What to do with a deceased person not known to be Muslim or non-Muslim

Question

Here we have a committee which, since 1780, has taken upon itself the responsibility for preparing and shrouding (tajhiz and takfin) deceased Muslims who have no relatives to claim them. Every month 40/50 bodies are handed over to the organisation from various hospitals of the city, accompanied by an official’s certificate on which “unknown” is written in place of the name. The organisation’s task is first to identify the body.

Answer

In these circumstances one may act only upon the predominant assumption (ghalib al-zann). So if the people of the organisation arrive at a predominant assumption that the deceased is a Muslim — whether from the certificate, from circumcision or from some other sign — then he is to be treated as it is commanded to treat a deceased Muslim.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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