A Quiet Promise We Owe One Another: How to Prepare for our Burial, Join MFS

A Story About Community, Dignity, and the Muslim Funeral Service of the USA

On a cold evening in Chicago, a Muslim family stood in a hospital hallway, holding one another in silence. Their father had just returned to his Lord. There were tears, of course. There were duʿāʾs whispered under trembling breath. There was the recitation: “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we return.” — Qur’an 2:156

But alongside the grief came something unexpected — anxiety. “How much will this cost?” “Who do we call?” “Where do we begin?” In America today, the average funeral costs between $8,000 and $15,000. In many cities, grave plots alone cost thousands of dollars. Transportation, paperwork, preparation, and cemetery coordination — each step adds weight to an already heavy heart. And in those fragile hours, no family should be forced to think about money.

Allah reminds us: “Every soul shall taste death.” — Qur’an 3:185. Death is certain. The timing is not. But dignity at death — that is something we can prepare for. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The believers, in their mutual mercy and compassion, are like one body. If one limb suffers, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.” — Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

What does that mercy look like in modern America? It looks like organized compassion. It looks like Muslims are standing together before tragedy strikes. It looks like the Muslim Funeral Service of the USA (MFSUSA). MFSUSA was born from a simple but profound question: What if no Muslim family ever had to scramble in their worst moment? What if the ghusl was arranged? What if the janāzah prayer were coordinated? What if the burial expenses were covered? What if the community carried the burden together?

The Prophet ﷺ once advised: “Be in this world as though you were a traveler.” — Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Travelers prepare before they depart. Membership in MFSUSA is preparation — not fearfully, but faithfully. For a modest one-time registration fee: $125 for the principal member, $25 for the spouse, and unmarried children. And $50 for parents living in the home. Members join a collective promise. And when a member returns to Allah, funeral-related expenses are covered — up to $10,000.

That means:

• Funeral services

• Casket and grave plot

• Transportation to and from the mosque and the cemetery

In a country where burial costs continue to rise every year, this protection is not a luxury. It is wisdom. When a member passes, the partnering mosque steps forward. From hospital or home, airport or care facility — the body is respectfully transferred. Volunteers assist the family with the Statement of Death, burial documentation, and coordination. Ghusl is performed with care. The janāzah prayer is arranged. The cemetery is prepared. An area coordinator remains available 24/7.

There is no panic. There is no scrambling. There is structure. There is dignity. And most importantly — there is community.

Allah commands: “And cooperate in righteousness and piety.” — Qur’an 5:2 Each year, members contribute a small amount to sustain operations — website maintenance, insurance, coordination, and transparent accounting. A professional accounting firm prepares annual financial statements, ensuring trust and clarity. This is not business. This is organized brotherhood and sisterhood. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever relieves a believer of hardship in this world, Allah will relieve him of hardship on the Day of Resurrection.” — Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Imagine standing before Allah knowing that your membership helped ease the burden of grieving families — perhaps even families you never met. That is a reward that outlives you.

The family in Chicago — the one standing in the hospital hallway — did not have to crowdsource funds. They did not argue with funeral homes about prices. They did not rush through paperwork alone. They were members. Their community carried them. And when their father was lowered into the earth, the only thing heavy in their hearts was grief — not debt.

No one knows where or when their soul will be taken. “And no soul knows in what land it will die.”— Qur’an 31:34 But we do know this: We can choose to prepare. We can choose to protect our families. We can choose to strengthen our community. Joining MFSUSA is not simply filling out a form. It is entering a covenant of mercy. It is saying: When my time comes, I want dignity. When your time comes, I will stand with you. And that is how a community survives — not only in life, but in death.

For additional questions or concerns, families may contact:

Director, Member Affairs📞 (408) 461-8002✉️ support@mfsusa.org