Watch how to wash and shroud the deceased by clicking the link below.
According to Islamic perspective, we were all born to die. "Everyone shall taste death. Then unto Us you shall be returned." [Al-Qur'an 29:57] The believers must gracefully accept Allah's (SWT) decree and be patient. When we hear the news of death, we should say: "Innaa lil-laahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji' oon (Verily we belong to Allah and verily to Him we must return.)" [Al-Qur'an 2:156] And it is a Fard Kifaayah (a communal duty) for Muslims to perform the funeral for our muslim deceased. If no one does it, the whole community is considered sinful. Therefore, a funeral is one of our life's important activities, no matter what religion we belong to. An Islamic funeral process consists of preparing the dead body, the funeral prayer, and the burial. Since it is a very detailed process, this essay reveals only the preparation of the body through washing and shrouding. The process of washing and shrouding is known as Al-Ghusl and Al-Kafn, respectively.
Not just anyone may wash the dead body. Males do this for males and females do this for females, except in the case of husband and wife or small children. Persons who are responsible for washing the dead body should be those most knowledgeable of Al-Ghusl precedures. They are preferably chosen from among the nearest relatives of the deceased. Moreover, those performing the rites should be honest and trustworthy. The Prophet (saw) said "He who washes a Muslim and conceals what he sees (bad smell, appearance, etc.) Allah (SWT) grants him forgiveness forty times (or forty major sins) [Hadith narrated by Al-Haakim, Bayhaqi). In addition, they should be able to control their sorrow. In Islam wailing and screaming over the dead is forbidden. These acts indicate displeasure with what Allah (SWT) has decreed. Crying is permissible, but not for more than three days.
The method of Al-Ghusl is based on Islamic rules and regulations. All the necessary items must first be collected, such as a special bath-shaped platform made of aluminum and covered with a wooden board on which to place the corpse, and to which a waste disposal pipe is attached. Other necessities which must be carefully assembled include a good supply of clean water, scissors, gloves, hygienic face mask, sponge or pieces of cloth, pieces of cotton, cotton buds, tissues, soap and shampoo, waste disposal bags, perfume, monkey apple leaves and camphor. Next, the dead body is carefully laid on its back on the washing table and the private parts covered with a large cloth (males: from the navel to the knees, females: from the neck to the ankles). All the clothing is then, removed, using scissors to cut whatever is difficult to slide off. During this process care must be taken to keep in place the cloth covering the private parts. After that, use your right arm to raise the head slightly while your left hand makes a slight pressure to the abdomen to expel any remaining impurities from the stomach. Begin washing the right side of the body washed during the Wudu. After completing the Wudu, the hair is thoroughly wased. Then wash the rest of the body thoroughly. Repeat the washing a minimum of three times or as many times as necessary, but the total number of complete washes should be odd--3, 5, or 7. Moreover, some perfume such as camphor should be added during the final washing. Finally, the body is dried, the body covered with a new large cloth. The body is now ready for shrouding; the next obligatory act for a Muslim funeral.
After the decreased is washed and dried, it should be shrouded immediately. Shrouding the dead body, or Al-Kafn requires the following steps. First, prepare white square sheets of ordinary cloth which are large enough to cover the entire body and seven strips of cloth for tying. These white sheets or shrouds should be scented or perfumed. The preferable color of the shrouds is white. The Prophet (saw) said "Wear white clothes, for verily it is among the best of your garments and shroud your dead in it also." [Hadith narrated by Aboo Daawood] The total number of shrouds is not specified by the Prophet, but, since the Prophet (saw) was shrouded in three, the preferable number of shrouds for a male is three. The total number of shrouds for a female is five. Some Muslim scholars say that the number of shrouds for a female should not exceed three. However, other scholars agree that five is better. In practice, the deceased can be even shrouded with one sheet of cloth if only one sheet is available. Secondly, place seven strips of cloth across the table in positions corresponding to the head, the feet, the chest, waist, knees, thighs, and ankles. The large piece, or shrouds are then spread on top of each other, with the largest at the bottom. Next, carefully lay the washed body (covered with a cloth), face up on the table. After that, cover the private parts (between the buttocks) with perfumed cotton. It is recommended that some perfume be applied all over the body and especially on the body parts which touch the ground during Salah (prayer): the hands, forehead, nose, knees and feet. The hands may placed over the chest in the attitude of prayer, or Salah. The sheets under the body are then pulled up one at a time to cover the body, starting always with the right side. Fasten the sheets by pulling the right side of the top shroud over the deceased's right side and pull the left side of the top shroud over the deceased's left side. The second and third shrouds are then pulled to cover the body in the same manner. After the cloth covering the private part is removed, the shrouds are tied using the strips of cloth--one around the head, one around the feet, another five around the body (at the chest, waist, knees, thighs and ankles). The strips can also be tied at fewer than seven points. After the shrouding is completed, the funeral prayer and the burial can be performed.
