Funeral rites vary tremendously from culture to culture and religion to religion. From practices and customs to wardrobe and etiquette, there is a lot to know about the proceedings of funerals for people of any nationality or spiritual belief. If you are planning a funeral for a Muslim friend or family member, or even if you are only attending an Islamic funeral, there is much you need to know. This simple guide will explain the basics of Islamic care for the dying and funeral services.
Before death, as in many religions, the friends and family of the dying are called to them to offer comfort and support. They may select and recite passages from the holy book of Islam, the Qur'an, they may pray for the dying, or they may simply speak to them with kind words in order to ease their suffering. If at all possible, the last words of the dying should reflect their faith in God. Following death, preparations are made for the funeral. It is during this time that loved ones turn to each other for comfort and support. They must not scream or yell, and should remain still. This reflects a respect for the deceased and for God.
The eyes of the deceased will be closed and the body will be covered with a sheet. It is important to Muslims that the bodies of the dead be buried as soon as possible after death. It is for this reason that they do not embalm the bodies. Exceptions will be made for autopsies, but these are reserved only for outstanding circumstances. Before the burial, the friends and family of the deceased will ritually wash the body. This will be performed with perfumed water and the utmost respect. After the washing is complete, the body will be wrapped in a kafan, sheets of clean, white cloth. These steps will be skipped if the deceased died a martyr. If this is the case, then they will be buried in the same clothes in which they died.
Next, the funeral prayers will be administered. This is performed by an imam facing away from the gathered family and friends. This takes place in a public place, giving the community an opportunity to honor the dead. After the prayers, the body will be transported to the burial site. It is generally preferred that a Muslim be buried in the same place in which he died, as to transport the body would delay the burial and possibly necessitate embalming. The body is lowered into the ground without a casket, if permitted. The body rests on its right side, facing Mecca. No tombstones or other markers are erected above the grave. Mourning proceeds for three days. Widows mourn for an extended period lasting four months and ten days.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Jihaz in Islamic Marriages
Jihaz (dowry) or trousseau is the amount of clothes, household linen, furniture and other belongings contributed by the bride and/or her family to the marriage. It has to be distinguished from the mahr, which is an agreement between the wali (guardian) of the bride and her future husband by which the groom pays certain sum of money or its equivalent to the bride at the signing of the marriage agreement. The mahr is an obligation on the groom stipulated by the Quran to be given to the future wife, while the jihaz is not an obligation on the part of the bride or her family. (For more information on the mahr agreement.
The Jihaz is not the nafaqa (support) either, because nafaqa is the material support given by the husband to his wife as soon as the marriage is consummated. The nafaqa covers clothing, food and shelter of the wife. (For more on the nafaqa.
In the Middle East , as elsewhere, the brides are often given house furnishings and clothing by their parents or family members when embarking on marriage. There is no obligation in the Islamic Shari'a to fulfill the jihaz, however, in most cases, brides bring such jihaz to their houses once they get married.
Consequently, the groom cannot force his future wife to bring the jihaz as part of the household, and if her family is asked to contribute such jihaz, they may decline the demand.
Once the jihaz is given to the bride, it becomes her own property. Her family cannot claim it as part of their estate unless the jihaz was given as a loan agreement to the bride. Under such circumstance, they may demand the return of the jihaz.
The groom cannot have claim on the jihaz, unless it was purchased by the bride or her family, with monies given by the groom as part of the mahr agreement, where the jihaz becomes a mahr and therefore belongs to the groom.
The bride's father may have a legal agreement with his daughter stating that certain pieces of the jihaz she took with her upon marriage were in fact a loan, and therefore revert to her family upon death. Otherwise the jihaz is considered a private property of the bride and becomes part of her estate.
The jihaz contributed by the bride and /or her family endorses the idea that she enters into marriage as an empowered individual. The marriage arrangements in the Middle East involving jihaz, predated the rise of Islam.
There is no provision in Islamic Shari'a that forbids the exercise of women's right to contribute jihaz to their marriages. In fact, under Islamic law, married women have legal rights to share in family estate. They may own properties, or be named as beneficiaries of religious waqf (endowment) assets.
