FAQs

FAQs:

·       What’s the first thing I should do, when someone dies in my family?

·       Call MMCC at 877-991-6622 & our competent staff will walk you through the entire process. MMCC is a licensed Funeral Establishment (FD-2119).  (Verify)

·       What follows after I call MMCC?

·       Well, our staff will do the following: (1) gather pertinent information from you that includes, Name of the deceased, First of kin (contact details), choice of mortuary & cemetery; (2) notify mortuary for transporting the deceased & getting mortuary ready for Ghusl & arranging the volunteers for Ghusl; (3) coordinate with the County Coroner’s office for getting necessary permits for burial, and (4) notifying the cemetery to prepare a grave site.

·       If for some reason, the burial is delayed more than a day or two and the body has to be preserved in the mortuary, are there any extra charges?

·       In most cases, it rarely happens but when it does happen and if the deceased is in one of the Masjid associated mortuary, there will be no extra charge. However, we strongly recommend that you voluntarily ‘donate’ to the Masjid as they will incur a higher electricity bill for keeping the body in an air-conditioned room for 24X7.

·       Can we transport the deceased from home or hospital to mortuary or from mortuary to cemetery?

·       CA State regulations require only licensed persons to handle the transportation of the deceased from one place to the other.

·       Can someone from my family perform Salat al Janaza?

·       Yes. The family can inform the Masjid administration or Imam of their preference.

·       What information would be on the tombstone?

·       The tombstones are standardized and will include the following info: (1) Name of the deceased. (2) Year of birth & death. (3) A supplication.

·       Can we place a lamp or any other ornamentals on the grave? 

·       MMCC’s contractual terms with the Cemetery require the graves to be standardized with no exceptions.  

·       Can women come to the cemetery?

·       MMCC has no policy or preference in this regard & it is up to the family to decide. 

·       How long does it take to bury the deceased?

·       It depends on what time of the day/night death happens and what day of the week it is. That said, in most cases, you should expect the funeral/burial to take place within 36 hours or less.

·       What if the Coroner’s office insists for an autopsy?

·       The Coroner does an autopsy only if & when the deceased had died either in an accident (to determine if the deceased was under drug/alcohol influence) or in case of a murder/suicide. MMCC has no influence over what Coroner does or does not but the next of kin can always ask Coroner’s office to avoid autopsy because of religious reasons.

·       Can I keep the deceased at home instead in a mortuary?

·       CA State regulations require the deceased to be kept only in a licensed mortuary until the burial.

·       Can I perform Ghusl of the deceased in my home instead in a mortuary?

·       CA State regulations require the Ghusl to be performed in a licensed mortuary.

·       Are non-Muslim relatives/friends allowed to observe the burial?

·       Yes.

·       Can I place flowers on the grave?

·       Yes but you should know that the cemetery removes the flowers every Wednesday evening. MMCC has no control in this regard.

·       Can I light candles on the grave?

·       MMCC’s contractual terms with the Cemetery require that graves don’t have any candle (electronic or flame) on the grave.

·       Can we visit the grave anytime?

·       Yes of course you can visit the grave anytime during the designated hours of operation of the particular cemetery. We ask that you check the website of the cemetery for their business hours.

·       Can we bury the deceased without a casket or a cement box?

·       CA State regulations require that the deceased by placed in a cement box.

·       Can MMCC not cover the cement box the deceased is placed in?

·       CA State regulations require that the cement box be closed. 

·       Is the cement box cost included in the overall burial costs?

·       The cement box is included in the overall burial costs.

·       What’s the cost of the tombstone?

·       The approx cost of tombstone is approximately $900 at the La Verne, Melrose, and Montecito cemeteries, paid directly to the cemetery.

·       Is the cost of tombstone included in the overall burial costs?
The cost of the tombstone is included in the Westminster overall burial costs, but not included for the La Verne, Melrose, and Montecito cemeteries.

·       Can I buy a grave while I am alive?

·       Yes of course you can buy in advance. In fact we strongly recommend everyone to do just that. It saves you money as the cost of grave keeps going up. Cal 310-594-6726 to make a complete purchase now.

·       Do I have to pay all at once or can I pay in installments?

·       All at once, Call 909-821-9310 to make a purchase.

·       What happens if I move out from SoCal?

·       You can either transfer the ownership to a friend or a family or donate it back to MMCC.

·       Can I transfer my ownership of grave to someone else?

·       Sure, you can transfer your ownership of the grave to a family or a friend.

·       How do I go about transferring the ownership to another person?

·       You contact the MMCC with a written request to transfer it to whoever with their contact information.

·       Is there a transfer fee & if yes how much?

·       Yes, there’s a minimum transfer of ownership administrative fee of $100?  Also, to help service others less fortunate than yourself, MMCC always welcomes your donation.

·       Why is the funeral/burial costs so high?

·       So the total cost has three components, as follows: (1) the service cost of the Mortuary which includes transporting the deceased & cost of Mortuary use, Ghusl, Kafan, etc. (2) the cost of the grave, cement box and the tombstone (only in Westminster Memorial), and (3) the charges for opening and closing the grave. Of these, only #2 (the cost of the grave) is relevant to MMCC and MMCC has NO control on #1 (Mortuary) & #3 (Cemetery). ALL costs are subject to inflation just as everything else in life.

·       Can we place a tombstone of our choice from another vendor?

·       MMCC’s contractual terms with the Cemetery require that tombstones are standardized.

·       Can MMCC help in organizing a memorial service at a Masjid?

·       MMCC recommends that you coordinate with the Masjid of your choice to organize a memorial service.