body.

 

13b. In case the deceased is female, the family should try to provide four female volunteers for the washing process. All the necessary supplies and the shroud (Kafan) will be made available to the family.  

 

14. In case where the family or friends of the deceased person claim that s/he was a Muslim and request burial in the Muslim cemetery, two known members of the Islamic Soceity of Greenville will be required to testify Muslim faith of the deceased before receiving the privilege of burial in the Riaz-ul-Jannah cemetery. The family of the deceased shall be responsible for the cost of the burial.

 

Unfortunately, no free burial is available at Riaz-ul-Jannah. 

 

15. Embalming the body is not recommended in Islam. However, if the body needs to be transported outside the United States, then embalming the body is required by Law.  In such a case, the family of the deceased shall make arrangement for embalming with Watkins, Garrett, & Woods Mortuary, or with any other mortuary of their choice at their own expense. Washing of the body may still be performed at the Masjid's washing facility after embalming (as per above rules) or at the embalming center. A nominal fee of $500.00

will be charged if washing is done at the Masjid.

 

16. The residents of the eight counties who have converted to Islam must produce documents OR present two witnesses from the community, who are known to the community members, for establishing their faith as a Muslim.

 

17. The documents of rules and regulations for the burial at Riaz-ul-Jannah Muslim cemetery are subject to revision as deemed necessary by the Board of Trustees. Any revision may also retrospectively be implemented for compliance.