You can, but you should not rely on it. Wills are frequently not read until after burial, and Islamic burial happens within a day.
The Canadian position
Funeral directions in a will are generally not binding on the executor in most provinces, and practically they arrive too late to be acted on.
The Islamic position
Ghusl, kafan, salat al-janazah and prompt burial all happen within roughly twenty-four hours. A document opened a week later cannot govern them.
The four Sunni schools are not recorded as differing materially on this point in the sources reviewed. Where your own case turns on it, put it to a scholar of your school.
What to do about it
- Write burial wishes on a separate one-page document.
- Give copies to your spouse, your executor and your local masjid's funeral coordinator.
- Record whether you have a prepaid arrangement or a cemetery plot.
- Keep the will for the property; keep this for the first day.
General information, not legal or religious advice. Inheritance depends entirely on the exact family circumstances. Confirm the Canadian position with a lawyer in your province and any religious ruling with a qualified scholar.
Citations & sources
Every factual claim on this page traces to one of the references below. Legislation and dollar thresholds change — verify against the primary source before relying on any figure.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 55: Wills and Testaments (Wasaya) — Sunnah.com
- Sahih Muslim, Book of Wills — Sunnah.com
- Research Papers — Cambridge Muslim College
- Research — Cambridge Muslim College
- Academics — Islamic law and theology curriculum — Zaytuna College
- Encyclopaedia of Islam — Brill
- What to do when someone dies — Government of Ontario
- How to get a death certificate ontario — Treadstone Law
- Tax instalments deceased taxpayer final year canada — Treadstone Law
- Religious burial requirements conflict with family ontario — Treadstone Law
- Tfsa after death tax implications — Treadstone Law
- Executor access safety deposit box ontario — Treadstone Law
- Estate sale ontario selling deceased estate property — Treadstone Law
- Wills & estates practice — Treadstone Law