Death and Burial

Workshop

Umm Ahmed

The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.Surah 10:24

And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path Surah yunus :25

And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.surah Qaf:19

Say, "Indeed, the death from which you flee - indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do.“Surah Jumah: 8

Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.Surah-185

“Time is passing don’t busy yourself with Dunya.Get back to ALLAH before its too late”

VIRTUES OF VISITING THE SICK

Hadrat Abu Moosa (R.A.) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)said, “Visit the sick, feed the hungry and free the one who is imprisoned (unjustly).” [Sahih Bukhaari]

Hadrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,"On the Day of Qiyaamah, Allah Ta'ala will announce: O son of Aadam, I was sick yet you did not visit me. He will reply, 'O Allah, how could I have visited You since you are Rabbul 'aalameen? Allah Ta'alawill say: Did you not know that so and so slave of mine was sick, and yet you did not visit him? Should you have visited him you would have found Me by him. " [Sahih Muslim]

Hadrat Ali (R.A.) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'When a Muslim visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness till the evening. And when he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness till the morning, and he will be granted a garden for it in Jannah.' [Timizi, Abu Dawood]

Our Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, 'Whoever visits a sick person (for the pleasure of Allah), a Caller from the skies announces: You are indeed blessed and your walking is blessed and you have (by this noble act) built yourself a home in Jannah.' [Ibn Maajah]

Act of Sunnah for the sick person

Bequeath some of his money to be given to charity- he should also determine in his will how his money should be divided,bequests should be fulfilled,dept to be settled ,the deposits &trusts to be returned to their owners.

A sick person must think highly of Allah & confident of his mercy.Allah swt says in a Hadith Qudsi:

“ Iam just as my servant thinks of me”(i.e Iam Able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him)

WHEN A MUSLIM IS AT THE POINT OF DEATH

Prompt him very gently (Encouragement without insistence) every now and then to say the Shahada: "La ilaha ella Allah", which means ‘There is no God but Allah,’ in a very kind and sincere manner as these may be his last words.

Abu-Saeed Al-Khuduri reported that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said : " Help Muslims who are dying to say: ‘ La ilaha ella Allah’ " (Muslim).

Then why, when the soul at death reaches the throat

And you are at that time looking on -

And Our angels are nearer to him than you, but you do not see Surah Waqiya 83,84,85

JUST AFTER DEATH HAS BEEN DETERMINED

Close the eyes of the deceased.

Um Salma reported that : " When her husband died, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) closed his eyes" (Muslim

Soften the deceased ‘s joint to prevent stiffness &place something on the stomach to prevent bloating.

They should bind his lower jaw to his head so that it does not sag.

They should cover all his body completely with a clean sheet.Aisha reported that : " Muslims covered the body of Prophet

Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) when he died" (Bukhari & Muslim).

Announce the death of a muslim for the purpose of gathering people to prepare him for burial ,attend his funerals.perform funeral prayer..

Hasten to prepare the body for washing, shrouding and burial.Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said: " You should hasten with his burial"(Bukhari & Muslim).

Debt of deceased should be settled ASAP whether they are due to Allah or ppl

WASHING THE DECEASED

The person who has the right to wash the deceased is the person to whom the deceased gave this right in his will.

Then his father because he is closest in relation &more compassinate for his offspring ,then the next in relation.

If the deceased was female & made a provision in her will for another female to wash her body then this person takes precedence in preparing the body, then the deceased mother ,then her daughter then the next female of kin(whoever is available).

The husband is allowed to wash the body of his deceased wife ,the prophet pbuh said to Aisha ra “what harm it do of you died before me and then I washed your body …(Imam Ahmed).the wife is also allowed to wash her husbands body Abubakr made a provision in his will that his wife should wash his body.

