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. Burning the dead is considered a form of mutilation, forbidden by Allah.
[7] Because it is a collective obligation the entire Muslim community will be guilty if a Muslim body is not buried, unless the burial was beyond their knowledge or capacity. The rule in Islamic law is that every dead body should be buried in an individual grave.
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.
A person must be buried as soon as possible after death, says Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid, chairman for the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony in the UK. This is usually no more than 24 hours later. The reason for speedy burials partially stems from days when hygiene wasn't at its best, Dr Sajid says.
In Islamic law and Muslim cultures, burying the dead in the ground is regarded as the correct way of respecting dead bodies, while cremation is prohibited because it is considered a violation of the dignity of the human body.
Trimming hair and nails
Generally, this emanates from the belief that nails and hair were given to the children by the deceased as a parent and as such they shouldn't be trimmed during the mourning period and after the burial. At least you should wait for 49 days.
Burial should take place as soon as possible. It's typical to bury someone of the Islamic faith within three days, although most strive for within 24 hours.
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. Burning the dead is considered a form of mutilation, forbidden by Allah.
Like Orthodox Judaism, Islam has very strict views in opposition of cremation; of all the major faiths it is perhaps the most strongly and universally opposed to the practice. For Muslims, cremation is totally forbidden because it is viewed as sacrilegious and haram, meaning a sinful and unclean practice.
The one performed on a deceased Muslim is called Ghusl Mayyit. It's usually carried out by family members who are the same sex as the person who has died. It involves washing all parts of the body with soap and water in a specific way while maintaining privacy and dignity.
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.
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.
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.
In Islam, the deceased are to be buried within 24 hours. This was highlighted in media reports of the death of Osama bin Laden.
"Every soul shall have a taste of death: In the end to us shall you be brought back (Qur'an 29:57)." What is a 'good death' for Muslims? It it when a person is surrounded by family and has an opportunity to reflect on past sins and seek forgiveness.
Origins Of The Tradition
In Jewish communities, people gather at the burial and throw either 3 or 13 spadefuls of dirt on the casket. These customs are based on the idea of three layers of the soul in the case of 3 spadefuls, and throwing 13 spadefuls is a reference to the 13 spadefuls in the Psalms.
Eastern Orthodox Catholicism (Greek and Russian)
Eastern Orthodox churches strongly oppose cremation. This is because these orthodox religions associate cremation with a deliberate desecration of the body. These churches prefer the natural decomposition of a traditional burial.
It is generally agreed upon that an autopsy on an unidentified person following a severe accident is warranted and does not violate Islamic law. Additionally, when the law requires that an autopsy be performed, the Muslim should comply but inform the coroner's office so that arrangements can be made to proceed quickly.
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.
Four months and ten days, that's about 130 days (give or take a leap year) or a third of a year – the time a widow is meant to mourn for her husband in Islam. For everyone else it's just three days.
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.
If you have an adult with you at the funeral home, it is ok to touch a dead body, and you will not get in trouble. You are naturally curious, and sometimes when you see and touch a dead body it helps you answer your questions. Remember to be gentle and have an adult help you.
Some cultures believe that you should ritually cleanse yourself after services for the dead, but that is religious/cultural, rather than biological. You should not get anything on you at a funeral that would require bathing right away.
Some Evangelical Christians are adamant that guests at a viewing should not touch their deceased loved one's body at all. They believe touching or kissing the body at a viewing can be spiritually dangerous.