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Fatima Bulla and Desire Ncube
THERE have been wild speculations with regards to how Muslims handle their beloved’s funerals and burials. The wildest of them all has been the one alleging that the water used to wash the body of the deceased is used to prepare meals.
A number of local celebrities including musician Suluman ‘Sulu’ Chimbetu, Premier Soccer League chairman, Twine Phiri and footballer Silas Songani, among others, are known to be of the Muslim faith.
The Sunday Mail Religion managed to get in touch with Sulu so that he could shed light on how the Muslim funerals are handled.
While he could not shed much light, referring this publication to the elders, Sulu, who comes from a family with a strong Muslim background, shared his sentiments on why women are not allowed at the grave site.
“Women are the child bearers so they are very emotional. So when it comes to seeing the child they bore being buried it pains them so they do not go to the grave site.
“Other than that I am also just a child I do not have much understanding of why deceased Muslims are not buried in coffins,” concluded Sulu.
Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe deputy national chairman, Sheikh Ishmail Duwa highlighted that under Sharia, whether one is Sunni or Shiite, four compulsory processes are carried out upon death. These are washing of the deceased’s body, shrouding it in sheets as was done to Jesus, sending a prayer and then burial. Sheikh Duwa however denied that water used to bath a deceased body is used to prepare meals at the funeral
“If a person dies we don’t want him or her to be put in the fridge (mortuary). Immediately, when a Muslim dies we prepare the deceased by shutting his or her eyes and straightening the body parts for proper handling. Burial arrangements have to be done immediately.
“This is because when they die, they are ready to get their reward from God. There is no need to delay proceedings because there is no fun in handling a funeral as compared to, for instance, preparing for a wedding. Hence we immediately prepare for burial,” Sheikh Duwa said.
While the only delay can be realised in preparing burial order documentation, there has been much relief for Muslims as some major hospitals now have authority to grant them.
Sheikh Duwa said when the burial order has been processed, they waste no time in proceeding with the process.
“It is well known in Zimbabwe that a post mortem is not done on the body of a deceased Muslim. And the reason being that we believe every death is from God. So a post mortem might seem like a witch hunt yet God said He can take His people anytime.
“The post mortem is only facilitated when the police are suspecting foul play and in such cases everything is in the hands of legal authorities. As Muslims we do no fight that,” added the Sheikh.
In the mosque, there are small rooms where the body is prepared for burial, he went on.
“The deceased’s body is laid in the room which has ablution facilities including an in-built tap. We use warm water to wash the body, it helps us clean the dirt that can be resistant to cold water. While people might assume that we clean inside the body, that is not true.
“However, sometimes when a person dies, there might still be some excretions in their system. In that case we apply some minimum pressure on the stomach to help push them out. All this is done while wearing protective clothing,” Sheikh Duwa explained.
Only three people who are the deceased’s close relatives are allowed to handle this process. One is assigned to wash the body, one is assigned to pour warm water over the deceased’s body while another helps out.
Head of the Iran Cultural Centre, Dr Shajakhani said not everyone can bath the dead.
“There are people who are trained to do that. Men are bathed with fellow men and ladies with ladies too. But (they) must be trained.
“If you ask me to bath a dead person I don’t even know how to do that but I am a Muslim. It is very important to use trained people,” Mr Shajakhani said.
And just as Muslims rinse their mouth three times before entering the mosque to pray, the same is done with the deceased.
This represents the routine that the deceased used to follow as a loyal living worshipper.
Cleaning the mouth is recommended for Muslims before entering the mosque to pray.
“When washing the body, we are not allowed to strip it naked. Therefore, we remove the clothes while there is another cloth on top. We also use soap but it is rubbed on top of that sheet. We then rinse the body before putting a fresh cloth.
“The most important thing is to avoid seeing the body in its nakedness, just like we would never see it while alive,” noted Sheikh Duwa.
However, Dr Shajakhani said that when washing the body, the private reproductive organs have to be covered, not necessarily the whole body.
The body is not placed in a coffin. Sweet smelling perfumes are used on the wrapped body of the deceased.
“A man is wrapped with three different cloths as was done with Jesus’ body. What follows is binding of the head, the stomach area as well as the legs with a cloth. Perfume is sprayed on top,” he added.
Dr Shajakhani concurred that the deceased’s bodies are washed since it is compulsory for the living to bath the face, head, the hands from the fingers to the elbow and the feet.
He highlighted that it is not permissible to bury one without the bath.
“In our faith we do not bury impurities,” he said.
After the washed body is wrapped, a prayer is made and the body is put in a carrier and taken to its final resting place.
“Our graves have a small tunnel to ensure that mud does not fall directly on the body. Three or five people go underground to receive the body in a squatting position,” said Sheikh Duwa.
When the body has been placed in the grave with the deceased facing the direction of Mecca, the tied cloths are loosened. Sheets are then used to cover the body.
Sheikh Duwa explained that bodies of deceased Muslims are laid facing the direction of Mecca so that at the time of resurrection they will be facing God ready for judgment.
“We place wooden planks in the tunnel to avoid mud splashes when we seal off where the deceased sleeps.
“The teacher then leads relatives in pouring mud into the grave before making with a simple prayer.
“All this is done under the guidance of a teacher. It’s even better if the leader is a close relative because we believe the prayer from a relative is more sincere than that of a stranger,” he said.
Just like in other religions, a Muslim is allowed to nominate people who will handle their burial.
“What is compulsory for all Muslims bound by Sharia, be they Sunni or Shiite, is to follow the four processes. If burial is done without doing, you will have to conduct the prayers on the grave.
“This is the Muslim way of doing things, all those other assumptions are not true,” he said.
“At the Warren Hills Cemetery, Granville or in Mabvuku, there are sections reserved for Muslims’ burials,” emphasised Sheikh Duwa.
Dr Shajakhani said that everyone who touches the body of a dead Muslim before it has been washed – if he or she is a Muslim – must have a religious bath to remove all impurities.
It is also compulsory for the deceased’s relative to get into the grave after the body has been lowered into the grave to open the shrouded head and pronounce some rituals, professing their loyalty as a Muslim.
“There are also three days that we value as Muslims. When someone dies on the third day, the seventh and the 40th day, we recite the Qur’aan and prayers pleading with Allah to have mercy with the dead. But this however does not disqualify the fact that on the judgement day, one’s deeds will be taken into account,” concluded Dr Shajakhani.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter