Muslim funeral services, same-day, DFW-wide.

What an Islamic funeral requires, under Sunnah

The four pillars of Islamic funeral practice, in sequence, are ghusl (ritual washing), kafan (shrouding), janazah (funeral prayer), and kabr (burial). These cannot be modified for convenience. Our role is to make them possible with dignity, speed, and without corner-cutting. Specifically:

• Ghusl — performed by Muslim family or community members of the same gender as the deceased. We provide a dedicated washing room with qibla-oriented table, fresh running water, clean white sheets, and privacy. Families may also elect to perform ghusl at the masjid (many DFW mosques have dedicated rooms); we transport to and from.
• Kafan — unstitched white cotton cloth. We maintain a supply of standard sizes for men (three pieces) and women (five pieces) and will not charge for them. Families who prefer to provide their own cloth from a specific source are welcome to do so.
• Janazah — funeral prayer led by an imam. We coordinate with the imam at your chosen masjid for timing and transport. Common DFW locations include IANT (Richardson), Islamic Center of Irving, Islamic Association of Collin County (Plano), EPIC (Plano), and Dar El-Salam (Garland).
• Kabr — burial with the body on its right side facing Mecca (qibla). We have long-standing relationships with every Islamic cemetery in North Texas and handle all permits, timing, and ground coordination.

Speed is mercy: the same-day burial timeline

Islamic tradition calls for burial as soon as possible — ideally within 24 hours. Texas law and local cemetery logistics permit this in most cases, but the timeline is compressed and unforgiving. Here is how we handle it:

Hour 0 — The passing

Family calls (214) 738-4276. Our on-call director dispatches a transfer team within one hour and begins paperwork simultaneously. We contact the attending physician for death certification or, if required, the county Medical Examiner. If there is any question about Medical Examiner jurisdiction, we push for release as promptly as the law permits.

Hours 2–4 — Intake & ghusl preparation

Transfer into our care, intake paperwork, and coordination with the family about ghusl location (our facility or the masjid). If at our facility, we prepare the washing room and notify the ghusl team your family has designated.

Hours 4–8 — Ghusl & kafan

Family or community members perform ghusl; our staff remains available for any logistical support but does not intrude on the ritual. Kafan follows immediately. Kafan-wrapped body is placed in a plain wooden casket (per Islamic tradition; no embalming, no vault where avoidable).

Hours 8–16 — Janazah & burial

Transport to the masjid for janazah prayer. Then to the cemetery. Our team handles qibla-correct orientation, grave preparation coordination, and family support at the graveside. Typical same-day window closes by sunset.

When the passing occurs late Friday or on a weekend, timelines stretch by 12–24 hours due to county permit office hours. We file immediately and request expedited processing. In our experience, no DFW-metroplex county has refused expedited Islamic-burial permits when the case is uncomplicated.

What we do not do (and will not be asked to)

Islamic tradition specifically prohibits certain practices that are standard in Western funerals. We do not perform these unless the family independently requests them for a specific, considered reason:

• Embalming (unless required for international repatriation or Medical Examiner reasons)
• Open-casket viewing or cosmetic preparation
• Music during janazah or burial
• Headstone or marker beyond what the cemetery and family choose within Islamic limits
• Any charge for a family-provided kafan, casket, or urn (we comply fully with the FTC Funeral Rule)

The DFW Muslim community we serve

North Texas is home to one of the largest and most diverse Muslim populations in the southern United States — Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian Muslim, Arab, Turkish, African, Bosnian, Afghan, and Indonesian communities, among others. We coordinate services for every tradition within Sunni and Shia Islam and have relationships with the following centers:

• Islamic Association of North Texas (IANT) — Richardson
• Islamic Center of Irving (ICI) — Irving
• EPIC Masjid — Plano
• Islamic Association of Collin County (IACC) — Plano
• Dar El-Salam Community Center — Garland
• Dallas Central Mosque (DCM)
• Al-Hedayah Islamic Center — Fort Worth
• Islamic Center of Greater Dallas — Arlington
• Muslim American Society (MAS) DFW
• ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America) chapters across DFW
• Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Dallas (SIJ)
• Momin Center (Plano) — Shia Ismaili

If your community is not on this list, call us — we almost certainly have a relationship or can build one for your family within the day.

