What is the Muslim Tradition for Funerals?

As with every religion, there are certain traditions and rituals performed during important events, and death is no exception. But, what sort of traditions exactly? Read on to know the four essential Muslim funeral traditions.

Here are 4 traditions that are found in any Muslim funeral.

Washing and Shrouding the Body 

Once a Muslim is declared dead, his body is taken by his family members to be washed and cleansed. This can be done by any adult family member, as long as they’re the same gender as the deceased. 

After the body is cleaned and dried, it’s then shrouded. This is when the body is wrapped in a few pieces of white cotton cloth, in which it’ll be buried.

Janazah Prayer 

Another integral part of any Muslim funeral is the Janazah prayer. This is a specific prayer that’s only performed at funerals. 

The deceased’s family and friends, as well as the surrounding Muslim community, gather to perform this prayer, usually in a mosque. In this prayer, they’ll ask God to forgive the deceased and have mercy on him. They’ll also ask the same thing for all the dead Muslims in the world.

Burial 

Once the Janazah prayer is over, the family heads to the burial ground to lay the deceased to rest. This step is traditionally attended and performed by men, though some parts of the world allow women to attend nowadays.

Basically, the shrouded body is placed on its right side in the grave, with no coffin. This grave should be facing the direction of the Qibla (i.e., the city of Makkah).

After the body has been properly situated, the buriers will lay a few wooden boards over it and then start covering the body with soil until it’s completely buried.

Mourning Period  

The mourning period in Islam lasts for 3 days. In this period, the deceased’s family will pray a lot, asking God for forgiveness and mercy. 

They’ll also wear simple, subdued clothes and avoid putting on pleasant things like perfume and jewellery. And during this period, the Muslim community visits the bereaved in their home to console them and bring them food to make their lives a bit easier.

Newrest Funerals team is at your service to organise your beloved one’s funeral ensuring that all the steps follow the Islamic tradition.

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