If the deceased is seven yrs or younger either male or female are allowed to wash his or her body

THINGS NEEDED FOR WASHING THE DECEASED BODY

1. 1 Sidr cup + 4 litrs of water

2. 2 cubes kafur+ 4 liters of water

3. Hanuth

4. White and Black musk

STEPS FOR WASHING THE DECEASED

It is sunnah to cover the private parts of the deceased upon washing his or her body ,before taking off their clothes this is better so that the private parts of the deceased are not exposed to others ,especially in this state.

The deceased is to be laid down in a sloping position on the washing (wooden) bed so that water and watever comes out of deceased body flows down.

Next the head of the deceased is raised up to the sitting position and light pressure is applied to his stomach so that bodily excrement is descarded ,water should frequently be applied to wash offwhateversubstances that might exit the body of the deceased.

The person washing the body should wrap a cloth or wear gloves than wash the private parts of the deceased without seeing or his skin touching the private parts ,If the deceased is seven yrs or older.

Then one recites the Tasmiya(BISMILLAH), then perform wudhu for the dead person as one perform wudhu for himself for prayers.

However ,water should not be inserted into the mouth or nose of the deceased rather the person washing the deceased should insert his finger, which should be wrapped with a wet cloth been the lips of the deceased and only wipe his teeth & then clean his nose.

It is encouraged the one uses Sidr solution to wash the head and beard (if men)of the deceased,and use sidr for rest of the body ,then the right section of the deceased ‘s front side and backside of the body are washed.Next the left side of the body ,front then back is washed. The body is then washed second and third time.

During every wash the person washing the body should exert light pressure on the stomach &clean whatever comes out of its lower end.

Washing the deceased could be repeated up to seven times (odd numbered times)or more if necessary.

In the case of a female, her hair should be loosened, washed, combed, and be braided in three braids, and placed behind her back.

In the last wash, the washer may use kafur(camphor),kafurhas good smell that also acts as arepellent for insects.

All of this is based on authentic Hadith that Um Atiyahnarrated that: " When the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) died, he instructed us:‘ Wash her three times, or more than that if you feel it is necessary, with water and sidr(good smelling leaves), and then after the last wash apply some camphor to the body , then loosen her hair, wash it, comb it, and make it in three braids laid behind her back " (Bukhari & Muslim).

AL-KAFAN ( SHROUDING THE DEAD MUSLIM )

Shourding should start Just after washing the body of the deceased. It is recommended to use white sheets from inexpensive material. Extravagance is not recommended in the Kafan (Shroud).Aisha relates that : " When the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) died, he was shrouded in three white sheets from Yemen" (Bukhari & Muslim).

THE KAFAN OF A MALE

The Kafan of a male should consist of three white winding sheets about{7 x 7 feet}, clean and large enough to conceal the whole body, after having been perfumed with incense. Use 4 tie ropes, each 7 feet long ( Figure (1) ).

The material of the sheet should not be silk, nor should any gold be used.

STEPS OF SHROUDING :

The winding sheets should be spread out one on the top of the other

The deceased, covered with a sheet, is lifted and laid on his back on the winding sheets.

Some scent or perfume may be put on those parts of the body upon which one rests during prostration, that is the forehead, nose, hands, knees, and feet.

The edge of the top sheet is folded over the deceased right side, then the other edge over his left side. Then the second sheet should be folded the same way. The third and the largest sheet should be treated the same way.

These sheets should be fastened with a piece of cloth {Tie ropes}, one above the head, another under the feet, and two around the body.

First: winding sheets {7 x 7 feet}

Second: the long loose sleeveless shirt {3 1/2 x 14 feet, with a hole in the middle line for the head},

Third: waist wrapper {6 feet x 3 1/2 feet },

Fourth head veil {a 4x4 square feet white sheet}, and

Fifth: the loin cloth {12 inches wide x 4 feet long}

KAFAN OF FEMALE

STEPS OF SHROUDING :

The garments are spread out

The deceased, covered with a sheet, is lifted and laid on her back on the shroud.

Some scent or perfume may be put on those parts of the body upon which one rests during prostration, that is the forehead, nose, hands, knees, and feet.

The loin cloth is bound round her upper legs (Acts like underwear).

