A Funeral Fit for a Muslim

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A Funeral Fit for a MuslimJust like Christians, Jews or people with other religions, Muslims also follow certain traditions when it comes to burials. A service for a deceased Muslim is usually done at home but in today’s modern times, there have already been funeral homes that understand and implement Muslim traditions during services.

Sources tell me that Muslim people do not embalm the bodies of the deceased. They do not even believe in cremation.

The following are the traditions of Muslims when it comes to death, burial and services:

  • Immediately after the death of a Muslim, the family will arrange for the burial of the body. This is quite similar to the Jewish tradition wherein the deceased should not be left in this world for too long. In just a couple of days, the body must be buried facing Mecca.

 

  • After the death of the person has been confirmed, the body is being cleansed very well. Their eyes will be shut and the body will be wrapped in a white sheet.  The body should be ritually cleaned according to tradition but this helps because there will be no embalming. This is also one reason why the body needs to be buried as quickly as possible.

 

  • If there is a need for an autopsy to be performed, the family will agree to it. But if it is unnecessary, autopsies will be prohibited. The body must still be respected even after death. The processes of autopsy, embalming or cremation are methods that can disturb the body of the deceased.

 

  • Unlike Christians, the women in Islam can never attend the burials of their deceased. They shall remain home when the body of the departed is being buried. The family is also in charge of the service and the burial which means there is almost little to no participation of a funeral director in the process.

 

  • The caskets used during burials are made of wood. But you will also find other Muslim cultures that still practice burying their dead without any casket at all.

 

  • The burial must be done in the area where they died because transporting a dead body from one location to another is highly discouraged.