Death in Islam If possible, before a Muslim dies, the call to prayer should be
whispered into the persons ear. Just as this happened at birth, so
Allah should be the last word a Muslim hears before death.
After death Muslims believe the soul waits in barzakh, (place of
waiting for Judgement Day). When judgement comes God will deal with
everyone according to their actions. After judgement the dead will be
restored to their bodies, hence Muslims will not cremate their dead.
As soon as possible after death the body is given a ritual washing
called Ghusl. This is to wash away all sin so the body can meet Allah
in a pure state. The body is anointed with perfumes and spices and
wrapped in white cloth, usually the Ihram clothes used for the Hajj.
This ritual is the same for rich and poor, in death, Muslims believe
all are equal.
The funeral must be simple and inexpensive. A coffin should not be
used, unless required by the local authorities, it is a waste of
natural resources. The body must be buried with the face turned
towards the Kab'ah in Mecca (the house of Allah).
When Muslims are dying, they recite the Islamic declaration of faith,
the Shahada:
There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
They may try to say the last words of Muhammad (peace be upon him):
Allah, help me through the hardship and agony of death.
The dead person's body is washed and wrapped in white cloth. Muslims
prefer not to use a coffin.
Muslims try to bury the dead person as fast as possible, within 24
hours.
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... say a prayer. People in both of these cultures show respect for other
people's loved ones when they die.
Said commented, "the burial must be done on the same day of death or
the following day, but their are some exceptions." A nighttime hurried
burial is not approved (Ennahid, 3). When it actually comes time to
put the body in the grave, it is placed in the grace by the nearest
relative. Muslims always make sure the body is buried facing Mecca
(Ennahid, 3). Following their tendency, they place the body on its
right side (Riad, 4).
According to Islam the good people welcome death as a rite passage to
a better existence in the hereafter. They look forward to death, as a
happy event. The wish for death can be negative for the escapist who
looks to death as a relief from present psychological or physical
distress.
When someone dies their bones are burned and crushed into ash and consumed by the relatives. It puts a persons soul at peace to find a resting place within their family, it would be an abomination to bury them in the ground. Once this ceremony is finished the person is gone. Their name or person is never to be mentioned again.
Capital punishment is punishment for a crime by death, which is frequently referred to as the death penalty. Today, most countries have abolished the death penalty. America is one of the few countries that has kept this form cruel and inhumane form of punishment. In American history, the death penalty was abolished, but it was brought back not long afterwards. Not only is capital punishment inhumane and pricey but it also voids our rights as a citizen and is unconstitutional. Capital punishment is an improper form of punishment that needs to be abolished in all states.
Death comes to all in the end, shrouded in mystery, occasionally bringing with it pain, and while some may welcome its finality, others may fight it with every ounce of their strength. Humans have throughout the centuries created death rituals to bring them peace and healing after the death of a loved one.
Furthermore, when an individuals dies in Liberia, the deceased family washes the body while the mourners lay their hands on the departed (NewsHour Productions LLC, 2015). Once the ritual ceremony begins the entire community pay homage to the deceased. Women "wail" for the deceased as the men contribute the ceremony by singing and dancing (Minnesota Public Radio, 2015). Just prior to the ceremony ending a bowl is passed around to all the individuals present at the ceremony, fill with water used as ritual hand washing, and each individuals is to kiss the deceased on the forehead. Once the ceremony has ended, the dead body is then wrapped in cloth and buried on the land that adjoins the deceased 's house. The family believes that burring a loved one close to ones home will keep ones spirit alive, and will not be forgotten (Minnesota Public Radio,
with all the other dead men and women from the town in the graveyard (a few rows of people in
In the face of the universal fact of death, attitudes to the corpse are various and changeable. These attitudes are formed through the practices of treatment of the dead and are embodied in various ways (Parker Pearson 1999, p. 45).
Family prefer to do the post-mortem care as the body is washed with turmeric, sandalwood paste, red Kumkum powder and holy ash. It is common to pour a small teaspoon of holy water in the dying persons mouth. Cremation is required.
“You will be with me today in paradise,” Jesus Christ told this to the thief on the cross while they were dying. However, can people believe that there is truly life after death? In many different religions there are different perceptions of life after death. For example in the Buddhist religion, the Buddhist people believe that life is practice for death. Professor Brown, of California State University of Northridge stated, “The Buddhist people cultivate positive, happy virtuous states of mind and abandoning non-virtuous, harmful, suffering states of mind.” This teaching is mirrored by Christianity teachings as well. Professor Brown also stated, “Death is an opportunity for great spiritual achievement if one is prepared and remembers one’s spiritual practices and beliefs and understandings during the death process.”