The waist wrapper is tied in place.

Put on the sleeveless shirt (Long to cover the body from the shoulder to the feet) .

Put the head veil.

The edge of the top sheet is folded over the deceased right side, then the other edge over his left side. Then the second sheet should be folded the same way.

These sheets should be fastened with a piece of cloth {Tie ropes}, one above the head, another under the feet, and two around the body.

SALATUL JANAZAH (THE FUNERAL PRAYER)

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said : " Who ever attends the Janazah until it is finished, will earn a Qirat, and who ever stays until the burial, will earn two Qirats. Someone asked: What does Qirat mean ? , the Prophet answered :‘It means rewards as big as great mountain" ( Bukhari & Muslim ).

IMPORTANCE OF SALATUL JANAZAH

Fard al Kifaya

Steps to Salatul Janazah

First Takbeer: Seeking refuge with Allah .Basmalah,surah fatiha

Second Takbeer: Second takbeer,Durood e Ibrahraheem.

Third Takbeer:Pray Allah for deceased.

Fourth T akbeer:Tasleem

BURIAL

Islam has a unique style of building graves and cemeteries that is characterized by humility, simplicity and economy in costs and that avoids glorifying the dead with elaborate monuments.

There are two types of grave:

AL-Shaqq:Make deep vertical hole in ground

Al-Lahed: is to make a deep vertical hole in the ground, then in the bottom make a side horizontal hole big enough to cover the whole body.

Both types are used, but it is preferable to use Al-Lahed if the land is solid ( Figure (6) ).

SPECIAL CASES

1) Miscarried Fetus :

If the fetus is less than four months old ( Mother was pregnant for less than four months ), then the fetus may not be washed; the fetus should be wrapped in a piece of white cloth and buried. Then there is no Salatul Janazah for this fetus.

If the fetus is more than four months old ( Mother was pregnant for more than four months ), then the fetus may be washed, shrouded (Using one or two winding sheets to cover the whole body), and then Muslims have the choice whether to perform Salatul Janazah or not.

2) Children :

A) Before reaching the age of puberty, a child may be washed by males or females. Shrouding a child for females use a shirt and two winding sheets and for males two or three winding sheets may be used.

B) For those children who reached the age of puberty, they should be dealt with as an adult { Female child like female adult, and male child like male adult}, but then Salatul Janazah be performed.

3) Martyr :

The body of a Martyr should not be washed, nor be shrouded but buried with the same clothes that people found him with.The strongest opinion of Muslim scholars is not to offer Salatul Janazah for martyrs since Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) did not offer it for the martyrs of the battle of Uhud.

CONDOLENCE

Act of sunnah to console the bereaved person and advice him to be patient

Prophet pbuh said:“No beliver consoles his brother but Allah Almighty and Ever –Majesty be He ,will dress him from the garments of dignity on the Day of Resurrection.(ibn majah)

Desirable to prepare some food for the family of the deceased .for the prophet pbuh said:“prepare some food for the family of Ja’far ,for it has happened to them that which occupied them.(Imam Ahmad & Tirmidhi)

COMMON MISTAKES???

Invented heresies and common mistakes in funerals

1- Neglecting death, not remembering it, and keeping our minds off it. Death suffices as a preacher.

2- Only those who are dying write their will. Those who write it earlier are told "you should be optimistic all your life. Do not write your will. Death is far from you." Glory Be to Allah! Who would guarantee you to live for just seconds?

Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him: "No Muslim should stay two nights with something that he wants to write a will about, without having his will written under his head." Ibn 'Umar said: "since I heard this from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, there is not a night passed but that I always had my will written." [Narrated by Muslim]

ما مرت : مرقال عبدهللا بن ع. يبيت ثالث ليال إال ووصيته عنده مكتوبة. ما حق امرئ مسلم له شيء يوصي فيه»

رواه مسلم«علي ليلة منذ سمعت رسول هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم قال ذلك، إال وعندي وصيتي-

3-If the deceased is buried, his family would rush to receiving consolations, making ceremonies, and obsequies. On the other hand they neglect paying off his debts, and executing his will. Those people forget that a believer's soul is hanging to his debts until they are defrayed. By Allah, it is a great sin to rush to heresies and leave the duties.

