Unlike many other religions, Buddhism does not require its adherents to follow particular funerary practices. Many Buddhists, however, prefer cremation over burial in order to follow in the footsteps of Siddhartha Gautama — the Buddha — who was himself cremated.
Of all world religions, Islam is probably the most strongly opposed to cremation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, there is little diversity of opinion about it. Cremation is considered by Islam to be an unclean practice.
Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death.
Do Buddhists Bury the Dead? Buddhists typically favor cremation because they believe it is an important way to release the soul from the physical form. Buddha himself was cremated, so his followers often follow his lead. But burial with embalming is allowed, too.
Buddhists and cremation
Due to their belief in reincarnation, cremation is seen as the preferred choice when a loved one dies. The physical body holds little significance to the Buddhist faith, it is merely a vessel for holding the soul. Buddhists also believe in organ donation as it is seen as a good deed.
Cremation is prohibited under Islamic law because, unlike in some cultures, it is considered a violation of the dignity of the human body. Based on reports attributed to Prophet Muhammed it is mustaḥab (or preferred)—i.e., not farḍ/wājib (compulsory)—to bury the dead bodies quickly.
Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death. Those carrying out this duty should be immunised against hepatitis B and be aware of the hazards of AIDS.
Final Resting State. The funeral rites are very similar within the various traditions of Hinduism. Most Hindus cremate the dead, though some communities allow burial. Those who cremate make exceptions for young children and devout older believers.
The first 49 days after a loved one's death are the most important in Buddhism because we believe it takes a total of 49 days for one's spirit and energy to be fully released.
Hindus believe that burning the body, and, hence, destroying it, helps the departed soul get over any residual attachment it may have developed for the deceased person. In fact, all the Dharmic faiths —Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism — believe in some variation of this fundamental principle.
Burials are permitted in either a suitable container for burial (a coffin) or the deceased can be wrapped in a shroud. If a shroud is to be used, a suitable container must be provided to transport the deceased to the graveside.
Can a woman attend a Muslim funeral? Traditionally, only men are allowed to attend the burial, however, some Muslim communities permit women to attend.
Equally the Quran says that: 'If anyone saves a life, it is as if he saves the lives of all humankind'. Thus many Muslims understand from this verse that donating one's organs is a blessed act. In 1995, the Muslim Law (Sharia) Council UK issued a fatwa, religious edict, saying organ donation is permitted.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven. So there's no need to worry, if God can create life from dust, surely he can restore life from ashes.
Unlike our previous examples, Judaism traditionally doesn't allow cremation.
As a Catholic, may I be cremated? Yes. In May 1963, the Vatican's Holy Office (now the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith) lifted the prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation.
May he come to eternal rest from samsara and reach nirvana. Share the good things you know about the person who passed away. Give him a blessing by wishing for his eternal rest from the death and life cycle. Whether you knew the person well or not, condolences such as these should be well received.
In the olden days, family members would all gather together in the house of the deceased on the seventh day following the death date. This is when the dearly departed is thought to return back home.
After death, Hindus believe that the physical body serves no purpose, and therefore does not need to be preserved. They choose to cremate their loved ones as they believe it's the quickest way to release the soul and help with reincarnation.
In Islam, funeral rites are prescribed by the divine law. Burying the dead is the method prescribed. Islamic belief holds that only Allah knows what is good or bad for us and that the body should be treated with the utmost respect in life and in death.
Hindus believe that the soul of the deceased stays attached to its body even after its demise, and by cremating the body, it can be set free. As a final act, a close family member forcefully strikes the burning corpse's skull with a stick as if to crack it open and release the soul.
This is traditionally performed based on the belief that by tying the big toes, the right and the left energies of the body come together and the energy remaining after death flows in a circle and forces the putrefying gases to get pushed upwards in to the mouth or the skull and prevents its accumulation in the lower ...
The majority of Sunni Muslims believe tattooing is a sin, because it involves changing the natural creation of God, inflicting unnecessary pain in the process. Tattoos are classified as dirty things, which is prohibited in Islam.
What's really returned to you is the person's skeleton. Once you burn off all the water, soft tissue, organs, skin, hair, cremation container/casket, etc., what you're left with is bone. When complete, the bones are allowed to cool to a temperature that they can be handled and are placed into a processing machine.
For thousands of years, Jewish law has held that burial in the ground was the only acceptable option for the Jewish faith. And yet today, despite tradition and continued opposition from some in the Jewish community, many Jews are choosing cremation instead of – or as part of – traditional burial.