Friday 18 November 2016

How To Bury The Deceased & Offer Condolences To His Family

Firstly, it is obligatory to carry the deceased and follow the funeral. This is one of the rights that the dead Muslim has over the Muslims, which will bring great reward and virtue to the one who does it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever attends the funeral from the house (of the deceased) [according to one report: whoever follows the funeral of a Muslim out of faith and the hope of reward] until the funeral prayer is offered will have one qeeraat, and whoever attends the funeral until the deceased is buried will have two qeeraats.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allaah, what are the two qeeraats?” He said, “Like two huge mountains.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Janaa’iz, 1240).
It is not permitted to follow funerals in manners that go against the sharee’ah. That includes:
Crying or weeping in a loud voice; following it with incense (bukhoor) etc.; reciting dhikr in a loud voice in front of the coffin as it is being carried, because that is bid’ah – Qays ibn ‘Abbaad said: “The companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to regard it as makrooh to raise the voice in front of the coffin” – and because it is an imitation of the Christians.
Secondly: The burial
Muslims should not be buried with kaafirs, nor kaafirs with Muslims. The Muslim should be buried in the Muslim graveyard.  
The Sunnah is to put the deceased into the grave from the end, then he should be turned onto his right side in the grave, with his face facing towards the qiblah. The one who puts him into the lahd (niche in the grave) should say, “Bismillaahi wa ‘ala sunnat Rasool-Allaahi or ‘ala millat Rasool-Allaahi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (In the name of Allaah and according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah or according to the religion of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)).”
(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Janaa’iz 967; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 836)
It is mustahabb for those who are at the grave to throw handfuls of earth, three handfuls scooped up in both hands, after the lahd has been sealed.
After the burial is complete, there are several things which are Sunnah:
To make the grave a little higher than the ground, approximately a handspan, and not to make it level with the ground, so that it may be distinguished as a grave and respected, and not subjected to disrespect. It should be made approximately a handspan higher than the ground, and there is nothing wrong with placing a marker such as a stone or something similar, so that others of his family may be buried near him later on. Water should be sprinkled on the grave so that the soil will settle and not fly around. No one should stand by the grave telling the deceased that he will be questioned soon etc., as is the custom among some people Rather people should stand at the grave and pray for the deceased to be made steadfast and for forgiveness for him. Those who are present should be told to do this, because of the hadeeth of ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “When the deceased had been buried, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would stand by (the grave) and say: ‘Pray for forgiveness for your brother and ask for him to be made steadfast, for even now is he being questioned.’” (narrated by Abu Dawood, al-Janaa’iz, 2804; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 2758).
Nothing of the Qur’aan should be recited at the graveside, because this is bid’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do this, and neither did his noble Companions. It is haraam to build up graves or to plaster them or to write anything on them, because Jaabir said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to plaster graves with gypsum, to sit on them or to build anything over them.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Janaa’iz, 1610. According to Abu Dawood,  “He forbade us  to plaster graves with gypsum, to write on them or to step on them.” (al-Janaa’iz, 3226. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 2763)

read more @Just Muslim.org

Thursday 17 November 2016

The Shroud (Kafan) of a Female

The Shroud (Kafan) of a female should consist of five white garments, (Two winding sheet, a long loose sleeveless shirt {From shoulder to feet}, a waist wrapper, and a head veil ), these should be large enough to cover the whole body and may be perfumed with incense, a loin cloth may be used to bind the upper part of her legs, use 4 tie ropes, each one is 7 feet long.
Steps of shrouding :
The garments are spread out ( 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} ).
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 deceased’s left hand should be placed on her chest, then put her right hand on the left hand like the way in the Salat (Prayer).
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.
NOTE: There is no Islamic teaching of writing any thing on the shrouds.
read more @ http://www.justmuslim.org/death-funerals/shrouding-the-female

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Washing & Shrouding The Deceased Muslim


When a Muslim dies, it is the responsibility of his family or other Muslims to wash him according to the Islamic rites of washing the deceased. Two or three persons may perform the washing.
The person(s) who may wash the deceased should :
Be a trustworthy, and honest adult Muslim(s).
Know the Islamic way of washing the dead and be able to carry out the washing.
Not make any comment on the body of the deceased.
Note:
If the deceased is a male, then ONLY males should wash him.
If the deceased is a female, then ONLY females should wash her.
For a married person, the spouse may perform the washing.
For a child, either males or females may do the washing.
Place of washing :
The deceased’s body should be washed in a clean, secluded, and private place where clean water and soap are available. Gloves or pieces of cloth are needed.
The body of the deceased should be washed with water and, if available, lotus leaves, or camphor (To be used in the final wash).
The washing should be done three or five, or any more odd number of times if necessary.
Steps of washing :
The body of the deceased should be placed on a table or alike, the deceased’s clothes should be removed, and the body should be covered with a sheet of cloth.
The head and the upper body should be raised slightly to insure the washing water with exudations from the body flows down and does not run back to the body.
The Aura (Private parts) of the deceased should be covered with a piece of cloth (The Aura of a male is from the belly button to the knee in the presence of males, for the female is the same in the presence of females).
The washer should start washing by saying:" Bismil - lah "," In the name of Allah ".
The washer winds a piece of cloth around his hand, and with this he cleans away any impurities from the body using water. Then he should dispose of this piece.
The washer should take another piece of cloth around his hand, press lightly the stomach of the deceased so as so to expel, if possible, any remnants from it, and then wash the body of all impurities using water. Then he should dispose this piece of cloth.
The washer should take another piece of cloth around his hand (May use gloves), and wash the covered private parts, then dispose of this piece of cloth.
The washer should perform Wudu (Ablution) on the deceased without inserting the water in the nose and in the mouth.
The washer should clean the body with water and soap (If available), starting from the head (hair, face and beard {Men}), then the upper right side of the body then the left side, after that the lower right side then the lower left.
In the case of a female, her hair should be loosened, washed, combed, and be braided in three braids, and placed behind her back.
The washing should be done three times, or five times, or seven times, as needed, providing that after washing the head, wash the right side before the left, and the upper parts before the lower ones.
In the last wash, the washer may use camphor, or some perfume with the water.
After that the body should be dried with clean towel.
Then the body should be totally covered with a white sheet.
You now get ready to start the shrouding.
Special Note : In case the deceased is a female in her menstrual period or have child birth bleeding, padding should be used to prevent blood from leaving the body.
Note:
It is recommended that those who performed the washing should take a bath .
It is recommended that those who performed the washing should make Wudu.
All of this is based on authentic Hadith that Um Atiyah narrated 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).
Note:
There is no Islamic teaching of reading the Quran during the Ghusul.
There is no Islamic teaching of making special dthiker (Certain words to remember Allah) during the Ghusul.
Shrouding The Deceased 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 shroud (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
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.
If it is possible the deceased’s left hand should be placed on his chest, then put his right hand on the left hand like the way in the Salat (Prayer).
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.
for more on dealing with deaths for muslims visit www.justmuslim.org