4- Calling the Angel of Death 'Azrâ'il, which has no origin in Islam.

5- Reading the Holy Quran beside the deceased from the moment he passes away until he is washed, or reading SuratYâsîn especially during the moments of death. So, what about who hire someone to do so.

6- Putting the Holy Quran by head of the dying person, or on his chest; and also putting it over his body after his death.

7- Lamentation, screaming, and crying loudly to tell people of one's misfortune, and rejecting the Divine Destiny. Just like the saying of some people: "He does not deserve this misfortune; O Allah! What have I done to thee to hit me with such a calamity… tell me Allah… Tell me Allah... What do you want from me, what is my sin to deserve this?"

If they were told to be patient, they would say: (we were patient, for how long will we be patient). People must accept the Divine Destiny, thank Allah, and say (Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.).

8- Thinking that spouses should not wash each other. It is evident that some companions were washed by their spouses.

9- When the deceased is carried to be prayed upon, and then to his grave; he is covered with a cloth on which âyatul-kursi (the verse of the throne) or some verses of Quran written on it.

10- Praying and burial in some times on which prayer is discommended. Those times are: from sunrise till it goes high, from noon till the sun starts going down, when the sun is about to set till sunset. The first and last times are about 15 minutes. The second is seven minutes.

11- Praying obligatory and optional prayers in the tomb or in the Masjid confined within the tomb. There is a Hadith: "all of the earth is considered a Masjid, except for the tomb and the bathroom." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and authenticated by Al-Albani»ا

Another Hadith says: "Don't pray in tombs." [Narrated by Muslim}

Besides, praying, invoking, and reciting the Quran beside the graves are means of setting partners to Allah, as His Eminence Sheikh IbnBaz – May Allah have Mercy on him- wrote in (The Researches Magazine, vol.37, p.16). The only exception is the funeral prayer which is permissible to be prayed in the graveyard.

12- Delaying funeral prayer, either for a legitimate excuse such as waiting for some relatives to come from far places, or for an illegitimate purpose such as reading Holy Quran completely and forwarding its reward to the deceased. The Sunnah is to set out for funeral processions, and if some relatives arrive they may pray on the grav

13-The deceased siblings advance for praying on the right beside the Imam. The origin about this matter is to pray behind the Imam as everybody else, not beside him, just like any prayers.

14- Bringing the deserter of prayer to Muslims to pray on; this is forbidden and considered cheating and deceiving Muslims. Such people, when they die, are not washed, nor shrouded, or prayed on. Also, he is not to be buried in Muslims' cemeteries.

Muslims do not inherit him, and he does not inherit Muslims. His wife is not permissible for him to be intimate with, his slaughtered animal is not permissible to be eaten from, and he has no legal guardianship over his children. Forgiveness is not to be asked for him, nor is mercy to be invoked for him because he is a disbeliever (in the best of the two opinions of scholars).

15- Ignorance of the way funeral prayers are performed.

16- Not performing funeral prayer on aborted fetuses of 4 months old. This is wrong because if an aborted fetus is 4 months it must be washed, prayed on, and buried because his spirit was breathed in him, and not before that.

17- Believing that if the deceased was righteous his weight would be light over the shoulders and this has no origin.

18- Slowing the funeral. The Sunnah is to go moderately fast according to the Hadith "Make haste at the funeral…" [Agreed upon]

19 -Raising voices with the praise of Allah during the funeral, such as saying (O, neglector,

remember Allah. O people present, pray upon the Prophet, there is no God but Allah, there is no God but Allah); not to mention negligence, laughing, and having fun- and this is either cruelty or gloating over others' grief.

20- Collective invocation after the funeral is finished.

