Characteristics of the Muslim Funeral Rite

it is It is interesting to discover the variety of funeral rites in the world, especially to understand how death itself is interpreted differently by each culture.

in the On our journey through funeral traditions, today we make a stop in the universe of Muslim funeral rites.

Muslim Funeral Rite: What Does the Qur'an Say?

in the Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam, there are no specific indications concerning the celebration of funeral rites. All Customs and Practices today, in fact, they are the result of ancient traditions handed down in the centuries depending on the groups and territories of origin.

before to analyze the different phases of the Muslim funeral rite, it is important to specify that there is a primary difference with, for example, the catholic religion, and is about the idea of death.

for Muslims, who believe in the resurrection, death signifies the passage to the resurrection. real life. For this reason, sobriety immediately catches the eye in Muslim funerals and composure of the participants and it is really unlikely to see people crying in despair.

Discover which phases of the rite is composed.

Stages of the Muslim ritual

Another What makes the Muslim ritual very special is its speed. It is important, in fact, that the body is buried as soon as possible. But they do exist of the phases that precede and follow this moment:

Preparation of the body

the The first stage consists of Ghusl, an essential purification, usually carried out by four family members and friends of the same sex of the deceased. The body, facing Mecca, is washed from the top to the top. bottom and from right to left three times in a row.

afterwards The deceased is dried and sprinkled with incense, camphor and perfumed oils. The body is then wrapped in white cloths, strictly in number odd, 3 for men and 5 for women.

prayer

after The preparation of the body begins the moment of collective prayer, during which mercy is asked for the deceased. As we said, in order to so that the burial takes place as soon as possible, there are no vigils or visits to family members.

the The ritual is coordinated by the Imam: the participants must arrange themselves in three rows, where the former is occupied primarily by the male relative.

In Next rows we have the other men, then the children and finally the women. The duration of the prayer varies from 30 to 70 minutes.

interment

after The body is taken to the cemetery. Religion provides that the body be buried without the coffin, but since in some cases In countries this is not allowed, it is customary to opt for a wooden coffin.

the tomb must be perpendicular to Mecca, so that the deceased is always arranged frontally. Finally, a prayer is recited and each Participant throws a pile of dirt into the grave.

One Fun fact: the tombstones are always very simple, there are no photos or writings that go beyond the date of birth and death and a verse from the Qur'an.

Condolences and mourning

Right away After the burial, the 3 days of mourning begin, during which the The deceased's family organizes a small refreshment to receive the condolence. The wife of the deceased, on the other hand, must avoid elegant clothes and conspicuous and cannot leave the house for the entire period of mourning, which lasts 4 months and 11 days.

if Did you find this article on the Muslim funeral rite interesting, discover the Curiosities about the funeral rite Anglo-Saxon.