Question Summary:
Burial of the body

Question Detail:

 
please can you explain the burial of the body according to the sharia.
1) do we need to leave a gap above the body. eg by putting blanks of wood a foot above the body. (people say that the body will sit up to be asked the 3 questions thats the reason for the gap.
2) can we make a group dua after the burial and does it we need to face Qibla.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The purpose of the gap is not to facilitate the sitting of the deceased in the grave. The planks are placed above the body on the side of the wall to bear the weight of the sand in order to avoid the sand falling directly on the deceased.[1]
It is permissible to make du’a collectively after the burial. However, facing the qiblah is not necessary.[2]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Zakariya Memon
Student Darul Iftaa
Chatham, Canada 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
Daruliftaa.net