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Islam Burial Rituals and Practices

"Death awaits every living creature, and every thing must end."
--Maxim of Ali

In the Islam religion, it is customary to begin processes for burying the dead within 24 hours of the death. In non-Muslim countries, this can sometimes be a problem if the death occurs on a weekend or a holiday, when a death certificate can not be attained, and therefore the process cannot start. It begins with a ritual washing of the body; men washing men's bodies and women washing women's bodies. Either a man or woman may wash a child's body, and a husband is allowed to wash his wife's body, and vise-versa, if the need arises. It is preferred that the body is washed by close friends or relatives, rather than hospital staff or undertakers. Imams (prayer leaders of mosques) may also wash men, as well as midwifes may also wash females. Washing was traditionally done at the graveside, and still is if facilities are available. However, it is more common now to perform this in a mosque, which often has special sections for this purpose. The entire body is then wrapped in a funeral shroud made of clean, white cloth, tied at the head and the feet.

Prayers

Funeral prayers, called salat ul janazah, are said over the body during the ceremony, which takes place at the house of the deceased. These are similar to the typical daily prayers, but with special additions relating to death. Mourners form rows facing the direction of Mecca, with the prayer leader and the body in front. The prayer leader is usually someone who the deceased chose before their death, a close relative, or the family Imam. An example of a prayer is below (in Arabic and English):

Subhanakallhumma wa bihamdika wa tabarakasmuka wa ta'ala jadduka wa jalla sana'ukawala ilaha ghairuk.

God! Thou art pure and Supreme.
High praise and Thanksgiving is due to Thee.
Thy Name is the Most Blessed one and the Bestower of Good.
Thy Exaltedness and Glory art Most High.
Thy Praise is Great and there is deity except Thee.

Typical funeral prayers include saying "Allāhu Akbar" which means "God is Great," followed by the mourners folding their hands on their chests. There are different prayers depending on whether the deceased is a male or female, adult or child. Also, the first chapter of the Quar'an is read quietly, which is as follows:

A funeral procession then takes place from the mosque to the gravesite. This is often done with a horse-drawn hearse. Mourners walk with the body, in front of it or beside it. Those who drive typically follow the rest of the procession. Silence is typically recommended for this part.

Burial

The site of the grave is also very important in the Islam religion. Additionally, both cremation and embalming are forbidden in the Muslim faith, and the practice of burying at sea is only allowed if absolutely necessary. The grave itself should be aligned on a northeast to southwest axis, facing Mecca. The wrapped body is put directly into the ground, without any kind of casket. This cannot be done in some places because either the soil is too loose or wet, or because of laws. In that case, the shrouded corpse is places in a dirt-filled concrete vault, in order to keep within the symbolism of the religion and the requirements of the government. Graves are to be raised between four and twelve inches from the ground. This is to prevent anyone from sitting of walking on the grave, which is strictly forbidden. It is forbidden to level the grave, as is the practice of many cemeteries in order to make the sites easier to maintain. These problems have led to the creation of private, all-Muslim cemeteries, or separate sections of cemetaries that allow for the adherence of these many specifications. Graves markers are very simple, because outwardly lavish displays are discourages in the Muslim faith. They believe that money spent on things like that would be better spent on helping the poor, etc. Many times graves may even be unmarked, or marked only with a simple wreath. However, it is becoming more and more common for family members to erect grave monuments.

Only men are allowed to attend the actual graveside service. The body is laid on its right side, with the head facing Mecca, and the shroud is removed from the face. Those present at the grave each take their turn in pouring three handfuls of soil into the grave while reciting "We created you from it, and return you into it, and from it we will raise you a second time", surah 20:55 from the Qur'an. More prayers are then said, asking for forgiveness of the deceased, and reminding the dead of his or her profession of faith.

Important people of faith, (saints, etc), are often memorialized by covering the grave with a small dome structure called a makaam. Mosques may even be built around the graves, which then become places of pilgrimages to those who practice the faith of the Wahabi sect of Muslim.

Muslim men finishing a grave


A natural Muslim grave

Post-Burial

Directly after the funeral ceremony has taken place, Muslims believe that two angels come down from heaven to interrogate the deceased. They question the dead to see if they have lived a good life, as well as see how much the deceased knows about God and the Prophet. Because of this, those who are present at the moment pray to help the deceased in their interrogations.

Official mourning lasts three days, and is marked with a banquet to remember the deceased. On the third day, relatives visit the grave once more and read passages from the Quar'an.

After someone's death, it is customary to only remember the deceased in a positive light, and to say only good things about the person. Muslims believe that the dead can hear the words of the living, so when visitors come to the grave, it is proper to greet the deceased. They also pray for the deceased and for the forgiveness of their sins.

"After the death of a person, his actions stop, except for three things that he leaves behind.
First, continuous charity. Second, knowledge from which some benefit may be obtained.
Third, a virtous child who prays for him."
--The Messanger of Allah