Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Burial Rituals

Author(s):Muhammadhusein Kermali

Publisher(s):Ahlul Bayt Islamic Centre

www.alhassanain.org/english

Required actions before and immediately after death, during theGhusl (washing the body),Kafan , andSalat al-Mayyit .

Notice:

This workis published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

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Table of Contents

Introduction 5

Rituals for Just before (Ehtezar) and Immediately After Death 6

Before the Death, During the Saqarat ul Mawt 7

Right After the Death 8

After Death Rituals 9

First Wajib Act: Ghusl Mayyit (Washing the Dead Body) Method 10

Step One 10

Step Two 10

Step Three 10

Step Four 10

Second Wajib Act: Tahnit or Hunut (Applying Camphor Powder) 11

Third Wajib Act: Kafan 12

Method (Shrouding/Wrapping the Body with Sheets of cloth) 12

Wajib Pieces 13

Mustahab Pieces 14

Fourth Wajib Act: Salaatul Mayyit 15

Method 15

The Salaat 16

Method of Namaz-e-Mayyit 16

Fifth Wajib Act: Dafan, Burial 18

Method 19

Ghusl for touching a dead body (Mase Mayyit) 22

Salaat-ul-Wahshat 23

Introduction

Death is a reality. The Qur'an in says:

"Every person (nafs ) will tastedeath, ....." (Surah 3:185)

(taste can be either sweet or bitter!).

At another place the Qur'an says,

"...no one knows (where) in what land (or place) he will die". (Surah 31:34)

Still at another place the Qur'an says,

"Allah does not give any breather (or let up) to anyone for death when its fixed time comes." (Surah 63:11)

Therefore, one should not dread death but take it as crossing the bridge from this temporary life to the permanent, everlasting life. So, whatshould be done when one is confronted with it? This is the topic for our discussion.

Rituals for Just before (Ehtezar ) and Immediately After Death

Let us create a scenario in which you are sitting in front of a very sick friend or a relative whom you have come to visit. He/she is alone in the house. You are the only other person present. Suddenly you see him/her struggling for breath. He/she is taking his/her last breath!Dying! The color of his/her face is changing. Heis said to be inSaqarat - the pain of death. Gradually, he/she stops breathing and is dead. What should you be doing as required by theShariah while the person is in the course of dying and soon after death?

I am not aware of the legal requirements here in Canada. Therefore,I will leave it to you to find out.

Before the Death,During theSaqarat ul Mawt

a) Move the dying person to faceQibla in such a position that the soles of his/her feet faceQibla . In other words, if he/she were to sit upright his/her face would faceQibla .

b) Recite theShahadah and make him/her repeat it. It should coverTawhid /Nubuwwat /Imamat and make him/her recitedua forIstighfar to ask forgiveness from Allah for his/her sins.

c) ReciteSurah Yasin ,Wassafat ,Ayatul Qursi and otherAyats from the Qur'an to ease the moments ofSaqarat .

RightAfter the Death

d) Close the eyes and the mouth of the dead person.

e) Stretch his/her arms along his/her sides and keep his/her legs straight.

f)Cover his/her body with a sheet of cloth.

g) Inform his/herWali or next of kin (ifwali is not present) to come immediately.

h) Recite the Qur'an until the bodyis taken away forGhusl Mayyit .

TheWali , the personal representative appointed by the deceased in his/her will or next of kin is personally responsible for all the after death rituals. His prior permission is necessary before any other person(s) can handle the body.

After Death Rituals

It coversGhusl /Kafan /Dafan i.e., washing, shrouding, and burying.Basically, these areWajib (obligatory) acts for all of us butKifai -Wajibe Kifai , which means if one or more persons undertake to do, others are absolved.Else it iswajib on everyone.

Therefore, it is essential for all of us to know the basics to be able to carry out the rituals in case of necessity.

FirstWajib Act:Ghusl Mayyit (Washing the Dead Body) Method

Step One

Clean the body thoroughly of allnajasat (urine, stool, blood, etc). Use soap with lukewarm water and a pair of gloves.

Step Two

Make aniyyat , "I am washing this dead body with SIDR WATERWajib Qurbatan IlaLlah " and wash the body with SIDR WATER (water in which a small quantity (2handful ) of berry or lotus leaves have been added or its essence squeezed from a parchment paper).

Step Three

Make aniyyat ," I am washing this dead body with camphor waterWajib Qurbatan IlaLlah ".And wash the body with camphor water in which a little (half handful) of camphor has been added.

N.B. Take care in each case that the water does not becomemuzaf i.e . does not change in color, taste or smell.

Step Four

Make aniyyat , "I am washing this dead body with clean waterWajib Qurbatan IlaLlah " and wash the body with clean (tap) water.

1. After all theseGhusls , the body should be gently dried with a clean towel.

2. While giving theGhusl cover the body with a sheet of cloth or at least the private parts, changing the cloth after eachGhusl .

