Beliefs About Death

Muslims believe that Allah (God) will judge their lives after they have died - the Day of Judgement. To make sure that they will be with Allah forever, it is important to lead a good life on Earth, which He may take whenever He wishes. The Prophet Muhammad told his followers that the last words a Muslim should hear are those of the Shahadahm, 'There is no God but Allah. And Muhammad is his messenger.'

Muslims believe that each person has two angels with them through their lives to record their deeds. At the Day of Judgement these angels turn over the records to Allah - a fair, merciful and forgiving God to the truly sorry. Good people are rewarded by drawing closer to Allah in Paradise and reunited with their loved ones, but the wicked are punished in hell. They too may reach Paradise one day through Allah's great mercy.

A Muslim Funeral

The body is taken to the mosque and carefully washed according to Muslim custom. The face, hands and feet are washed first; as they are before daily prayer. Then the rest of the body is washed and wrapped in a simple white sheet, regardless of social status all Muslims are treated the same - rich or poor. The body is then placed in a coffin.

Muslims are always buried, never cremated. If possible, the funeral should take place on the day of death, and the funeral service should be held in a mosque. Women and men sit separately and women must wear a veil or scarf and loose clothing. Both sexes sit on the floor, having left their shoes at the door.

In the mosque, the imam recites the funeral prayer then gives a short talk to the mourners. The imam reminds them of the three most valuable things a good Muslim leaves behind after death: a good example for children to follow, experience of life which others learn from, and wealth to take care of their family.

After this, the coffin is taken to the cemetery. Muslims are buried facing towards the holy city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. At the graveside, the mourners say prayers and recite verses from the Koran: "Peace be upon you. May Allah forgive us all. You went to Allah before us and we will follow you." The grave is marked with a simple stone.

Mourning

The mourning period usually lasts for 40 days after a death. For the first 3 days no cooking is done in the family home. Friends bring food and offer support, comfort and prayers. Sometimes a special meal is held on the 7th and 40th days. Prayers to remember the dead, called a rawdah, are read on the anniversary of the person's death.

References:

(Ganeri, Anita, Journey's End - Death and Mourning, Peter Bedrick Books. New York 1998)

www.funeral-care.com/customs.html#Islam