History

Muslims have been residing in Minnesota for more than 30 years. Our numbers are growing. But in spite of the demographic changes we have not been able to establish a cemetery that is exclusively for Muslims.
The land in Castle Rock is ideal for development of a cemetery that will cover the needs of a diverse Muslim community for the next two hundred years. There are Muslim immigrants from about 40 different nations residing in the Twin Cities. This cemetery will serve the needs of Muslims all over the Twin Cities Metro area. Though the Muslim community in Minnesota has long history only recently, our burials, according to Muslim rights, have the chance and the hope of becoming possible. Until now we have been burying our dead in extensions of existing cemeteries or shipping our loved ones back to the countries of our origin. We Muslim immigrants have found ourselves in this strange dilemma here while all societies internationally accord any community the fundamental dignity of burying their dead in accordance with their own unique rites.

The cemetery project began in 2012. After two years of searching, we purchased 72+ acres of
land. Even though the zoning allowed a cemetery, the Castle Rock Township rejected the Conditional Use Permit. After eight years of rejections, obstacles, legal battles and being vandalized twice, the cemetery is finally approved and close to operating. 

Motive Behind the Project

From an Islamic Law perspective, separating the cemetery of the Muslims from non-muslim
cemeteries is necessary. All Muslim school of thoughts hold this position, including Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi, and Hanbali Madhabs. Sharing cemeteries with non muslims is not a choice, rather it is done out of dire necessity. It is time for Muslims to establish there cemeteries like they’ve established there Masjids. It is estimated that approximately 350,000 Muslims reside in Minnesota with about 250,000 living in the Twin Cities Metro Area. Just as we have established ourselves within the community with regards to Masjids, schools, marketplaces, and other establishments, having our own cemetery is 

Meeting the need of the community

Al Maghfirah Muslim Cemetery will address current issues we face with burying our dead along
with forthcoming issues if we continue to use 

  ● Convenient parking lots at the cemetery location 
  ● Reasonable space between graveyards to avoid overstepping or walking on the existing cemeteries 
  ● Flexible schedule to meet community needs to bury loved ones as soon as possible 
  ● A complete burial process from th beginning to the end, such as Ghusl(washing) and Salatul Janazah(burial prayer) 
  ● Sufficient burial places for generations to come

How big is the cemetery’s land?

Al Maghfirah purchased approximately 74 acres of land in Castle Rock, MN. The land is
expected to accommodate Muslim burials in Minnesota for two centuries. The average Muslim deaths per year in Minnesota have almost doubled or tripled in the previous two decades. The average in 2007 was 80 to 90 deaths per year. In 2019 we recorded 190 deaths which went up to 312 during COVID, and 280 in this past year.