3. The method of givingGhusl isTartibi - in sequence, first head and neck, then the right side and finally the left, the way we ordinarily do ourGhusl .

4. While performingGhusl recitesurah /ayat of the Qur'an anddua .

5. The person givingGhusl shouldbelong the same gender but if not available, amahram of the opposite gender can giveGhusl provided the body is completely covered with a sheet of cloth. Gender is irrelevant where givingGhusl to the body of a child below the age of six (tamiz - the age of discretion).

6. The person givingGhusl must know the basicmasael relating toGhusl Mayyit , but ifMu'min is not available, a Muslim will do.

7. To take or give any remuneration for givingGhusl isharam . If any remuneration is paid or taken,Ghusl isBatil ( invalid .).

8. He/she must betahir and withwudhu .

N.B. The case given here is that ofan normal death. Deaths caused by accidents (bleeding and crushed bodies) have different methods ofGhusl . In some cases, it is impossible to wash the body in which caseTayammum is done . For details, please refer to theRisalah of yourMarjaa .As a general rule , as long as the body is bleeding do not undertake to startghusl . Pack the wound with cotton wool to stop bleeding and then start theGhusl .

SecondWajib Act:Tahnit orHunut (Applying Camphor Powder)

After firstwajib acthas been completed , the secondwajib act istahnit . This involves applying fresh fragrant camphor powder on seven part of the body which rest on the ground when prostrating doingSajdah . These are the forehead, the palms of hands, the knees, and the toes. It iswajib / preferable to starttahnit starting with the forehead and ending with the palms. Some camphormay also be applied on the tip of nose and the chest. Keep theniyyat , "I am doingtahnit /hunut on the dead bodyWajib Qurbatan IlaLlah " before commencingtahnit . The bodyshould be laid on theKafan pre arranged systematically to facilitate this process.

ThirdWajib Act:Kafan

Method (Shrouding/Wrapping the Body with Sheets of cloth)

After the secondwajib acthas been completed , the thirdwajib act isKafan i.e., shrouding or systematically wrapping the body with threewajib and several additionalmustahab pieces of cloth.

Wajib Pieces

a)Lungi ( Loin cloth) - it is an apron like loincloth that should completely cover both the front and back part of the body from the navel to the ankles.

b)Qamis - (Long shirt) a piece of cloth similar to a shirt that covers the body from the shoulders to the below the knees, preferably to the ankles.

c)Chadar - (a large piece of cloth) that covers the entire body and long and wide enough so that the front had parts overlap and the top and the bottom parts can be tied with a string.

Mustahab Pieces

Themustahab (recommended) pieces ofKafan are :

a) Secondchadar - a second piece exactly like the first sheet.

b) Scarf to cover the head and the neck (for females only); a turban (for male) to cover the head.

c) Briefs / knickers / shorts to cover the complete area of the private parts and a belt to tighten them around the waist, both for male and female.

d) Brassier /seenaband to cover the whole area of the bust or breast (for female only).

e) Cotton pad sprinkled with camphor (for females only) for placing around the private parts.

N.B. All these pieces of cloth are pre arranged systematically in their proper order in the stated sequence and kept ready on the floor over a matso as to facilitate shrouding when the body is laid on them forTahnit followed by shroudingKafan .

It isMustahab (recommended) that

a) The cloth for "Kafan " should be white.

b)the body should be kept in a position that the face is towardsQibla while shrouding.

c)two fresh twigs of a tree inscribed withShahadah (Kalma ) calledJareedatain wrapped in cotton wool should be kept under the armpits of both arms before wrapping thechadar .

d)recite surahs /ayats from the Qur'an andIstaghfar while shrouding the body.

P.S. The order in which the pieces ofKafan aresystematically arranged and kept to facilitate wrapping is as follows:

From Bottom to the Top (arranged before the body is placed)

Belts (Upper, middle and lower to tighten the wholekafan ) male female

Chadar wajib male female

Chadar Mustahab male female

ScarfMustahab - female

Turban (Amama )Mustahab male -

Qamis (long shirt)wajib male female

Loin Clothwajib male female

Briefs/knickersMustahab male female

Belt (to tighten briefs)Mustahab male female

Brassier (to cover the chest)Mustahab - female

Cotton PadMustahab - female

The wrappingis then done from the top to the bottom to finally reach the belts to tie up the whole body after shrouding.

FourthWajib Act:Salaatul Mayyit

The nextwajib act isSalaatul Mayyit - (Namaz -e-Janaza ) for a six-year-old child or even lower than six if the child during his/her life used to praysalaat and could distinguish good from bad (Mummaiz )

Method

The body, in a coffin,is laid before the person(s) praying in congregation, head on the right side of the congregation and the face towardsQibla . Those praying, stand close to the coffin in a row(s) stretching along both sides from the middle of the coffin. Imam stands in front reciting loudly andMu'mineen follow the recitation. Itis recommended that they all be in (wudhu ). For a femalemayyit , Imam stands near the chest of themayyit .