21- The renouncing of some people in escorting the deceased, and their carelessness about the great reward. In a Hadith, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "He who attends the funeral till the prayer is offered for (the dead), for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attends (and stays) till he is buried, for him is the reward of two qirats. It was said: What are the qirats? The Messenger said: They are equivalent to two huge mountains." [Narrated by muslim}

Those people have thrown away so many Qirats.

22- Believing that the funeral prayer is a cure for envy. If the envious is prayed upon, the envied is cured. This is just ignorance.

23- If someone dies, his family collects all personal belongings and takes them out of the house claiming that it is impermissible to use them.

Invented heresies and common mistakes in consolations

1- Holding funeral ceremonies in streets, putting carpets, lights, and disrupting activities. The Sunnah is to console the family of the deceased anywhere: their house, a street, a market, or a home.

2- Holding a banquet that gives an impression of a wedding rather than an obsequy for the guests present. You see dishes coming in and out. Jarîr said: "we considered gathering in the house of the dead man and preparing food as a kind of lamentation." [Sahih Al-Albani]

3- Eating the consolation food. If the invitation is not answered; the family of the dead would be furious at him.

4- Distributing sections of the Quran to the attending people to complete reciting the Quran with the reward to be sent to the dead. This is invented, not to mention its being done in an atmosphere of smoking, gossiping, and mess- the thing that exposes the words of Allah to humiliation and abuse.

5- Not to pay condolences but after the burial. He who consoles before that is reprimanded and told: "do not make haste with your consolation." This has no origin. Consolation starts by death, whether before or after burial.

6- Offering no consolations during the Eid, or not to congratulate in Eid when some relative is recently dead.

7- Limiting consolation to three days only. This is wrong. It was reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has paid his condolences after three days, in the Hadith of Abdullah IbnJa'far (May Allah be pleased with them both). Consolation was allowed for entertaining the grieved. So, it is permissible even after three days.

8- Saying in consolation (the rest of his life is in yours); (the remainder is in your head), which is different from the first. Some people would say to the family of the dead: (what is taken from his life is increased in your life).

9- Saying: (Recite Surat Al-Fâtiha on the soul of so-and-so) and that after finishing dinner or lunch, and saying: (O Allah, make the reward of this food for the soul of so-and-so).

10- Saying: (And we dedicate the reward of reading Surat Al-Fâtiha or Surat so-and-so to our dead and all the dead of the Muslims). It was not the tradition of our righteous ancestors to read any verses of Quran and dedicate them to the dead; because Quran has been revealed for the living.

11- Offering no consolations to the families of sinners who committed suicide, died drunk, or during committing adultery, or so. The origin is to console. What is wrong with consoling their families to ease their grief!

12- Advertising in papers about the place of the funeral ceremony, and sometimes Quran verses are written such as the saying of The Almighty: {"O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction!} [Surat Al-Fajr 89:27]

This is obituary which was forbidden by Islam.

13- Some women start crying and wailing when they arrive to the house of the dead. They make everyone cry, which is the forbidden lamentation.

14- Spreading the message of the invocation of completing reciting the Quran. It contains the invocation of the middle of the month of Sha'bân night, the New Year's Eve, the last day of the year, the Day of 'Ashûrâ', the farewell of Ramadan and the socalled the routine of mourning.

15- Describing the dead as being forgiven, given mercy, a martyr, a Paradise resident, or moved to the Highest Companion and the like. This is not permissible because such things are only known to Allah. It is the creed of Sunnah and the consensus that people are not to judge any one to Paradise or Hellfire. They only ask reward for the righteous, and fear punishment for the sinner. So, it should be said: may Allah forgive him, or: may Allah have mercy on him, and such words of invocation for the dead.

REFERENCE:

1. Fiqh Of Jurisprudence Author Sheikh Saleh Al Fawzan2. http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/janazahstepbystep.htm3. http://islam.ru/en/content/story/virtues-visiting-sick4. http://en.islamway.net/

May Allah swt Forgive our sins and grant us Jannatul firdows Aameen

Jazakumullahu Khair