Muslim Funeral Customs
by Mortuary Transport Expert ~ April 21st, 2008. Filed under: Religious Customs, Removal Stories.
This is a little information on Muslim death customs. My personal experience has been varied. The most devout Muslims require the bathing, shrouding and burial within 24 hours of death, even if it means delaying the declared time of death.
Since I offered death certificate processing services, cemetery delivery services as well as removal services, I had one removal where they had me on standby for a woman who was expected to die any hour. She finally died around 1 AM, I came to the facility she was in before 2 AM, and moved her to cold storage I had permission to use from one of my funeral homes. I was being contracted for transportation and death certificate services only, not as a funeral director, which I was not.
Yes, I know there can be some liability issues from the funeral home side, and that’s why it’s important make sure your liability insurance is up to date and that you have the training and experience to avoid some of the mistakes that can happen. That’s why I bought a Rescue Randy mannikin to train my employees with instead of using actual bodies, since if someone drop and damaged a body, you’re looking at a big potential lawsuit.
Later that morning, one of my drivers transported her body the the mosque of the family for bathing. Now, it’s good to note that many Muslim families will request that a female be present if not be the transporting driver with a female decedent. With housecalls especially, just about every time, the family has requested a female present with transporting a female Muslim.
During this time, I got the doctor’s signature on the death certificate and filed it with the county so the burial could happen that day.
They bathed and shrouded her body, put her in a casket they already had in their possession, and I came back late that afternoon and transported her to the cemetery. They put the casket in the van for me, and then it was taken for granted that they would remove the casket from the van. They then put the casket on their shoulders (about 15-20 males), and they carried her to her burial place.
I had other Muslim removals where the bathing was done at the funeral home in the embalming room, with an embalmer present to supervise the facility’s usage.
Here’s some additional info.
Care for the Dying
When a Muslim is near death, those around him or her are called upon to give comfort, and reminders of God’s mercy and forgiveness. They may recite verses from the Qur’an, give physical comfort, and encourage the dying one to recite words of remembrance and prayer. It is recommended, if at all possible, for a Muslim’s last words to be the declaration of faith: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.”Upon death, those with the deceased are encouraged to remain calm, pray for the departed, and begin preparations for burial. The eyes of the deceased should be closed, and the body covered temporarily with a clean sheet. It is forbidden for those in mourning to excessively wail, scream, or thrash about. Grief is normal when one has lost a loved one, and it is natural and permitted to cry. When the Prophet Muhammad’s own son died, he said: “The eyes shed tears and the heart is grieved, but we will not say anything except which pleases our Lord.” One should strive to be patient, and remember that Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away, at a time appointed by Him. It is not for us to question His wisdom.
Muslims strive to bury the deceased as soon as possible after death, avoiding the need for embalming or otherwise disturbing the body of the deceased. An autopsy may be performed, if necessary, but should be done with the utmost respect for the dead.
Washing and Shrouding
In preparation for burial, the family or other members of the community will wash and shroud the body. (If the deceased was killed as a martyr, this step is not performed; martyrs are buried in the clothes they died in.) The deceased will be washed respectfully, with clean and scented water, in a manner similar to how Muslims make ablutions for prayer. The body will then be wrapped in sheets of clean, white cloth (called the kafan).Funeral Prayers
The deceased is then transported to the site of the funeral prayers (salat-l-janazah). These prayers are commonly held outdoors, in a courtyard or public square, not inside the mosque. The community gathers, and the imam (prayer leader) stands in front of the deceased, facing away from the worshippers. The funeral prayer is similar in structure to the five daily prayers, with a few variations. (For example, there is no bowing or prostration, and the entire prayer is said silently but for a few words.)Burial
The deceased is then taken to the cemetery for burial (al-dafin). While all members of the community attend the funeral prayers, only the men of the community accompany the body to the gravesite. It is preferred for a Muslim to be buried where he or she died, and not be transported to another location or country (which may cause delays or require embalming the body). If available, a cemetery (or section of one) set aside for Muslims is preferred. The deceased is laid in the grave (without a coffin if permitted by local law) on his or her right side, facing Mecca. At the gravesite, it is discouraged for people to erect tombstones, elaborate markers, or put flowers or other momentos. Rather, one should humbly remember Allah and His mercy, and pray for the deceased.
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February 12th, 2009 at 10:33 am
1. In the text at the top of the page the word “Muslim is spelled “muslim” several times. Please change to upper case “M”. This is disrespectful to all faiths, not only Muslims.
2. I did not find a telephone number on your website. I need to know the price for your gurney and in which town you are located so I can pick it up to save what may be a high shipping cost. I need this information immediately.
3. If you need more information about Islamic preparation of the diseased for burial I can give you the telephone number of the person at our mosque in Santa Clara that directs that function. The gurney that we wish to purchase is for that mosque. We have our own facility.
Best regards,
Yousef Salem
408-736-3555
Thanks.
February 12th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Normally, I wouldn’t respond to any comments directly on my site, but I find this to be an exception.
First of all, I have no problem with the concept of spelling words properly, using proper punctuation and using good english grammer. I’ve updated the post with the uppercase M for the word muslim, as it is proper spelling and grammer. I did not spell check the post when I first wrote it, so I have no problem correcting it.