TheSalaat

Thesalaat has noruku orsujud . Itis offered in a standing position. There are fiveTakbirs with recitations after eachTakbir .

Method ofNamaz -e-Mayyit

There are5 Takbirs (i.e. sayingAllahu Akbar) inNamaz -e-Mayyit , which is prayed as follows:

After makingNiyyat to offer the prayers and pronouncing the

FirstTakbir one should say:

"أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمد رسوله. أشه

د أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمد عبده ورسوله أرسله بالحق بشيراً ونذيراً بين يدىَّ الساعة ."

Ashhadu an lailaha illal lah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah .Ashhaduan lailaha illallahu wahdahu lasharika lah . Wa Ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluh ,arsalahu bil haqqi bashiran wa nadhiran bayna yada yis sa'ah .

After the2nd Takbir one should say:

" اللهم صلي على محمد وأل محمد ، اللهم صلي على محمد وأل محمد وبارك على محمد وأل محمد ورحم محمد وأل محمد كأفضل ما صليت وباركت وترحمت على إبراهيم وأل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد وصلي على جميع الأنبياء والمرسلين والشهداء والصديقين وجميع عباد الله الصالحين ."

Alla humma salli 'alaMuhammadin wa 'ali Muhammad.Alla humma salli 'alaMuhammadin wa Ali Muhammadwa barik 'alaMuhammadin wa Ali

Muhammadwarham Muhammadan wa AlaMuhammadin kaafzali masallayta wa barakta wa tarah hamta 'alaIbrahima wa AliIbrahima innaka Hamidum Majid wa salli 'alajami'il ambiya'iwal-mursalina wash-shuhada'i was-siddiqina wa jami'i 'ibadilla his-salihin .

After the3rd Takbir one should say:

" اللهم إغفر للمؤمنين والمؤمنات ، اللهم إغفر للمؤمنين والمؤمنات والمسلمين والمسلمات الأحياء منهم والأموات تابع بيننا وبيهم بالخيرات إنك مجيب الدعوات إنك على كل شيء قدير ."

Alla hummaghfir lil mu'minina wal mu'minat . Alla hummaghfir lil mu'minina wal mu'minati wal muslimina wal muslimat , alahya'i minhum wal amwat tabi'baynana wa baynahum bil khayrati innaka mujibud-da'wat innak 'alakulli shay'in Qadeer .

After the4th Takbir he should say:

" اللهم إن هذا عبدك وابن عبدك وابن أمتك نزل بك وأنت خير المنزلين به ، اللهم إنا لا نعلم منه إلا خير ما أنت أعلم به منّا. اللهم إن كان محسناً فزد في إحسانه وإن كان مسيئاً فتجواز عنه واغفر له. اللهم إجعله عندك في أعلى عليّين واخلف على أهله في الغابرين وارحمه برحمتك يا أرحم الراحمين ."

Alla humma inna hadha 'abduka wabnu 'abdika wabnu amatika nazala bika wa antakhayru manzulin bihi Alla humma inna lana'lamu minhu illa khayra wa antaa'alamu bihi minna . Alla humma in kanamohsinan fa zid fi ihsanihi wa in kanamusi'an fatajawaz anhu waghfir lahu .Alla hummaj'alhu 'indaka fi a'la'illiyyin wakhluf 'alaahlihi fil ghabirin warhamhu bi-rahmatika ya ar hamar Rahimin

If the dead body is that of a female one should say:

" اللهم إن هذا أمتك وابنة عبدك وابنة أمتك نزلت بك وأنت خير المنزلين به ، اللهم إنا لا نعلم منها إلا خير ما أنت أعلم به منّا. اللهم إن كانن محسنةً فزد في إحسانها وإن كانت مسيئة فتجواز عنها واغفر لها. اللهم إجعلها عندك في أعلى عليّين واخلف على أهلها في الغابرين وارحمها برحمتك يا أرحم الراحمين ."

Alla humma inna hazihi 'amatuka wabnatu 'abdika wabnatu amatika nazalat bika wa antakhayra manzulin bihi Alla humma inna lana'lamu minha illa khayra wa antaa'lamu biha minna . Alla humma inkanat mohsinatan fa zid fi ihsaniha wa inkanat musi'atan fatajawaz 'anha waghfir laha .Alla hummaj'al ha 'indaka fi a'la 'illiyin wakhluf 'alaahliha fil ghabirin warhamha bi-rahmatika ya ar hamar Rahimin .

Thereafter he should pronounce the5th Takbir and complete thesalaat by recitingSurah al-Fatiha .

FifthWajib Act:Dafan , Burial

After thesalaat , the bodyshould be buried in a Muslim graveyard. Itcannot be buried in non-Muslim graveyard unless a portion of that graveyard has been specifically reserved for Muslims. If that does not exist, the bodyshould be sent to a Muslim country for burial. In case that is not possible, itmay be buried in the graveyard ofAhlul Kitab - Christians /Jews/Zoroastrians. Conversely, a non-Muslimcannot be buried in a Muslim graveyard.