Washing the dead body (Al-Ghusl) and shrouding the deceased (Al-Kafn) must be performed step by step according to Islamic rites and regulations as described above. Both stages should be completely finished as soon as possible. The prophet (saw) said "Hasten the funeral rites, for it is a good one, bliss is awaiting it, and if it is otherwise, you will be putting down wickedness off your necks." (Hadith, narrated bu Imams Bukhari and Muslim)."
Us = Literally "we" known in English as the "majestic we" or the "royal we", used by those of great importance. (Philips, 2005)
SWT = Subhanahu wata a' la (Praise be to the Most High)
saw = sallallahu aalaihi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
Wudu = ablution, which is washing the face and the hands up to the elbows, wiping the head and ears with wet fingers, and washing the feet up to ankles for the purpose of offering prayers (Al-Hilali and Khan, 2002).
Hadith = the sayings, deeds, and approvals accurately narrated from the Prophet (saws)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Al-Hilali, M. T. and Khan, M. M. (2002). The Noble Qur' an: Tranlation in Roman script with
Arabic text and English translation. Riyadh: Darussalam.
Philips, A. A. B. (2005). Funeral rites in Islam. NC: International Islamic Publishing House
(IIPH).
เชค อับดุลลอฮฺ บิน อับดุรเราะฮฺมาน อัลญะบะรอยนฺ. ศพและขั้นตอนต่างๆในการทำศพ. แปลและเรียบเรียง
โดย มยุรา วงษ์สันต์ (อาอิชะฮฺ มุนีร) (2548). พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 1. กรุงเทพฯ: สภายุวมุสลิมโลก สำนักงานประเทศ
ไทย
บรรจง บินกาซัน. (2543).จรรยามารยาทในอิสลาม. กรุงเทพฯ: นัตวิดาการพิมพ์.
Not just anyone may wash the dead body. Males do this for males and females do this for females, except in the case of husband and wife or small children. Persons who are responsible for washing the dead body should be those most knowledgeable of Al-Ghusl precedures. They are preferably chosen from among the nearest relatives of the deceased. Moreover, those performing the rites should be honest and trustworthy. The Prophet (saw) said "He who washes a Muslim and conceals what he sees (bad smell, appearance, etc.) Allah (SWT) grants him forgiveness forty times (or forty major sins) [Hadith narrated by Al-Haakim, Bayhaqi). In addition, they should be able to control their sorrow. In Islam wailing and screaming over the dead is forbidden. These acts indicate displeasure with what Allah (SWT) has decreed. Crying is permissible, but not for more than three days.
The method of Al-Ghusl is based on Islamic rules and regulations. All the necessary items must first be collected, such as a special bath-shaped platform made of aluminum and covered with a wooden board on which to place the corpse, and to which a waste disposal pipe is attached. Other necessities which must be carefully assembled include a good supply of clean water, scissors, gloves, hygienic face mask, sponge or pieces of cloth, pieces of cotton, cotton buds, tissues, soap and shampoo, waste disposal bags, perfume, monkey apple leaves and camphor. Next, the dead body is carefully laid on its back on the washing table and the private parts covered with a large cloth (males: from the navel to the knees, females: from the neck to the ankles). All the clothing is then, removed, using scissors to cut whatever is difficult to slide off. During this process care must be taken to keep in place the cloth covering the private parts. After that, use your right arm to raise the head slightly while your left hand makes a slight pressure to the abdomen to expel any remaining impurities from the stomach. Begin washing the right side of the body washed during the Wudu. After completing the Wudu, the hair is thoroughly wased. Then wash the rest of the body thoroughly. Repeat the washing a minimum of three times or as many times as necessary, but the total number of complete washes should be odd--3, 5, or 7. Moreover, some perfume such as camphor should be added during the final washing. Finally, the body is dried, the body covered with a new large cloth. The body is now ready for shrouding; the next obligatory act for a Muslim funeral.
