Notes on memorials, cemeteries and inscriptions.
Practical guidance for families and fabricators, from the people behind the studio and Muslim Serenity Stones & Grave Markers.
Muslim headstones for graves: what they look like, what they say
A Muslim headstone is usually a modest flat or low stone with the name, dates and a short prayer. What families choose, what cemeteries allow, how to get one.
Read the articleCemetery rules for Islamic headstones: what to check before you design
Marker type, size, material and inscription rules differ from one cemetery to the next. Here is what to confirm before a single line is drawn.
Read the articleA stone at the head: what Islamic tradition says about grave markers
The Sunnah allows a simple marker so a grave can be found, and warns against building over graves. Here is where the scholars agree, where they differ, and how families keep a headstone modest.
Read the articleGranite or marble? Choosing the stone for a memorial
How the two classic memorial stones differ in durability, upkeep, colour and engraving, and how to preview either before you decide.
Read the articleChoosing the words: inscriptions families place on Muslim headstones
The phrases, verses and supplications most often engraved on Muslim graves, with the Arabic, a transliteration and a translation, plus Urdu and Farsi epitaphs and how to check them before cutting.
Read the articleGetting Arabic, Urdu and Farsi inscriptions right on a headstone
Connected scripts break easily between a design file and an engraver's machine. What to know about typefaces, direction and proofs so the stone reads correctly.
Read the articleWriting the dates: Hijri, Gregorian or both
How to show the dates of birth and death on a Muslim headstone, how to convert to the Hijri calendar without being a day out, and which numerals to use in Arabic, Urdu and Farsi.
Read the articleFlat, bevel, slant or upright: the four marker types and the sizes cemeteries expect
What each kind of grave marker is, the dimensions fabricators treat as standard, which ones Muslim sections usually allow, and how to set each up in the studio.
Read the articleWhat a headstone costs, and what moves the price
Typical price ranges for flat markers and upright monuments in the United States, the line items families forget to budget for, and the choices that raise or lower a quote.
Read the articleHow soon after the burial can the headstone be set?
Why cemeteries ask families to wait for the ground to settle, how long that usually takes for flat markers and uprights, what winter does to the schedule, and what to do in the meantime.
Read the articleWhat to send a fabricator, and what to ask them
The files a monument company needs to cut a headstone from your design, what each one is for, the engraving methods they may offer, and the questions that prevent surprises on the proof.
Read the articleCaring for a granite headstone
How to clean a memorial without harming it, what never to use, how often to visit, and the signs that a stone needs a professional rather than a family member.
Read the article