The funeral service (Salat al-Janazah) is usually held outside the mosque, in areas such as a prayer hall, courtyard, or community square, allowing space for the congregation to gather. Both the body and the attendees are positioned facing Qibla (Mecca), the spiritual center of Islam. The funeral prayer (Salat al-Janazah) is led by the Imam. Attendees typically stand in at least three rows: men in the front, followed by children, and women in the back. Following the prayer, the body is transported in a quiet procession to the burial site. An important burial tradition is for each person present to throw three handfuls of earth into the grave.

Since Muslims believe there will be a physical resurrection of the body on Judgement Day, the faith prohibits cremation. Similarly, autopsies are strongly discouraged, since they delay burial and are considered a desecration of the body. Also, Muslims prefer not to move the body away from the site of death, making an autopsy even more unsettling for them. Embalming, considered yet another desecration of the body, is performed only if required by law.