Practices Following Death And An Insight Into Arranging A Muslim Funeral

[ummtaalib]

A brief guide (22 pages) provided by MBCOL (Leicester).

 

This booklet is a guide on what to do when a Muslim dies. It has been compiled with the help of an 'Aalimah (a female scholar) who held practical demonstrations of the bathing and shrouding for sisters on several occassions due to demand.

 

Introduction

Grief is the most painful of all human experiences and can bring about stronger emotions than perhaps you have ever felt. It is the process, which allows people to grieve and come to terms with the loss and resulting change in their lives. Grief is a very personal and individual experience and is comprised not of just one feeling, but of many. However, though we may experience different feelings at different times, grief usually follows a general, recognisable pattern. After a loss such as bereavement, the initial response is one of numbness and disbelief.

 

Different people react in different ways and even if death occurred after a long ailment you may feel cold, numb, empty and the situation unreal for a time. You may experience anger, panic, guilt and sadness. This may also be accompanied by periods of restlessness, especially at night when it is difficult to sleep. You may react by becoming irritable or critical of yourself and others, which can lead to feelings of despair. All these are natural reactions to bereavement and it should not be assumed that you cannot cope any more.

 

Muslims believe in the inevitability of death of the human body and not the end of the spirit but the beginning of the life hereafter, which is everlasting. Death must therefore be accepted and dealt with in a dignified manner and according to the rulings of the Islamic Shariah.

 

Practices Following Death & an Insight on Arranging a Muslim Funeral.pdf