The Jihaz is not the nafaqa (support) either, because nafaqa is the material support given by the husband to his wife as soon as the marriage is consummated. The nafaqa covers clothing, food and shelter of the wife. (For more on the nafaqa.
In the Middle East , as elsewhere, the brides are often given house furnishings and clothing by their parents or family members when embarking on marriage. There is no obligation in the Islamic Shari'a to fulfill the jihaz, however, in most cases, brides bring such jihaz to their houses once they get married.
Consequently, the groom cannot force his future wife to bring the jihaz as part of the household, and if her family is asked to contribute such jihaz, they may decline the demand.
Once the jihaz is given to the bride, it becomes her own property. Her family cannot claim it as part of their estate unless the jihaz was given as a loan agreement to the bride. Under such circumstance, they may demand the return of the jihaz.
The groom cannot have claim on the jihaz, unless it was purchased by the bride or her family, with monies given by the groom as part of the mahr agreement, where the jihaz becomes a mahr and therefore belongs to the groom.
The bride's father may have a legal agreement with his daughter stating that certain pieces of the jihaz she took with her upon marriage were in fact a loan, and therefore revert to her family upon death. Otherwise the jihaz is considered a private property of the bride and becomes part of her estate.
The jihaz contributed by the bride and /or her family endorses the idea that she enters into marriage as an empowered individual. The marriage arrangements in the Middle East involving jihaz, predated the rise of Islam.
There is no provision in Islamic Shari'a that forbids the exercise of women's right to contribute jihaz to their marriages. In fact, under Islamic law, married women have legal rights to share in family estate. They may own properties, or be named as beneficiaries of religious waqf (endowment) assets.
A Walk Through Islamic Cairo
Historic Cairo contains the greatest concentration of Islamic monuments in the world, both in quality and quantity, and is included in UNESCO's World Heritage List on par with Venice. Among Cairo's monuments are mosques, mausolea, and madrasa (religious schools) built by prominent patrons between the seventh and the nineteenth centuries. There are also hammam (public baths), palaces, houses, city gates, and wikala (large buildings centered around a courtyard that combine living units in the upper stories with commercial uses at ground level).
A type of building unique to Cairo is the sabil-kuttab, a two-story building with a covered water fountain to serve the community on the ground floor and a simple room for teaching young children to read the Quran on the upper level.
Although historic buildings are scattered widely throughout the city. Many of the major monuments form natural groups or clusters that are mutually enhancing. A visitor standing in the midst of a group of monuments can have some idea of what Cairo must have been like in its glorious past.
These clusters create a general pattern along al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah Street the spine of the historic city, and part of al-Gamaliya Street running parallel on the east side. Expanding southward, the pattern continues along the Street of the Tent Makers, then to the east of Bab Zuwayla along ai-Darb al-Ahmar, following the sweep to the monumental mosque of Sultan Hassan at the foot of the Citadel.
Anyway, there is still a lot to know about basic characters of Islamic Cairo and the best landmarks that worth visiting, which I'll talk about through coming articles.
A type of building unique to Cairo is the sabil-kuttab, a two-story building with a covered water fountain to serve the community on the ground floor and a simple room for teaching young children to read the Quran on the upper level.
Although historic buildings are scattered widely throughout the city. Many of the major monuments form natural groups or clusters that are mutually enhancing. A visitor standing in the midst of a group of monuments can have some idea of what Cairo must have been like in its glorious past.
These clusters create a general pattern along al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah Street the spine of the historic city, and part of al-Gamaliya Street running parallel on the east side. Expanding southward, the pattern continues along the Street of the Tent Makers, then to the east of Bab Zuwayla along ai-Darb al-Ahmar, following the sweep to the monumental mosque of Sultan Hassan at the foot of the Citadel.
Anyway, there is still a lot to know about basic characters of Islamic Cairo and the best landmarks that worth visiting, which I'll talk about through coming articles.
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