Muslim Burial Organization of Los Angeles (MBOLA)
 | |
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2001 |
| Type | Performing all activities related to the death of a Muslim |
| Location | Los Angeles, USA |
| Other names | Wadi-us-Salam |
| Specifications | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Website | mbola.org |
The Muslim Burial Organization of Los Angeles (MBOLA) is a not-profit organization, run by volunteers to serve the Muslim community of Greater Los Angeles and to perform all activities related to the death of a Muslim according to Shi'a jurisprudence. Its activities include Ghusl, Kafn, Salat al-Mayyit, Burial, Talqin, Wahshat Prayer, and Fatiha Ceremony. The purpose of this organization is to provide a non-profit volunteer service to Muslim community in assisting the family of the deceased by making arrangements with established mortuaries/cemeteries for the burial of the deceased and performing burial rites according to the laws of Islamic Shari'a more specifically the Ja'fari school of fiqh.[1]
History
The MBOLA has been established since April 2001. And according to its official website, the idea was to have a system in place where an organized, well-trained group of volunteers can make all the arrangements in time and to make an association where the family of the deceased can just make one phone call and all the other arrangements could be taken care by this association.
By the end of 2008, MBOLA had performed Ghusls for over 250 Muslims. In the meantime, several community elders approached the MBOLA Board Members and asked them to buy a cemetery that is "our own" and in which all the services, prayers, burial rituals as well as post-burial MAJALIS (congregations) are performed. By the middle of 2007 MBOLA began its research in the greater Los Angeles area and found a few cemetery sites. After going through several rounds of negotiations MBOLA chose La Verne as the place. The name of Wadi-us-Salaam was chosen for the cemetery.
La Verne Cemetery is situated within the city and has 300 available grave lots. MBOLA presented this option for the community in January of 2009. As of August 2009 half of the graves have been sold. La Verne Cemetery is owned and operated by Melrose Abbey Memorial Park. MBOLA will work with La Verne Cemetery staff to perform the Burial process.
Services
This organization provide all the services needed after a Muslim die. It also assist the families of the deceased in getting the Death certificate, Arranging for the transportation plus other related issues. Services of this institute are as follows:
- Ghusl (Ritual Bath)
- Kafn (Shrouding the body)
- Salat al-Mayyit (an obligatory congregational prayer performed beside the body of the deceased, before it is buried)
- Burial; MBOLA has also two cemeteries in which the bodies could be buried. The names of the cemeteries are Wadi-us-Salaam and Wadi-e-Hussain.
- Talqin (some Dhikr and prayers that have to be said when the body is being placed in the grave)
- Salat al-Wahshat (a Mustahab prayer that the community of Mu'mins should perform during the first night after the burial)
- Fatiha Ceremony (a ceremony which is held after the burial and the community of Mu'mins gather and recite the Qur'an, specially Sura al-Fatiha, for the deceased and say prayers)