After the decreased is washed and dried, it should be shrouded immediately. Shrouding the dead body, or Al-Kafn requires the following steps. First, prepare white square sheets of ordinary cloth which are large enough to cover the entire body and seven strips of cloth for tying. These white sheets or shrouds should be scented or perfumed. The preferable color of the shrouds is white. The Prophet (saw) said "Wear white clothes, for verily it is among the best of your garments and shroud your dead in it also." [Hadith narrated by Aboo Daawood] The total number of shrouds is not specified by the Prophet, but, since the Prophet (saw) was shrouded in three, the preferable number of shrouds for a male is three. The total number of shrouds for a female is five. Some Muslim scholars say that the number of shrouds for a female should not exceed three. However, other scholars agree that five is better. In practice, the deceased can be even shrouded with one sheet of cloth if only one sheet is available. Secondly, place seven strips of cloth across the table in positions corresponding to the head, the feet, the chest, waist, knees, thighs, and ankles. The large piece, or shrouds are then spread on top of each other, with the largest at the bottom. Next, carefully lay the washed body (covered with a cloth), face up on the table. After that, cover the private parts (between the buttocks) with perfumed cotton. It is recommended that some perfume be applied all over the body and especially on the body parts which touch the ground during Salah (prayer): the hands, forehead, nose, knees and feet. The hands may placed over the chest in the attitude of prayer, or Salah. The sheets under the body are then pulled up one at a time to cover the body, starting always with the right side. Fasten the sheets by pulling the right side of the top shroud over the deceased's right side and pull the left side of the top shroud over the deceased's left side. The second and third shrouds are then pulled to cover the body in the same manner. After the cloth covering the private part is removed, the shrouds are tied using the strips of cloth--one around the head, one around the feet, another five around the body (at the chest, waist, knees, thighs and ankles). The strips can also be tied at fewer than seven points. After the shrouding is completed, the funeral prayer and the burial can be performed.
Washing the dead body (Al-Ghusl) and shrouding the deceased (Al-Kafn) must be performed step by step according to Islamic rites and regulations as described above. Both stages should be completely finished as soon as possible. The prophet (saw) said "Hasten the funeral rites, for it is a good one, bliss is awaiting it, and if it is otherwise, you will be putting down wickedness off your necks." (Hadith, narrated bu Imams Bukhari and Muslim)."
Us = Literally "we" known in English as the "majestic we" or the "royal we", used by those of great importance. (Philips, 2005)
SWT = Subhanahu wata a' la (Praise be to the Most High)
saw = sallallahu aalaihi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
Wudu = ablution, which is washing the face and the hands up to the elbows, wiping the head and ears with wet fingers, and washing the feet up to ankles for the purpose of offering prayers (Al-Hilali and Khan, 2002).
Hadith = the sayings, deeds, and approvals accurately narrated from the Prophet (saws)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Al-Hilali, M. T. and Khan, M. M. (2002). The Noble Qur' an: Tranlation in Roman script with
Arabic text and English translation. Riyadh: Darussalam.
Philips, A. A. B. (2005). Funeral rites in Islam. NC: International Islamic Publishing House
(IIPH).
เชค อับดุลลอฮฺ บิน อับดุรเราะฮฺมาน อัลญะบะรอยนฺ. ศพและขั้นตอนต่างๆในการทำศพ. แปลและเรียบเรียง
โดย มยุรา วงษ์สันต์ (อาอิชะฮฺ มุนีร) (2548). พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 1. กรุงเทพฯ: สภายุวมุสลิมโลก สำนักงานประเทศ
ไทย
บรรจง บินกาซัน. (2543).จรรยามารยาทในอิสลาม. กรุงเทพฯ: นัตวิดาการพิมพ์.
There’re many religions in the world. Islam is one of interesting religions. They look mysterious with their dressing which others religions don’t know why they have to dress like that. So the Islam ritual about washing and shrouding the death body is also interesting and mysterious. After reading this ritual, I’m impressed because they take care of the death very well in a good manner. They pay respect to even the death like males wash for males and females wash for females. Also, there’s mysterious thing that people from other religions or non-religious people can’t understand why they’re allowed to do that such as screaming over the death and crying is allowed but not more than 3 days. Therefore, as I’m a Buddhist, this ritual and the forbidden things look far different from Buddhism or even other religions like Christian.
ReplyDeleteThittaya Na Boonwong
ID: 5104100009 Sec.1
Aslaamalaikum. Some things that you may not have an answer to or things that may sound mysterious to you is because we are commanded allah our creator and the last and the last and final messenger prophet muhammad may peace be upon him, some people will not able to get an answer to how certain things happen and why in this life. But i can assure you, you will know the truth soon i hope for your sake its not in the next life. You will be of the successful if youobey the commands of our creator who knows the best for you. I strongly urge you to read the translation of the qu'ran in which language you understand best. And see your heart will understand that it's a divine book which is from our creator.
DeleteBy the way it's the only book on the face of the earth which is in the EXACT form it came in this world which even all the scholars of other religions agree with. Also as the other revelations weren't taken care of our creator has promisedthat he himself will guard this book till the day of judgement. We can all see its the only book on earth thats is and will stay like this till the last day as promised by our creator
DeleteAll the revelations teached the same thing believing in only one god, we call him allah which is used in all the major religions as its the word thats used by the creator himself.
DeleteIts a shame that the few other major religions don't follow their scriptures as its clearly mentioned in their books aswell. May allah guide us all to the right path ameen. One sin that allah has promised he won't forgive is associating any partners with him, whether it may be a painting, pictures, idol etc. Allah says those are the ones who have strayed too far away from the truth.
ReplyDelete