On the other hand, your statement that it is disrespectful to all faiths is so full of hooey, that you have no business even replying to this site. You don’t have to look at it if you find improper or poor grammer disrespectful. You can find the word christian and jew and buddhist with lower case all over the place, and you don’t have people whining about it being disrespectful to all faiths.
I do not express myself as an expert on any religious faiths, in fact the post begins with ‘my experience’. If you had any idea about other faiths, you wouldn’t be making such a big deal about your own. Here in America, we’re allowed to have mistaken thinking and opinions about religion, politics and money, even if they’re considered taboo to discuss in polite company.
I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with the Muslim community, but I’ve never had anyone come across as uninformed about American society and the internet community as your comment displays. You have absolutely no idea what respect of other faiths is, though you shroud your comment as such.
Next, I do not stock gurneys, they are drop shipped from the manufacturer. You will have to find another source for your gurney, since I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone I wish. You most certainly may not have my phone number, as I do not want you to call me.
Lastly, I am not interested in more information about Islamic preparation, but if anyone else is, I will leave your comment on my site for others to follow up on.
The problem I have with those of you who ‘defend’ elements of the Muslim ideology is that you consider yourself so unequal to the rest of the world, that you can say or do as you please as long as it fits your idea of what is right, but you don’t have to allow any other dissenting opinion about your ideas without playing the victim or the bully. Please remove my site from your history, bookmarks and cognition.
June 1st, 2009 at 4:00 pm
I am an American woman with an important question. I work at an IHOP, where our very much loved manager recently passed away from a heart attack. This was such a shock to us all, and is still hard to believe. Any one who goes to IHOP knows they never close, however the owner , who was good friends with the mangaer, choose to close the IHOP that late morning of the funeral ,so that the employees could attend the funeral. Now, this is my question:Why would the muslim owners agree to close IHOP so that all the employees could go, and then give all the non Muslim employees and friends of the deseased , the WRONG TIMES AND DIRECTIONS?????
That is the most wicked things I have ever expierenced before. Evryone missed a days work,and got all dressed up to go to this mans funeral, whom we truly loved, and was given the wrong everything, because ” they” didnt wnat us there. Simply , because were not muslims. I cant unnderstand why anyone would do such a thing. Not to mention, this was totally premeditated, all the muslim employess had the correct address. By the time we finally found the place , the funeral was over, and we were unable to pay our last respects for a man we all loved very,very much. I was just hoping you could explain how these people think,sine they make it clear that they are worlds differant, and why they could be soooo hateful, to people who loved him so much.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:36 am
I’m sorry, I cannot venture to answer why they gave wrong directions, time, etc. You may want to ask. From a historical perspective of the beliefs of Muslims, I do know they are advised (maybe too soft a word) to lie to those who don’t believe the way they do, which would be all non-Muslims. They see it as moral to lie in that case, so they probably see nothing wrong with what they did. It does show again how unwilling they are to assimilate into our culture. They don’t see social interactions as a two way street, as your experience appears to show. I’m sorry you were treated that way, but they are the way they are.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:00 am
Thank you for your reply, and for answering me honestly. There were about 30 or so people that were lied to about the proper time and place.
June 7th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I wanted to add something to this discussion. Please be mindful of grouping all Muslims (or any other “demographic”) together based on the actions of a few. I cannot speak as to why your employer didn’t give you the correct funeral information. But once you start using phrases like “these people” and “why they could be soooo hateful”, you are making broad assumptions about a billion people. I would recommend speaking to your employer to gain an understanding of why he did what he did, but without being accusatory and belligerent.
I have friends and acquaintances of many different cultures and religions, and I sometimes have a tough time understanding why they do what they do… but at the same time, I try to keep an open mind, and never assume hostile or negative intent without cause.
I’m glad to live in a country where we are free to have these exchanges. Oh, and if you ever do have this conversation with your employer, I’d love to hear his response. Thanks.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
“The problem I have with those of you who ‘defend’ elements of the Muslim ideology is that you consider yourself so unequal to the rest of the world, that you can say or do as you please as long as it fits your idea of what is right, but you don’t have to allow any other dissenting opinion about your ideas without playing the victim or the bully”
Wow, I can not believe that you publish such words, especailly after. Okay I better not go on. But like in the previous comment please do not group everyone together when you come accross one bad apple.
I am also curious to hear your employer’s response. This seems to really strange.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Your employer should have been direct and just said that the funeral was a private religious ceremony. There are many individuals who are not used to the religious pluralism that exists in the U.S. But to be fair, I also know Christians who would not be comfortable with a Muslim entering their place of worship and participating in rituals with which they are not familiar.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I am first sorry about your loss and want to say may God reward your loss. As a muslim I would have invited people of all faiths to give condolinces to the loss of a friend. It shocks me on the comments about Islamic ideology. If a muslim makes a mistake or does something wrong it is not Islam(the path) but the muslim(the individual). We are not perfect as well as anyone of any other faith. But I shouldn’t be suprised as a blackman in america the same thing happens to my race.