Does death feel nearby for you today? If you’re dealing with a recent or impending death, whether a plant, a puppy or a grandparent, I’m sorry. Death can be brutal. And if it’s your own: Ah, may God give you sense of his nearness.
When I’m not in the midst of it, I find it fascinating how we deal with death and the dead. We follow the blend of rules and customs, faith and culture we’ve generally agreed on. How does that compare to Muslims around us?
How Muslims deal with death and the dead
- The customs and rituals of death for Muslims tend to be handled more by family and community than by professionals, as they are for many of us.
- Ghusl Mayyit, the ritual cleaning and shrouding of a dead body, is usually carried out by family members who are the same sex as the person who has died. It involves washing. . . in a specific way while maintaining privacy and dignity.
- Ideally, the shrouded body is placed directly in the earth. While most U.S. states do not require a casket or vault, many cemeteries do, making the direct burial value a challenge to keep. Cremation is not endorsed.
- Given that bodies are not embalmed, burial is desired within 24 hours of death.
- While customs vary widely, excessive mourning is generally frowned upon. Because Islamic convictions hold that the end of life on Earth is not the end, wailing and crying can be seen as a lack of faith.
My friend is leading a memorial service tomorrow. He’ll lean heavily on Paul’s words in I Thess. 4, reminding the mourners that in Jesus, we do “not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
As a Muslim looks at the grave, there is hope, but it is tenuous. In some schools of thought the grave grows pleasant and comfortable for those who’ve lived well, but increasingly painful and constricting for those who failed to do so.
Yeah, death is brutal.