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Death
In the Islamic Faith, physical death is not the end of existence. There is a developed understanding of judgment in the grave, a waiting period until the Day of Judgment, and a final reward or punishment in heaven or hell.
Preparation And Burial Of The Corpse
The corpse is treated with respect, and as in the Orthodox Jewish tradition, cremation is not allowed. Ideally, the dying person will have asked for Allahʾs forgiveness, prepared a will, performed the ritual full-body ablution before prayer, and recited the shahādah or profession of faith (“I bear witness that there is no Allah but Allah, and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah”). If this is not possible, the shahādah is recited into the ear of the dying or deceased. The body is then washed. Traditionally, this is done by members of the family, with males washing the bodies of males and females washing the bodies of females. In the contemporary world, where family members may have no familiarity with this washing, or where the deceased may die in a hospital where washing is not possible, the washing is done by professionals in a funeral home. The person doing the washing will ensure that the genitalia of the corpse are covered to protect the dignity of the body, which is then washed an odd number of times, with three being the minimum number. The eyes of the body are closed, the arms and legs are straightened with the arms placed alongside the body, and the jaw is closed by binding a strip of cloth around the head. Once the corpse is cleaned, the orifices are sealed with cotton, and perfume may be applied to the body (scent such as rosewater or camphor may be added to the water). During the washing, verses from the Qurʿān may be recited. Once the corpse is cleaned, it is wrapped in a shroud consisting of three pieces of clean white cloth that contain no sewn seams or knots. If the person dies on the pilgrimage in the state of ritual purity known as iḥrām, he or she is buried in pilgrimage clothes. If the person was killed (martyred) in battle, the body is not washed and is buried in the state in which it was killed.
There is a special funeral prayer for the deceased (ṣalāt al-janāzah), which is unique in that the congregation remains standing without the prostration that is characteristic of the daily prayers. The corpse is then buried, ideally within twenty-four hours of death and without a coffin. A grave is dug, and the corpse is buried lying on its right side with the head facing in the direction of Mecca (as in prayer). The grave is then filled in with earth, usually resulting in a mound that is above ground level. A simple headstone may be erected, but elaborate memorials are not recommended.
Understanding Of Death In Islam
Angels play an important role in traditional Islamic understandings of death. The angel ʿIzrāʿīl is the angel of death, who takes the soul of the deceased to Allah. The angels Munkar and Nakīr, who are not mentioned by name in the Qurʿān but are described in the traditions as being black with green eyes, question the deceased. They ask a number of questions, including who is your Lord, what is your religion, and who is your prophet (the answers being Allah, Islam, and Muḥammad). Some versions of the traditions give other questions, such as who is your religious leader or what is your religious knowledge. This occurs during an intermediate existence between death and resurrection known as the barzakh (literally “barrier” or “interval”). On the Day of Judgment, the body is judged, and those who have earned their reward are allowed into paradise, while those who have earned a punishment are consigned to hell.
Development And Change Over Time
The Islamic understanding of death represents a dramatic shift from pre-Islamic Arabia. In the pre-Islamic world there was a notion of fate, with Time (dahr, but also known as zamān or al-ayyām, or “the days”) being the determining agent of a personʾs life and death. This is reflected in the Qurʿān, where the pre-Islamic Arabs say: “There is nothing but our life in this world. We live and we die and nothing destroys us but Time” (45:24). To this, Muḥammad is commanded to say: “It is Allah who gives you life, causes you to die, then gathers you together for the Day of Resurrection, of which there is no doubt” (45:26). Modern understandings of death and dying have also wrought changes. In the premodern world, the majority of people died at home, and so family members by necessity had to be familiar with the rituals surrounding the dead. In the modern world, the majority of people die in hospitals or institutions, creating a distance from traditional rituals. As such, a professional class of those familiar with the rituals of the dead has arisen. There may be professional washers or mourners as well.
Death
652 – 009
Last Updated: 06/2021
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