The Somali population has seen a significant rise in the number of individuals that are now living in central Minnesota. Most of the Somali population is of the Islamic faith. I would like to explain some of the differences in the Islamic beliefs and traditions on death and dying, why it is important to know about the differences, and what we can do it help ensure that we do not impede on the beliefs when we are talking care of individuals of the Islamic faith.
After the death of a person the eyes are closed, so the person can finally rest in peace. Some Jews place the body of the deceased on the floor immediately after death. This is done to cool the body to slow the deterioration of the body and also fulfill the biblical prognostication "for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return"(Genesis 3:19). A candle is then lit and placed near the corpse head to show respect to the soul that departed. In the past twenty-six candles were light around the body; twenty-six is the Jewish numerical number meaning "God." Today this is done only to show respect to the dead. Jewish people treat a close family members death similar to Americans. Relatives and friends of the deceased feel great distress, sorrow, and pain.
When death occurs, the body is prepared for viewing. People of the same gender prepare the body by laying their “hands across the chest, closing the eyelids, anointing the body with oil, and placing flower garlands around it.” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, pg. 384). According to Leming and Dickinson, Hindus believe that cremation is “an act of sacrifice” because they are offering their body to God. The body is usually cremated on the bank of a sacred river. The book, Understanding dying, death, and bereavement offers an “invocation” that would be close to what a priest would recite, “Fire, you were lighted by him, so may he be lighted from you, that he may gain the regions of celestial bliss. May this offering prove auspicious.” Leming and Dickinson (2011) state that between 10-31 days post cremation, a feast (shraddha) is shared among mourners and priests. Shraddhas can last hours to days, depending on the wealth of the family. Once this shraddha is over, the mourning period comes to a close. It is said that the funeral is the second most important ritual, following a wedding, and that many families spend all the money they have on them, leading to impoverishment (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p.
Islam has definite views on euthanasia, and this essay will bring to the fore all of the main beliefs relevant to the issue of euthanasia/assisted suicide. Islam spells things out quite plainly, with enough similes to clarify every point in the system of beliefs.
In the Jewish faith, death is seen as a natural process. Jewish rituals surrounding death focus on showing respect for the deceased and consolation for the living. After death, the body is never left alone. The body is laid on the floor, covered, and candles are lit with the “shomerim” meaning “guards” watching over the body. Many Jewish communities have a burial society, called the chevra kaddisha (holy society), that clean the body and wrap the body in a plain linen shroud. The body can not be cremated or embalmed and autopsies are discouraged. Coffins are not required according to Jewish customs, but if one is used, there must be holes drilled into them, so they come in contact with the ground. The dead are placed in a plain casket and buried within 24 hours, before sunset, on the day of death. Jewish mourning traditions begin grief with the tearing of one’s clothing (Rich, 1996). Mourners “cut their clothing with a razor- on the left for a parent; on the right for a spouse, child, or sibling- to symbolize the tear in life that death has produced (cite textbook, pg 358).” After burial of the deceased, a healing meal is made for the family, which is followed by the next phase of mourning, known as shiva. Shiva is a seven day ritual in where mourners sit on low stools or on the floor, do not wear shoes, do not shave, do not work, do not bathe, have sex, or eat meat, and remain in the same clothes they tore at the time of death. Following shiva, mourners do not attend social gathering for 30 days, this is known as shloshim. If someone is mourning a parents death, the “shloshim” is expanded to one year (Rich, 1996).
According to the Scriptures, the proper mode of baptism is immersion. "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water" (Matthew 3:16). "And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him" (Acts 8:38). "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death" (Romans 6:4). A corpse is not buried by placing it on top of the ground and sprinkling a little soil on it, but by covering it completely.
The death penalty or some prefer to call it capital punishment has been around since 1608. During the foundation of our country there were twelve death – eligible crimes of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and they were as follows: idolatry, witchcraft, blasphemy, murder, manslaughter, poisoning, bestiality, sodomy, adultery, man stealing , false witness in capital cases and conspiracy & rebellion. While some are absolutely for it and some are absolutely against it there is one factor that comes into play on both sides of the argument and that factor is religion. Many people will state that there is or should be a line between church and state however religion has and will always play a major role in ones conceptual thinking as to what is right and as to what is wrong what is moral and what is immoral. Despite the fact that people would rather think or rationalize without involving religion is nearly impossible. “By virtually any definition, religion involves a central concern with making sense of life and death. The American legal system, rooted in Judeo-Christian ethics, routinely confronts issues that test our basic assumptions about the meaning and sanctity of life and about the role of the State in shaping and sustaining such meanings” (Young,1992).