The general mourning period is three days following the death. Most families will stay together in a family home and receive guests- friends and more distant family coming to express condolences and offer prayers on behalf of the deceased and family.
For everyone else it's just three days. This period, known as 'iddah' is meant to be a time when a bereaved Muslim woman doesn't mix with society unless she has responsibilities, such as going to work to provide for her family, it's meant to be a time when she takes a break from society.
Muslims believe that when a human being dies, their soul returns to their creator, awaiting the Day Of Judgement. In Islam, we can take solace in knowing that we will be united with those we love, and that death is just the beginning of the journey to our permanent home in the afterlife.
The imam explains those who follow the Islamic faith believe the soul is separated from the body during death. But the soul lives on and may visit loved ones on the seventh and 40th days after death as well as one year later.
The Islamic faith doesn't allow coffins or burial caskets. Instead, those burying the body will place stones or wood at the bottom of the grave to prevent the body from contacting the soil and gently lay their loved one on top with their right side facing the qibla.
Visitors to the grave may recite supplications and recitations recommended by scholars. Visitors are strongly advised not to step on or over a grave or sit on a grave.
There is rarely an open casket at an Islamic funeral. The funeral is typically held outside the mosque, in a location such as a prayer room, community square, or courtyard, where members of the community may gather. The body and all attendees are all turned to face Mecca, which is the holy center of Islam.
Spiritual teachers and biblical references suggest that our beloved departed ones may know when we visit their grave, and people may feel a sense of being watched or comforted when they visit a loved one's grave.
Mourning. According to Sunni Islam, loved ones and relatives are to observe a three-day mourning period. Islamic mourning is observed by increased devotion, receiving visitors and condolences, and avoiding decorative clothing and jewelry in accordance with the Qur'an.
24-72 hours after death — the internal organs decompose. 3-5 days after death — the body starts to bloat and blood-containing foam leaks from the mouth and nose. 8-10 days after death — the body turns from green to red as the blood decomposes and the organs in the abdomen accumulate gas.
Relaxation of the muscles occurs right before someone passes away, which is then followed by rigor mortis, or the stiffening of the body. This relaxation impacts the muscles in the eyes and can cause some to open their eyes right before passing, and remain open after passing.
Questionings in the grave
Nakir and Munkar prop the deceased soul upright in the grave and ask three questions: Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your prophet?
The separation of the soul from the body, that is the ending of life. That is death. No matter how it happens, there is pain.” When death is sudden and totally unexpected, you may find that you and your family members react in ways that seem strange and unfamiliar.
It is customary that on the third day after cremation, the karta goes to the cremation service area and collects the ashes of the deceased. The karta would then see that the ashes were disposed of in a significant river. In India, many still travel to the Ganges River to scatter the ashes there.
The term Barzakh indicates that the deceased and the living are entirely separated and can not interact with each other. Otherwise Barzakh refers to the whole period between the Day of Resurrection and death and is used synonymously for "grave".
Stage 4: Black putrefaction - 10 to 20 days after death
The exposed parts of the body are black in colour and there is a very strong smell of decay. A large volume of body fluids drain from the body at this stage and seep into the surrounding soil.
The period of mourning usually lasts 40 days, but this will vary depending on the family. Traditionally, the mourning period for a widow is longer: four months and ten days. During this time, they must wear black, remain in their husband's home, and are forbidden to interact with men they could potentially marry.
While sorrow and tears are an expected response to the loss of a loved one, Muslims will strive to express grief in a reserved and dignified manner. Loud wailing or prolonged outbursts of grief would be considered inappropriate because they demonstrate a weakness of faith.
The third reason to observe the Iddat period is to provide the widowed woman enough time to mourn to the demise of her husband and to make sure that the woman does not marry soon after the demise of her husband and do not mock the society, as according to them, the society will look down upon the woman who does so.
After someone dies, it's normal to see or hear them. Some people also reporting sensing the smell or warmth of someone close to them, or just feel a very strong sense of their presence. Sometimes these feelings can be very powerful. They may be comforting but also feel disturbing.
If the coffin is sealed in a very wet, heavy clay ground, the body tends to last longer because the air is not getting to the deceased. If the ground is light, dry soil, decomposition is quicker. Generally speaking, a body takes 10 or 15 years to decompose to a skeleton.
When we pass by a graveyard, we are recommended to say: "Assalamu alaikum, or peace be to you. This is the dwelling place of people who were believers." This is a greeting to the dead which is communicated to them by God. The angels reply to us on their behalf, even though we do not hear their reply.
It's not customary to bring gifts, flowers or donations to a Muslim funeral. During the traditional 40-day mourning period after the burial, it's appropriate to send flowers and food. Food and beverages should follow Islamic dietary restrictions.
Islam. The sacred texts of Islam prefer burial on land, "so deep that its smell does not come out and the beasts of prey do not dig it out". However, if a person dies at sea and it is not possible to bring the body back to land before decay, or if burial at land becomes impossible, burial at sea is allowed.
Embalming is not allowed in Islam. It is not necessary due to the urgency of when the body must be buried and it conflicts with the Islamic law.