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Community News - Community News

Written by Muslim Link Staff

Thursday, 11 March 2010 12:46

With the large Muslim population in the region, funeral prayers are a weekly occurrence at area masajid.

With a standard plot and burial costing as much as $6,000, several masajid in Maryland are joining together to better negotiate with cemetery owners.

The Inter-Masjid Janazah Committee includes representatives from the Muslim Community Center, the Islamic Community Center of Laurel, Dar Al-Taqwa, Prince George’s Muslim Association, Islamic Society of Annapolis, and Idara Jaferi.

Prince George’s Muslim Association owns a herse and is already approved for building a ghusl facility at the masjid so area Muslim can avoid dealing with funeral homes outright. The masjid congregation also includes a licensed mortician, a required functionary for conducting funeral activities.

Cemetery plots cost between $1750 and $3000 in the local area including vault and opening and closing fees. The Islamic Center of MD in Gaithersburg, Islamic Society of Western MD in Hagerstown, and the Islamic Society of Frederick combined resources several years ago to purchase a site for burial. The all-Muslim cemetery, Al-Firdaus Memorial Gardens, opened in 2008 and has the capacity for 7300 burials.