Pre-burial Rituals

 Process of burying the dead must be

done 24hrs after death or as soon as
possible.
 The body is washed by a person of
the same sex.
 The body of a child can be washed
by either a man or a woman.
 Spouses are allowed to wash the
body of their partner in the event of
death.
Pre-burial Rituals

 Washing is done grave side if

available or in a mosque.
 While the body is being washed, a
white cloth is put on top of it.
 Except in extraordinary
circumstances, like in war or battle
condition, the dead body must not
be washed.
Prayers

 salat ul janazah- Funeral Prayer done

at the house of the deceased. This is
also done to ask forgiveness from
the dead.
 Allāhu Akbar- (God is great) Funeral
prayer which differs between age
and sex.
 Prayers are lead by a close relative
or Imams (prayer leaders of the
deceased’s mosque.
Procession

 Usually from the mosque to the

gravesite
 Traditionally Carried by a horse-
drawn hearse.
 Mourners walk along side or in front
of the hearse
Burial
 Embalming or cremating
the body is forbidden.
 Only men are allowed to
attend the actual grave
service
 The body is laid on its
right side and must be
buried facing Mecca
 The wrapped body is
placed directly into the
ground. No casket of any
kind.
 The grave is marked by
a mound (uneven land)
Burial

 The use of
gravestones, special
markers are
discouraged.
 Walking or sitting on
top of a grave is
strictly forbidden
 The showed
covering the face is
removed
 Those present pour
3 handfuls of soil
while reciting from
Post-Burial/Mourning

 Official mourning lasts 3 days.

 Widows observe an extended mourning period
around 4 months and 10 days long in
accordance with the Qur’an. This event is
called the Iddah wherein the widow is not
allowed to remarry, move from her home, or
wear decorative jewelry or clothing.
 On the 3rd day relatives visit the graves once
more to pray over the dead.
 The dead is praised for all the good he has
done and no negative comments are allowed.
 A banquet is thrown on the 3rd day to
Post-Burial/Mourning

 Of course, it is natural to weep

during the death of a loved one,
therefore, weeping for the dead is
allowed in Islam.
 But it is prohibited to express one’s
grief by wailing, shrieking, beating
the chest and cheeks, tearing hair or
clothes, scratching faces, or
speaking phrases which make
Muslims lose their faith.