Islamic cemeteries in North Texas

See our dedicated Muslim cemeteries directory for a full list with addresses, plot pricing, grave-opening protocols, and proximity from our office. In brief, the primary options are:

• Restland Memorial Park — Muslim Section (Dallas) — largest Muslim section in DFW, accepts all traditions
• IANT Cemetery (Wylie, TX) — owned and operated by IANT, serves Collin County
• Islamic Cemetery of North Texas (Forney, TX) — community-owned
• Garden of Al-Rahman (Fort Worth) — Tarrant County Muslim section
• Shiloh Memorial Park — Muslim Section (Plano)

Pricing for Muslim families

Our published prices apply the same to every family. For a traditional Islamic burial — transfer, ghusl support, kafan, plain wooden casket, transport, janazah coordination, burial — the Vargas-London service fee is $2,495. This does not include the cemetery's plot purchase, opening-and-closing fee, or any required cemetery-specific items; those are paid directly to the cemetery. Expect total costs from $4,500 to $8,500 depending on the cemetery and plot selection.

We do not charge for kafan. We do not charge a fee if the family provides their own casket. We accept zakat and sadaqah-funded payments when a community member or masjid is underwriting costs. No interest is ever charged on payment plans.

International repatriation

For families who wish to return a loved one to Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or any other country, we coordinate the full process: Texas death certificate, consulate apostille, Transit Permit from the Texas Department of State Health Services, air cargo coordination (typically via DFW International), and partner funeral home at the destination. Repatriation adds 3–7 days to the timeline and $3,500–$7,000 in pass-through costs (airline, consular fees, partner at destination). We do not mark up repatriation expenses.

Common scenarios we handle weekly

Passing at a DFW hospital

Hospital calls us or family calls. We coordinate release with hospital pathology (most DFW hospitals are familiar with our Islamic protocol) and transport directly to our facility or the masjid ghusl room.

Passing at home, expected

Family calls hospice or attending physician first, then us. Physician certifies death; we transfer within 60 minutes.

Passing at home, unexpected

Family calls 911. Police and EMS respond; if Medical Examiner jurisdiction applies, case routes to Dallas County or Collin County ME. We coordinate release as soon as ME clearance is granted (typically 24–48 hours for uncomplicated cases). We advocate for expedited release on religious grounds when the case permits.

Passing while traveling

We coordinate transfer from anywhere in the continental U.S. to DFW within 48–72 hours, typically. International passings: repatriation through a partner funeral home at the place of passing.

Frequently asked by Muslim families

Can we avoid embalming entirely?

Yes. Texas law does not require embalming, and Islamic tradition prohibits it. The only scenarios where we recommend it are international repatriation (where the destination country may require it) or Medical Examiner cases with extended holds.

Can janazah happen at the cemetery instead of the masjid?

Yes. Many families prefer this when the masjid is far from the cemetery. The imam attends the graveside and leads janazah before burial. We arrange the transport and timing.

What if the passing is on Jumu'ah?

We can often still achieve same-day burial, but the janazah is typically held after the Jumu'ah prayer (around 2 p.m. in DFW), which compresses the afternoon timeline. In some cases burial shifts to sunrise Saturday, which is Islamically acceptable.

Do we need a separate Islamic cemetery, or can any cemetery do?

Traditionally, burial among other Muslims is preferred. All major DFW cemeteries with Muslim sections fulfill this. General-population cemeteries can and do serve Muslim families, but the family gives up the communal aspect.

Can non-Muslim family and friends attend?

Absolutely. Janazah prayer is led by Muslims in rows; non-Muslims attend respectfully, stand to one side, and support the family. The graveside is open to all. We provide guidance to non-Muslim attendees if the family wishes.

How do we pay without interest?

We accept cash, check, debit card, and insurance assignment. Some families arrange payment through their masjid or community zakat fund. We do not offer interest-bearing financing. When payment plans are needed, we work out an interest-free schedule.